Essay - Urban Green Lung

- Urban green can help adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change

- Urban green spaces have many environmental functions that provide areas within the built environment where adaptation to climate change can take place

- making cities greener with parks, more trees and green roofs will provide cooling and ventilation, as well as water storage and infiltration

- Plants reduce the urban heat island effect by shading heat absorbing surfaces and through evapotranspiration (ET) cooling, and evidence has shown vegetation lowers wall surface temperatures by 17°C

- Urban green spaces can also help to reduce pollution, and act as sinks for carbon dioxide which is a major contributor to global warming

- In cities, gardens and parks absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which come from private vehicles in urban transport

- Vegetation, particularly trees reduce air pollution by absorbing pollutants in the air, and by intercepting particulate matter

- 20 trees can offset the pollution from a car driven 60 miles per day

 

- improve air quality

- This creates social benefits from direct use such as recreational use and health benefits as a higher proportion of green space and less air pollution is associated with a better population health

- Health improvements lead to economic benefits, as a healthy community costs less to the economy

- growing recognition that green space can increase activity and will ensure a healthy population, which is essential for economic growth, as health benefits from urban green spaces would lower costs of health care

- This results in economic sustainability as healthier communities work longer hours, take less sick days and cost less money in health benefits