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Air temperatures are increasing because of global climate change. A warming phenomenon strongly related to global climate change is the urban heat island. It has been shown that the hotter temperatures occurring in cities during the summer negatively affect human wellbeing, but little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying the relationships between hotter temperatures, cognitive psychological resources and wellbeing. The aim of the present research is to understand whether, and how, spending time in urban green spaces, which can be considered as a specific kind of Nature-Based Solution (NBS), helps the recovery of cognitive resources and wellbeing. The main hypothesis is that contact with urban green is related to wellbeing through the depletion of cognitive resources (i.e., ego depletion). Moreover, we expected that individuals showing higher scores of ego depletion also report a higher estimate of the maximum temperature reached during the summer. The results of a survey (N = 115) conducted among visitors to Parco Nord Milano, a large urban park located in Milan (Italy), point out that people visiting the park during the summer show a higher level of wellbeing as well as a lower level of ego depletion. A mediation analysis shows that visiting urban green spaces is associated with greater wellbeing through less ego depletion. Our results also point out that, as expected, people showing a higher level of ego depletion tend to overestimate the maximum air temperature. Implications for future studies and applied interventions regarding the role of NBS to promote human wellbeing are discussed.

Studies on the positive effects of contact with nature have been mainly conducted in European countries, North America, and Australia, whereas the experience of nature for people living in other countries is still to be adequately investigated. Investigation of the beneficial effects of nature is particularly important in dense urban areas characterized by heavy environmental stress-related problems, like crowding and noise, and for people suffering from income-related well-being inequalities. To contribute to filling this gap, the present study investigated the effects of contact with urban parks on well-being among residents in Bogota, Colombia. A questionnaire was administered to an opportunistic sample of 398 respondents (300 of which were completed and used in the analyses) in parks located in three districts differing in socio-economic status. The residents of these districts were representative of the upper, middle, and lower income groups. The questions asked about the use of green areas and related psychological variables, such as human-nature interdependence, connectedness to nature, perceived restorative and affective qualities attributed to the park, emotions experienced, and overall well-being derived from the park experience. The results showed higher levels of well-being for people in the middle-income group and a relevant role of nature-related activities and psychological variables in explaining such beneficial outcomes. Differences in the mechanisms leading to well-being also emerged for the three income groups. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.