Individuals’ participation in natural environments such as wilderness areas and parklands, as well as their proximity to nearby nature in residential, health care and community environments, have a profound influence on their psychological and physical well-being. This lecture examines the findings from recent research on the relationships between people’s exposure to nature and their mental and physical health. The distinction between spontaneous and directed attention, and the capacity of the former to restore the latter when one’s attentional reserves are depleted, is highlighted. Also, defining properties of restorative environments—i.e., those that enhance individuals’ attentional capacity and reduce their experiences of stress—are discussed. The palliative influence of residents’ exposure to nearby nature on family violence, neighborhood crime, and community health disparities is noted. Finally, examples of alternative pathways toward attentional restoration afforded by designed environments, including individuals’ exposure to certain built and urban settings such as art museums, aesthetically attractive buildings and interior décor, are presented.