Every country is experiencing record-high temperatures due to climate change. The need to address climbing temperatures, especially in large metropolitan areas, is critical. The heat island effect compounds this issue. Cities report days of extreme heat exposure at 3x the rate they did in 1980. And with climbing temperatures, cities have seen a sharp rise in heat-related illnesses. Extreme heat is the number-one climate killer in the United States. It is the causal agent for more deaths than hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, drought, and other extreme weather events. But extreme heat doesn’t get the focus in most urban planning that it deserves.
An important part of the solution? Trees. A recent European study showed the benefit of increasing a city’s tree cover percentage by 15% to 30%. The model would reduce a city’s temperatures by 0.4C (equal to 32.72F) and reduce heat-related deaths by 39.5%. This translates to temperatures up to 22° F hotter than surrounding natural areas. An international team of researchers conducted the first-of-its-kind study. They used modeling of 93 European cities.
Within our built environments, many surfaces are glass, steel, asphalt, and concrete. These materials contribute to dangerous urban heat islands. Inner city communities are particularly at risk for heat stress and related illnesses. These areas often lack trees and green spaces to mitigate the effects. Also, tree planting brings a range of health benefits beyond reducing heat-related deaths. The benefits include reducing cardiovascular disease, dementia, and poor mental health.
Three cities — New York City, Copenhagen, and Abu Dhabi — are trying to change that. Each city is advancing approaches that work within their climates. These approaches both reduce urban temperatures and help communities adapt to increasing temperatures. NYC and Copenhagen are both using trees as part of their climate solutions.
In 2017, NYC launched its Cool Neighborhoods plan. The plan’s initial strategies combat extreme heat. It allocated $100 million for targeted investments in green infrastructure and tree plantings. These projects target higher-risk, inner-city neighborhoods, especially those with homebound residents. Home health aids will be better educated to identify “early signs of heat stress and illness.” Their ‘Be A Buddy’ campaign encourages neighbors to check in on the homebound. The city is painting roofs of city-owned property white to reflect heat off buildings. They have also improved access to cooling centers.
Copenhagen created a biodiverse landscape that helps reduce heat and manage stormwater. The city’s climate project has added green spaces along roads, bike paths, and in traffic circles. These spaces both combat heat islands and support biodiversity. Citizens also report that the areas lend a sense of place and connection to nature.
The climate and lack of water don’t support growing large shade trees in Abu Dhabi. In summer temperatures can already be uncomfortable by midday. To reduce heat stress, the city created “cool paths and cool zones.” These shade structures offer “intermittent shading”. These structures allow a pedestrian to be in the shade for one minute and then direct sun for one minute. The structures are also angled to provide shade at different times of the day.
Forrest Keeling can help you with your urban forestry projects
We find that native species are excellent choices for urban forestry projects. Forrest Keeling grows a vast selection of native plants. And we produce them using our patented RPM-production technology. RPM-production offers superior survivability with 2X faster growth.
Native species are important to our mission to ‘restore Earth’s ecosystem one tree at a time’. We have the inventory and expertise to help you with restoration projects of any scope. In the backyard or the back forty!
Contact a team member during the planning phase of your urban forestry project. We can give recommendations and information on native plant availability.
Forrest Keeling… it’s where the best trees begin!