Hartig challenges and extends traditional understandings of restorative environments, arguing that nature should not be seen solely as a passive refuge for psychological recovery, but as a dynamic relational context shaped by individual histories, sociocultural meanings, and evolving ecological awareness; while drawing from foundational theories like Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and Stress Recovery Theory (SRT)—which emphasize cognitive and affective renewal through contact with natural settings—Hartig critiques their overly simplistic narratives that detach restoration from broader socio-environmental processes; instead, he proposes a more nuanced framework that integrates environmental justice, cultural variability, and agency, underscoring that not all people have equal access to restorative spaces or experience them uniformly; the chapter emphasizes that restoration is deeply influenced by identity, memories, expectations, and social norms, suggesting that interventions aimed at enhancing well-being through nature must consider historical trauma, urban inequality, and environmental degradation; for instance, a park may offer restorative benefits to some, while evoking discomfort or exclusion in others due to past experiences or social tensions; Hartig calls for a re-politicization of restoration discourse, one that links the psychological benefits of nature with systemic transformations in urban planning, health policy, and environmental ethics, thereby reframing restoration not as escapism but as a means to foster personal resilience and ecological responsibility within the shared fabric of everyday life.
