Parks for Health Framework

The Parks for Health Framework is an NParks framework launched in June 2025 to expand access to greenery and therapeutic landscapes, using active programming and partnerships with healthcare institutions, agencies, and community partners. Its intended benefits include physical activity, emotional well-being, mental restoration, social connection, and support for preventive health and active ageing (NParks, 23 June 2025; NParks, framework page).

Therapeutic landscapes and access

The framework recognises several types of therapeutic landscape: allotment gardens, community gardens, contemplative landscapes, nature playgardens, and therapeutic gardens. It combines the creation or enhancement of green spaces with programming and partnerships so that residents and patients can use greenery in ways relevant to movement, reflection, social interaction, gardening, and mental restoration. It is a planning and programming framework, not a medical-treatment scheme or a guarantee of a clinical outcome for every visitor.

At launch, NParks identified 15 contemplative landscape sites with high scores under the Contemplative Landscape Model. NParks also reported 18 therapeutic gardens established in parks and gardens and stated an aim of reaching 30 by 2030 (NParks, 23 June 2025). These are dated programme milestones: the 15-site figure is an initial identified set, while the 18-garden figure is a launch-time established count.

Partnerships and programmes

NParks works with healthcare institutions and relevant agencies to integrate greenery into healthcare settings, housing estates, and neighbourhood upgrading programmes. Examples described by NParks include the Woodlands Healing Garden, integration of therapeutic landscapes into housing precincts, and planned partnerships involving healthcare developments. NParks also works with healthcare and community-care partners on therapeutic horticulture programmes that use plants and nature-related activities to support exercise, memory stimulation, social interaction, and mindfulness for seniors and people with special needs (NParks, 23 June 2025).

The framework also includes capacity building. NParks' Centre for Urban Greenery and Ecology offers courses and workshops related to urban greenery, landscaping, horticulture, and environmental design. Community partners and healthcare professionals can therefore contribute through trained facilitation and programme delivery; a casual visit to a park is not automatically a therapeutic horticulture session.

Research and current examples

NParks uses research to inform the planning and design of green spaces for health. The framework page describes ongoing interest in how greenery beyond designated therapeutic landscapes affects public health. A June 2026 NParks release on Singapore Botanic Gardens' Nature Immersion Trail also described a 2026 study involving NUS Medicine, NTU, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, A*STAR, and NParks, examining psychological and physiological outcomes after exposure to different natural settings (NParks, 11 June 2026).

The Parks for Health Framework complements, but does not replace, the City in Nature policy vision, the City in Nature Research Programme, or healthcare services. It is best understood as a cross-sector access, design, programming, and research framework for using Singapore's green spaces to support well-being.