Therapeutic Landscapes

Joachim Rathmann presents the interdisciplinary relationships between landscapes and health. Nature is to be regarded as an elementary health resource, because movement in near-natural surroundings has demonstrably positive influences on human health and is summarized in many ways in the concept of "therapeutic landscapes". Natural areas offer an important resource for strengthening health, especially to an aging society, which can also be measured economically. The author presents natural science, social science, and humanities research in a clear, understandable, and concise manner for a broad readership. At the same time he gives suggestions for a conscious handling of the sensitive resource landscape and for a regular observation of nature.

 This springer essential is a translation of the original German 1st edition essentials, Therapeutische Landschaften by Joachim Rathmann, published by Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature in 2020. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation. Springer Nature works continuously to further the development of tools for the production of books and on the related technologies to support the authors.



The contents


·         Therapeutic landscapes, introduction to a concept of health-promoting places


·         On the concept of landscape and health

·         Person-place bonds

·         Landscape preferences, landscape and forests as a health resource

The target groups

Students and lecturers of landscape planning, nature conservation, geography, health sciences and environmental psychology, -medicine as well as -pedagogy


Professionals in these fields and in landscape architecture, environmental economics, and gerontology


 The author

Dr. Joachim Rathmann did his PhD on climate change in southern hemispheric Africa and teaches and does postdoctoral research on ecosystem services at the University of Augsburg.

This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.