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Trees And The Future Of Cities
The shade of a single tree is a welcome source of relief on a hot summer day. But even a relatively small patch of woods can have a profound cooling effect. A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison looks at the role trees play in keeping towns and cities cool.
According to the study, the right amount of tree cover can lower
daytime temperatures in the summer by as much as 10 degrees. The effects are noticeable from neighborhood
to neighborhood and even on a block-by-block basis.
Cities are well-known to be hot spots due to the urban heat islanding effect. Using trees to keep temperatures more comfortable in cities can make a big difference for the people who live and work there.
The man-made structures of cities – roads, sidewalks, and buildings –
absorb heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it at night. Trees, on the other hand, not only shade
those structures from the sun, but they also transpire -or release water in the
air through their leaves – which helps to cool things down.
According to the study, to get maximum cooling benefits, tree canopies
must exceed forty percent, meaning that city blocks need to be nearly halfway
covered by tree branches and leaves. To
get the biggest bang for the buck, cities should start planting more trees in
areas that are already near the forty percent threshold. But
trees can’t just be in parks.
They need to be in places where people are active.
If we want the places where we live to be more comfortable and
resilient in a warming world, we need to plant more trees.
**********
Web Links
Study suggests trees are crucial to the future of our cities
Photo, posted May 26, 2012, courtesy of Mislav Marohnic via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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By Randy Simon
4.7
1515 ratings
The shade of a single tree is a welcome source of relief on a hot summer day. But even a relatively small patch of woods can have a profound cooling effect. A new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison looks at the role trees play in keeping towns and cities cool.
According to the study, the right amount of tree cover can lower
daytime temperatures in the summer by as much as 10 degrees. The effects are noticeable from neighborhood
to neighborhood and even on a block-by-block basis.
Cities are well-known to be hot spots due to the urban heat islanding effect. Using trees to keep temperatures more comfortable in cities can make a big difference for the people who live and work there.
The man-made structures of cities – roads, sidewalks, and buildings –
absorb heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it at night. Trees, on the other hand, not only shade
those structures from the sun, but they also transpire -or release water in the
air through their leaves – which helps to cool things down.
According to the study, to get maximum cooling benefits, tree canopies
must exceed forty percent, meaning that city blocks need to be nearly halfway
covered by tree branches and leaves. To
get the biggest bang for the buck, cities should start planting more trees in
areas that are already near the forty percent threshold. But
trees can’t just be in parks.
They need to be in places where people are active.
If we want the places where we live to be more comfortable and
resilient in a warming world, we need to plant more trees.
**********
Web Links
Study suggests trees are crucial to the future of our cities
Photo, posted May 26, 2012, courtesy of Mislav Marohnic via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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