The short term adaptation of the autonomic nervous systems (ANS) by type of urban environment and ethnicity

•Physiological responses measured by Heart Rate Variability to environmental challenges are immediate but also partly adaptive.•In urban environments, about 60 percent of the change is immediate and about 40 percent adaptive.•Short run adaptation take in some cases about 15 min but at times even more that 35 min.•Responses to park environments are almost all immediate.•Ethnic groups may differently respond to different types of environments.