Nature and Children’s Development
Journal Artical
Cultivation of Grit: A Type of Nature Education for Urban Preschool Children
Landscape Architecture, 2019
Grit, a fundamental personality trait, is beneficial for individual’s lifelong health and well-being. A great amount of studies have shown that contact with nature has significant positive impacts on cultivating an individual’s grit. According to the human’s psychological and physical conditions at different ages, the grit-oriented nature education shall be started at the preschool age (5-6 years old). Unfortunately, both theoretical and practical knowledge of this type of education is fragmented and deficient. Therefore, it is pressing and important to develop a set of nature education programs aiming to develop grit for preschool children. Probing into the theoretical system and practical strategies of grit-oriented nature education from key parts of the theoretical framework, key components of the education with the weight of importance, a think tank of grit-oriented nature education, and strategic design of nature education settings, this study provides researchers with future research trends, educators with inspirations of nature education practice, and designers with new ideas of nature experience.
Examining the urban environment through the eyes of a pediatrician: An interview with Richard J. Jackson
Landscape Architecture Frontiers, 2015
This interview article focuses on discussion of several important issues related to the influence of urban landscape on human health from a perspective of pediatrics. Richard J. Jackson introduced his career in the field and explained how to promote physical, mental, and social health through improvement of urban environment. Bin Jiang, the interviewer, raised a few important questions related to the topic within the social and physical context of Chinese cities. Together, through a fresh perspective, this work would help city managers and design professionals to contribute to solving pressing human health problems by reshaping urban environment and changing citizens’ lifestyles and social norms.