ABSTRACT
Modern humans spend more time indoors than prior generations. This shift in lifestyle raises many health and wellbeing questions. One question pertains to the relationship between the human condition and the natural environment. However, health and wellbeing derived from the built environment often pose unique questions, such as what constitutes nature, and conundrums resulting from design interventions for one reason being contrary to another concern. Adding another layer to these complexities are the different and unique effects for a given population, specific geographies, and cultural nuances. These variables compromise replicability of research. In this chapter readers learn about the health effects of synthetics within a building, trends toward increased urbanization, and the effects of increased population densities from all ages.
