The National Open Spaces Sacred Places Awards Program, sponsored by the TKF Foundation, is pleased to announce that it will provide $4.5 million in funding for six projects of national significance. This grant program is unusual in that each project integrates landscape design and empirical research. The collection of exceptional spaces will demonstrate how nearby nature in the city can provide sacred and spiritual experiences. Each project will combine the creation of tranquil, restorative spaces in urban environments with rigorous study of the impact of such spaces on users’ well-being and resilience.

These examples of high quality design and research will elevate public awareness about the necessity and value of tranquil places where people can contemplate, reflect, and be restored. Each of the Open Spaces Sacred Places projects align with the TKF Foundation’s mission, treating human health and the environment as an integrated whole. Each project team will create a unique and engaging green space that is designed specifically for a human population having particular needs. Located across the United States, the collection of projects will address the challenges of local populations by creating opportunities for recovery, wholeness and celebration, and contribute rigorous research that confirms the benefits of nature experience in urban settings.

naturesacred.org