Value for Money

By Patience Segon

It is worth more than we often admit. Trees, grass, and shrubs quietly determine whether a property feels inviting, appealing, and ultimately desirable.

Human beings are instinctively drawn to serene green spaces, particularly when they are thoughtfully designed. Consider a restaurant with exterior planting or interior greenery compared to one without it. Time and again, people gravitate toward the space enriched with plants. In scientific terms, this attraction is known as biophilia, our innate affinity for nature. In practical terms, it translates into comfort, preference, and longer stays.

This article is a call to businesses, developers, institutions, and governments to intentionally embrace green design. In projects involving multiple stakeholders, landscape is often treated as secondary. Yet it is frequently the determining factor in how a space is used. Will people enter, linger, return, or avoid it altogether? Landscape architects understand that the presence and quality of green space shapes these outcomes in powerful ways.

In restaurants, commercial centres, and Central Business Districts, people often seek refuge in green pockets. Well-designed shrubs, trees, and lawns create a sense of safety and retreat within busy urban settings. For example, a park in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Its usage is remarkable. Office workers, visitors, and passersby use the space to pause, reset, and find calm amid the rush of daily life. Such greenery is not decorative. It is restorative. It may steady a racing mind, soften a difficult day, or even save a life through the simple act of offering relief.

Equally important are thoughtfully designed sitting areas, particularly when shaded by mature trees. Shade and seating together transform open ground into usable public space. They offer rest for the body and ease for the mind, reinforcing the role of landscape in supporting public health and wellbeing.

At times, I reflect on the quiet relationship between humans, animals, and trees. Passing through a forest one day, I wondered about the subtle harmony that exists between us. Trees grow, respond to their environment, and sustain life around them. More often than not, they stand as protectors rather than threats, offering shade, oxygen, shelter, and stability. Their presence in our cities and developments is not incidental. It is essential.

Greenery is not an afterthought. It is infrastructure for life, wellbeing, and human connection.

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