FTHub Certified
Therapeutic Landscapes
Explore the Global Map of
Certified Therapeutic Spaces
Not all natural spaces are equally therapeutic. The qualities that make a landscape support health, biodiversity, sensory richness, perceived safety, accessibility, and restorative potential can be assessed, measured, designed, and certified.
This map shows natural spaces evaluated and formally certified by FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultants after a rigorous four-phase process: planning, design assessment, implementation oversight, and final certification against FTHub’s evidence-based criteria, backed by over €15M in EU research funding.
If you manage a forest, park, garden, trail, or blue space and want it assessed and certified as a Therapeutic Space, you can contact FTHub directly or connect with an Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant through this map.
Certification Categories
Types of Certified Therapeutic Spaces
Each certified space has been assessed across three possible categories:
Therapeutic
Forests & Trails
Forest Bathing and Forest Therapy trails, Therapeutic Forests, Forest Therapy stations, community woodlands, parks, greenways, and ecological buffer zones.
Therapeutic
Micro-Spaces & Gardens
Botanical gardens, hospital and school gardens, sensory spaces, rooftop gardens, and pocket parks.
Therapeutic
Blue Spaces
Beaches, rivers, lakes, wetlands, water gardens, fountains, riverwalks, and restored riverfronts.
TRAINING
Become a Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant
Behind every certified space on the map is an FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant, a professional trained to assess, design, and certify natural spaces for their therapeutic potential on behalf of FTHub.
The accreditation covers:
- Systematic site assessment
- Evidence-based design principles
- Stakeholder engagement
- The full four-phase certification process
Who should
attend this course?
Open to landscape architects and urban planners, municipal and regional planners, ecotourism operators, public health officials, environmental designers, land managers responsible for forests, parks, and nature reserves, healthcare facility managers, and FTHub-certified practitioners.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Therapeutic Forest?
A Therapeutic Forest is a natural forested space that has been assessed and certified for its capacity to support health and well-being through structured nature-based interventions. Unlike a recreational forest or a nature reserve, a Therapeutic Forest meets specific criteria for biodiversity, sensory richness, accessibility, perceived safety, and restorative potential. It may include designated Forest Bathing trails, Forest Therapy stations, and infrastructure designed to support guided sessions for specific populations. FTHub certifies Therapeutic Forests through its FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant, using evidence-based assessment frameworks backed by internationally funded research.
What is a Therapeutic Trail?
A Therapeutic Trail is a pathway within a natural environment specifically designed or assessed for its health-promoting qualities. It is structured to support guided Forest Bathing or Forest Therapy sessions, with attention to trail length, gradient, shade, seating, noise levels, sensory inputs, and microclimate. A certified Therapeutic Trail is not simply a walking path in nature; it has been evaluated against research-based criteria to ensure it offers measurable restorative potential for participants. Therapeutic Trails can exist within forests, parks, gardens, coastal environments, and urban green spaces.
What is a Therapeutic Blue Space?
A Therapeutic Blue Space is a water-associated environment, a beach, river, lake, wetland, water garden, fountain, riverwalk, or restored riverfront, which has been assessed and certified for its capacity to support nature-based health interventions. Research shows that blue spaces produce distinct restorative and stress-reducing effects beyond those of green spaces alone. FTHub certifies Therapeutic Blue Spaces using the same rigorous four-phase process applied to forests and gardens.
What does it mean for a space to be FTHub Certified?
FTHub certification means that an FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant has systematically assessed a natural space across multiple criteria (environmental quality, biodiversity, sensory richness, accessibility, safety, and therapeutic potential) and that the space meets the standards required by FTHub’s evidence-based framework. Certification follows a four-phase process (Planning, Design Assessment, Implementation, Final Certification) and includes ongoing annual monitoring to maintain standards. The FTI Lab backs the certification with research.
Who can certify a therapeutic space?
Only FTHub Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultants can certify spaces on behalf of FTHub. The accreditation is a specialized training program (100% online, 50–60 hours) that covers site assessment, evidence-based design, stakeholder engagement, and the full certification process. It is open to landscape architects, planners, land managers, healthcare facility managers, and FTHub-certified practitioners.
Can I request certification for a space I manage?
Yes. If you manage a forest, park, garden, trail, or blue space and want it assessed and certified as a Therapeutic Space, you can contact FTHub directly or connect with an Accredited Therapeutic Landscapes Consultant through this map. The consultant will guide you through the four-phase certification process, from initial planning to formal certification.
