In cities like Mumbai, rapid urbanisation is destroying nature faster than we can protect it. We're on a mission to understand this crisis — and give communities the tools to fight back.
In cities like Mumbai, there has been a huge decline in green spaces due to urbanisation. The lack of green spaces also affects people's well-being — people are permanently surrounded by crowds and pollution, with barely any access to nature.
"Green spaces are not a luxury — they are a fundamental component of healthy urban living. Their absence creates measurable harm to mental and physical health."
— World Health Organisation, Urban Green Spaces ReportGreen spaces improve overall well-being of humans, so their decline — especially in urban areas — makes living unhealthy. This issue gives way to the urgent need of restoring green spaces in urbanised cities.
Nature exposure reduces anxiety, depression and stress. Without it, urban residents show significantly higher rates of psychological disorders.
Green spaces filter air pollution, reduce heat islands, and encourage physical activity — all directly tied to cardiovascular and respiratory health.
Parks are community connectors. Their absence fragments social bonds, increases loneliness, and weakens community resilience.
A city-wide challenge where we spread awareness and guide people to plant trees using organic pencils — then share their journeys with us.
An online course connecting youth with experts to learn about green spaces and get certified as Eco-Warriors who create gardens at home.
A live worldwide map of parks, green spaces, nature reserves and ethical animal sanctuaries — so you always know where to go to restore your well-being.
We combine primary data collection with secondary research from global organisations to paint a comprehensive picture of how green spaces affect human well-being.
We conducted surveys and interviews with people across different environments — densely built urban areas, suburban zones, and areas with park access — to collect direct opinions on how their environment affects their mood, stress levels, and overall well-being.
We collected observational data across three types of urban environments — parks and green spaces, regular city streets, and over-urbanised high-density zones — measuring visible indicators of well-being like crowd behaviour, pace of movement, spontaneous social interaction, and general demeanour.
We draw on reports and data from government and environmental organisations whose mandates specifically cover urban health and the environment.
We analysed peer-reviewed journals, research papers, books and articles to build a rigorous evidence base.
"Exposure to natural environments consistently produces restorative effects, reducing mental fatigue and restoring depleted attentional resources."
— Kaplan & Kaplan, Attention Restoration Theory (1989)"A 10% increase in urban green cover can reduce the urban heat island effect by up to 1.5°C, with measurable health co-benefits."
— Nature Cities, 2023Studies consistently show a 20–21% reduction in cortisol (the primary stress hormone) after just 20–30 minutes in a park or green environment. This effect is measurable regardless of physical activity — simply being present in nature counts.
Mumbai's green cover has been shrinking at an accelerating rate due to construction, road expansion, and commercial development. Areas like Dharavi, Kurla and Govandi have less than 3% green cover — far below the WHO recommendation of 9m² per person.
For urban residents without park access, studies show that indoor plants and home greenery produce measurable — though smaller — psychological benefits. Even a single plant in a room improves concentration by up to 15% and reduces self-reported anxiety.
Research across 30+ cities found that neighbourhoods with accessible green spaces have measurably higher rates of social interaction, community trust, and collective efficacy — meaning residents help each other more and feel safer.
A 2022 UNEP study found that children and teens growing up in areas with less than 5% green cover are 34% more likely to develop anxiety disorders by adulthood compared to those with regular green space access — highlighting why youth-focused initiatives are critical.
We're not just researching the problem — we're actively building solutions. Here's how our three core initiatives work together to restore green spaces and well-being in urban communities.
EcoStride Mumbai is an engaging city-wide challenge designed to get people moving, planting, and sharing. We inform people around Mumbai how and where they can plant trees — using organic seed pencils that can be planted directly into soil after use — and invite them to document and share their journeys online.
The challenge works in three phases: first we educate participants about the specific health and community benefits of planting in their neighbourhood. Then we provide them with organic pencils and a planting guide tailored to small urban spaces — window boxes, balconies, building corners. Finally, participants photograph their growing plants and share them on our Community page, creating a visible, growing movement.
By making the act of planting visible and social, EcoStride transforms an individual act into a community identity. Every plant shared is a data point showing city authorities where residents are taking green space into their own hands.
Our online Eco-Warriors course connects young people with environmental experts and educators who teach them about the importance of green spaces in concrete jungles — and more importantly, what they can do about it.
The course is structured across four modules: understanding the science of green spaces and well-being; learning how to create home gardens tailored to Indian apartment living; exploring how to advocate for green spaces in their communities; and finally, a project where each student designs and documents their own home garden. The course is fully free and accessible from any device.
Participants who complete all modules and their home garden project are certified as Eco-Warriors — a recognised credential they can share and that signals their commitment to urban greening. Certified Eco-Warriors are then invited to share their successes and gardens on our Community page, becoming role models for the next wave of participants.
This website itself is the third initiative — an engaging digital platform that educates people about how a healthy environment positively contributes to well-being, while giving them practical tools to find and access green spaces wherever they are.
The centrepiece is our live Green Map (the tab above), which pulls real-time data from OpenStreetMap to show every park, garden, nature reserve, botanical garden, and ethical animal sanctuary worldwide. People can search their city, use their location, and filter by the type of green space they're looking for. Every space shown includes mental health context — not just directions — so visitors understand why going matters, not just where.
Beyond the map, the platform hosts our research findings, showcases our initiatives, and gives the community a space to share their tree-planting successes, home garden transformations, and Eco-Warrior journeys. It's a growing, living record of urban greening in action.
EcoStride gets people physically planting and moving. The Eco-Warriors course gives them the knowledge to do it well and keep going. The EcoStride platform connects everyone — giving participants a map to find inspiration, a stage to share successes, and research to back up why they're doing it.
Together, the three initiatives create a complete cycle: awareness → education → action → community → more awareness. Each person who participates becomes an ambassador, pulling in more participants through the community pages and the visibility of their growing plants around the city.
Real people, real plants, real change. Share your EcoStride journey, your home garden transformation, or your Eco-Warrior success — and inspire others to do the same.
"I live in a 1BHK with no garden. After the Eco-Warriors course I now have 11 plants on my balcony — money plant, peace lily, aloe vera, pothos. My anxiety has noticeably reduced and I actually look forward to mornings now. Something I never expected from a few pots."
"We planted our organic pencils in the empty patch outside our building. Three months later there's a small herb garden. Our neighbours started adding to it. It turned into a community thing — 8 families are now involved. It genuinely brought people together."
"The research module in the course genuinely shocked me. I didn't realise how much the concrete around me was affecting my brain. I mapped my whole area using the EcoStride map and found a small botanical garden 2km away I never knew existed. I go every weekend now."
"We ran the Eco-Warriors course with our Class 9 students. 34 students completed it and created home gardens. The change in their focus and calm was remarked upon by multiple teachers. We're making it a permanent part of our curriculum."
Join EcoStride, adopt a plant, submit a hidden green space, and track the small actions that slowly drag cities back toward sanity.
Start simple. Give your plant a name, save it locally, and come back to check in. Basic, yes. Useful, also yes.
Know a quiet park, a garden corner, or some underappreciated patch of green? Add it so someone else can find calm near them too.
Basic version for now. It stores your submission in this browser so the idea is visible without dragging in a backend circus.
Neighbourhood micro-planting drives that make small urban spaces feel alive again.
School talks, awareness campaigns, and community nudges that turn passive concern into action.
More city coverage, smarter green tracking, and a stronger public-facing community layer.