Remember that feeling of reinvigoration the last time you went out for a walk in the park? Or your last trek where your lungs last experienced fresh, clean air? How about the joy your kids felt when you walked around the garden identifying various plants, trees and birds that you came across?

So, while the role of nature in improving our health is undisputed, it is hardly accessible to us given our busy schedules and city life. Urban residents rarely go out for a run-in peaceful environment and taking the day off with the kids at the park is a thing of the past. Natural views have become so scarce in urban settings that families have to wait for their annual holiday and step out of the city to experience actual greenery.

NEED OF THE HOUR

Our everyday lives are confined to closed spaces like offices, public transport. Even the urban sources of recreation, entertainment and rejuvenation are often restricted to establishments that are based in concrete structures.

With a rapid increase in lifestyle diseases due to numerous factors such as pollution, stress and sedentary lives (among other reasons), thus resulting in a renewed appreciation of nature and its unsung role in significantly improving our quality of life.

There is a growing body of scientific evidence that tells us how exposure to nature positively impacts our physical and mental health. Research led by the University of Exeter found that people who spend at least 120 minutes in nature a week are significantly more likely to report good health and higher psychological wellbeing than those who don't visit nature at all during an average week.

SEEKING A CONNECTION TO NATURE, CLOSE TO HOME

New home buyers today seek a connection with nature closer to home. While civic authorities are working to address the needs of accessibility, real estate developers are rising to the challenge too. Since the trend is a preference towards integrated developments that offer holistic living, the finest developments include ample open spaces, parks and gardens within the property as well as outside it. As home buying trends at Oberoi Realty indicate, more and more urban citizens are looking for apartments with such premium amenities, especially post COVID-19.

Today, real estate developers have evolved into lifestyle designers. The rise of eco-consciousness has a significant role in this. It means going beyond the basics of shelter. For instance, the impeccably designed Oberoi Garden City - its beautifully landscaped gardens with large, open spaces keep the connection with nature alive.

In addition to that, there are long jogging tracks, expansive walkways, uninterrupted views of the Aarey greens and amenities like a reflexology path, verdant gardens, cycling tracks, jogging tracks. An oasis in a concrete jungle, this soothing living experience is offered while maintaining connectivity to important transit hubs and connecting points.

These homes enable a better, more holistic lifestyle by respecting the need for remaining close to nature – through sight, sound and by embracing it within aesthetic design.