ASLA 2014 Professional Research Award Winners

Across the nation, children lack access to nature. In fact, the result of the decline in nature-based activities is so significant, it now has a name: Nature Deficiency Disorder. Some sources suggest they are outside less than 50 percent as much as they were ten years ago. The reasons for this decline are not well understood. The focus of the Larimer County study is to understand the underlying patterns for the decline and the barriers to nature connections. Analyzing existing community structures with the application of spatial data has helped determine how the physical organization of cities either encourages or discourages interaction with natural areas.