# Rewilding cities will improve public health

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/04/rewilding-cities-will-improve-public-health/
- Published: 2020-04-06T00:37:58-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

#### Growing more native plants in cities will increase microbial diversity. It will also combat the rise of non-communicable diseases. Diseases such as asthma and inflammatory bowel disease. That’s South Australian researchers saying!

By: Andrew Spence

In a new paper, published in _[Frontiers in Microbiology](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2019.00550/full)_,
researchers from the University of Adelaide found that humans in urban populations
are in dire need of more natural habitat. A natural habitat to discuss chronic disease
rates.

This could be achieved through restoring urban microbial biodiversity through rewilding.

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/pexels-photo.
jpg?resize=780%2C520&quality=89&ssl=1 "pexels-photo - The Green Living Guy")

Lead author Jacob Mills, from [The Environment Institute at the University of Adelaide](https://www.adelaide.edu.au/environment/),
said evidence pointed towards humans needing [healthy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/04/10-reasons-fasting-is-good-for-your-health/),
natural, and microbially-rich environments. Environments to properly develop as 
healthy holobionts. That’s a symbiosis of host and microorganisms reliant on ecosystem
health. As well as biodiversity for optimal health outcomes.

### ![Inflammatory bowel disease Will go away as we add more forest to cities](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/img_7542.jpg?resize=150%2C150&quality=89&ssl=1 "img_7542 - The Green Living Guy")

He said a decrease in biodiversity, including microbial diversity, of human habitat
through urbanization, is an issue.  It is to be a cause of the rapid increase of
non-communicable diseases in urban populations.

In addition, the researchers say modern urban habitats are low in macro and microbial
biodiversity. furthermore, it discourages contact with beneficial environmental 
microbiota.

They also claim these habitat factors, alongside diet, antibiotics, and others. 
All associated with the epidemic of non-communicable diseases in these societies.

According to the researchers, restoring native plant communities to urban areas 
could give generational health benefits. It’ll also result in huge savings for health
care sectors. Ones they estimate that if urban restoration can reduce health costs
by 5 percent then the European Union could save €230-€280 million per year on inflammatory
bowel disease alone.

This is a Creative Commons [story from The Lead](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/12/lead-pipes-the-real-story/)
South Australia, a news service providing stories about innovation in South Australia.

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 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
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