Mindful City™ is an initiative designed to help cities around the world create positive communal spaces and provide holistic education to their community. Mindful City™ has engaged leaders from the private and public sectors who work collaboratively to create communal spaces and provide holistic education to their community. Princess Tatiana is currently in conversations with the City of Athens, in an effort to make Athens the first Mindful City™.

When Princess Tatiana heard that Athens is the 3rd least green city in Europe, she knew that it was a call to action. Research states that growing up in urban environments is associated with risk of developing psychiatric disorders. The findings affirm that integrating natural environments into urban planning is a promising approach to improve mental health and reduce the rising global burden of mental health disorders.

Not only do gardens improve mental and physical health, they also are a civic asset. Health benefits forsmall green spaces included improved general mood, stress reduction, better mental health and cognitive functioning. One of the biggest benefits to having an urban garden is to build social capital, a critical component to promote community connection.

With loneliness levels at an all-time high, parks and gardens are needed more than ever as a public health solution in urban communities. The World Health organization states the being lonely causes the same amount of damage to your lifespan as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is more dangerous to health than obesity.