{"id":774980,"date":"2026-09-15T05:51:57","date_gmt":"2026-09-15T12:51:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=wherenext&p=774980"},"modified":"2026-09-21T14:50:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T21:50:23","slug":"office-green-space","status":"publish","type":"wherenext","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/office-green-space","title":{"rendered":"Reenvisioning the Nature of the Office"},"author":501,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[182012,414562,386872],"department":[488812],"wherenext-category":[],"industry":[],"class_list":["post-774980","wherenext","type-wherenext","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-hr","tag-location-awareness","tag-office","department-emerging-technologies"],"acf":{"short_description":"A professor hints at the business virtues of bringing nature to employees and employees to nature.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Watching Europeans stroll through parks, plazas, and tree-lined streets, an American professor began to wonder whether the US was approaching nature all wrong. In the states, outdoor leisure is sporadic. Overfull schedules and concrete sprawl have robbed people of the benefits of green space."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Left","content":"Snapshot<\/strong>: A professor\u2019s op-ed suggests that business executives should add green space to their wish list when choosing where to locate offices and other employee facilities.","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Drawing on a growing body of research, University of Richmond professor Todd Lookingbill argued in a recent op-ed that regular exposure to nature<\/a> lowers stress, improves mood, prompts better sleep, and reduces the risk of certain chronic diseases. Sporadic exposure won\u2019t cut it\u2014it must be consistent for the benefits to appear. His advice: Stop treating nature as something you visit on vacation and start looking for ways to incorporate it into your daily life.\r\n\r\nFor executives and corporate space planners who want healthy, productive employees, that might mean giving more thought to green space when planning the workplace.\r\n

Where\u2019s the Nearest Green Space?<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nProximity is a key tenet of Lookingbill\u2019s argument. Executives hoping to reap productivity gains from nature (as much as a 6 percent boost, according to one study<\/a>) must either bring employees to nature or bring nature to employees. Both techniques demand location awareness.\r\n\r\nThe software used for corporate site selection\u2014geographic information system (GIS) technology\u2014helps planners navigate a mix of business priorities. GIS<\/a> analysts routinely create maps highlighting business locations that are accessible to commuters, close to lunch spots, within budget, and attractive to top talent."},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"Related Read:<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\/\/ What is geodesign<\/a>?","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"With a new layer added to that analysis, planners can see how close a location is to parks, trails, tree-covered walkways, and other opportunities for everyday nature encounters.\r\n\r\nModern GIS technology provides access to detailed maps of green space<\/a>, allowing decision-makers to view a location\u2019s nature score against other site selection priorities.\r\n

Designing with Nature in Mind<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nBusinesses with existing properties may be interested in opportunities to bring nature to employees. A rooftop garden, planted courtyard, living wall, or greenery near indoor common spaces could make a property more attractive to employees.\r\n\r\nAs landlords for thousands of corporate properties, commercial real estate firms often partner with architecture and engineering firms to explore design scenarios. Using GIS-based 3D simulation and building information modeling technology, planners can see what a rooftop garden, planted courtyard, or green plaza would look like at an existing property.\r\n\r\nThe GIS capabilities used to model major infrastructure projects\u2014like thousands of new housing units<\/a> in Uppsala, Sweden\u2014can be applied to a single office building. With location-aware 3D technology, office planners can simulate the introduction of green elements into any kind of workplace\u2014and steer site selection for tomorrow\u2019s locations.\r\n\r\nIn any city or corporate environment where green space is an afterthought, business executives may be leaving productivity gains on the table. When nature is no longer simply a vacation indulgence or a weekend pursuit but a feature of daily life, employees and companies stand to benefit.\r\n\r\nThe question is no longer whether green space matters, but how business leaders can harness technology they already use to bring nature back into the equation."}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nGreen Space and the Modern Employee<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If green space is an afterthought in today\u2019s workplace, are business executives leaving money on the table?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/publications\/wherenext\/office-green-space\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reenvisioning the Nature of the Office\" \/>\n<meta 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