Want to live longer? It’s as simple as living on a tree-lined street or near a park, according to a recent study of over 3,000 people in Tokyo.

Participants, who were born between 1903 and 1918, were surveyed twice, once in 1992 and again in 1997. Some 29 percent of those surveyed died during the study, which left 2,211 participants. Although women were more likely to survive than men, both men and women were more likely to survive when they lived near trees and grassy walking areas. The association remained even when other factors that may influence longevity, such as age, gender and marital and socioeconomic status, were removed.

Researchers speculate that seniors who live near these types of areas are more likely take walks outside, which may contribute to an increased physical state.

Additionally, women were more likely to survive when they had social relationships with neighbors. Men were less likely to survive when they lived in noisy areas crowded with factories. Moreover, the longer the sun filled a home, the longer men tended to live. Women did not seem to be influenced by this, however.

Researchers recommend that urban planners and others involved in city planning take the effects of nature into account when building residences.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health December 2002;56:913-918