PARIS, Nov. 29 -- Living in a neighbourhood with lots of trees could play a role in increasing the life expectancy of residents, reports a recent study conducted in the United States.

The benefits of gardening are already well-known, and regular contact with nature has been found beneficial to physical and mental health. In the same vein, a neighbourhood that benefits from a long-term "green restoration" policy could have similar virtues.

In fact, the impact could be significant, since this could actually boost the life expectancy of an area's residents, according to research conducted in the United States.

Published in the journal Environment International, and co-led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the study ...