The Technology Takeover: Urban Green Space in Virtual Reality

            Recent urban green space studies in Environmental neuroscience have allowed us to recognize the impact that nature has on individuals. Natural environments are a place of comfort that brings emotional stability, attention restoration, and stress recovery (Sun et al., 2022). Interestingly, over the past decade, there has been a rise in the popularity of virtual reality, which by definition is a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way by a person using special electronic equipment, such as a helmet with a screen inside. During the global pandemic, COVID-19, more than ever, VR headsets were skyrocketing in sales. A researcher states, in a recent article, “The VR HMDs such as the Oculus Quest have been largely sold out during the pandemic” (Johnson, 2020). Technology and gaming systems have been even more prevalent during and post-pandemic because of isolation and people having to