From the “well, duhhh” science department and Liverpool University comes this bit of obvious science. It makes you wonder how many times public money is used to study the same thing over and over again.
Urban forests reduce heat-related mortality, study shows
A new study shows that among different types of vegetation, forests within walkable distance from residential areas are particularly crucial in mitigating heat-related health risks.
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Across the globe, heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense. Therefore, how to effectively combat the adverse effects of heat is an increasingly important topic of research.
Urban greening is a promising strategy to limit the negative health impacts of extreme heat; however, much remains to be learned about how best to promote and implement it. It is still unclear what types of greenspace matter most and how close greenspaces should be to living areas.
A new study published in Environment International shows that among different types of vegetation, forests within walkable distance from residential areas are particularly crucial in mitigating heat-related health risks.
The results add to previous studies conducted by the research team from universities and research institutes in China, the UK, and Spain that used big data to measure the positive effect of urban greenery on health.
Challenging common assumptions
Dr Jinglu Song is the first and corresponding author of the new study and an associate professor at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)’s Department of Urban Planning and Design. She says that the findings can potentially reshape urban planning and public health strategies, particularly in densely populated cities with limited greenspace availability.
Dr Song explains: “By analysing data from Hong Kong, we found that compared with other types of vegetation like grasslands, nearby forests have a pronounced impact on reducing heat-related mortality risks, particularly those within 1 kilometre of residential areas.
“Our findings suggest that urban greening strategies should focus on tree planting within walkable distances to local residents, in addition to adding other types of vegetation in a specific area.”
Dr Song says that the study challenges some conventional assumptions about urban greening strategies and has the potential to significantly impact urban planners, designers, and public health initiatives.
“For example, it challenges the idea that small greenspaces close to where people live are the most effective for improving health, especially those within 300 or 500 metres.
“Instead, our research suggests that broader-scale greening strategies, particularly involving trees, are more effective up to 1km away from communities,” she adds.
New approach leads to more accurate results
The study uses an innovative way to measure the average amount of greenspace coverage within people’s nearby environment, also referred to as “distance-based greenspace exposure”. Rather than using the traditional indices that measure the ratio of greenspace within a planning unit, it considers how many people actually use greenspaces and how far away they are from these spaces.
“Our approach provides a more accurate representation of how urban residents interact with greenspaces and how these interactions influence health outcomes,” Dr Song says.
The motivation for the research team to continuously delve into this topic stems from the need for concrete evidence demonstrating the health benefits of specific types of greenspaces and actionable information for urban greening initiatives.
“We will further explore this topic through expanded research across diverse climatic regions and urban settings. Potential research directions could include examining the effects of different vegetation types on other health outcomes beyond mortality, looking into the mechanisms through which green spaces influence health, and applying emerging technologies to enhance assessments of urban greenery.”
Journal
Environment International
DOI
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A linky pooh in support of that would be appropriate.
‘Tis but perception resulting from ad nauseam repetiton of a lie.
Where are these “heat waves” measured?
Heathrow airport is a favourite.
but… but… no need for a link- it’s dogma! you must have faith! /s
“” “well, duhhh” “”
Is the next level of excellence in [post-modern] scientific enquiry. And it’s everywhere.
“how to effectively combat the adverse effects of heat is an increasingly important topic of research.”
We can go back a couple of thousand years ago to, say, the Roman warm period. How on Terra did they cope? Plants with dark green leaves, water splashing in fountains, and shady covered colonnades etc.
““In the north, houses should be entirely roofed over and sheltered as much as possible, not in the open, though having a warm exposure…. But on the other hand, where the force of the sun is great in the southern countries that suffer from heat, houses must be built more in the open and with a northern or northeastern exposure. Thus we may amend by art what nature, if left to herself, would mar.”” – De Architectura, Marcus Vitruvius Pollio.
“”Across the globe, heat waves are becoming more frequent and more intense.””
Isn’t a million miles from
“”How climate change worsens heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods””
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-58073295
After all, that is the narrative.
I have this neat invention….
The hottest weather in Boulder occurred about 70 years ago, and it hasn’t been close to that since. Maybe trees have something to do with moderation of high temperatures here.
I repaired my snowblower, so I don’t expect that we will get many big snows requiring its use this winter.
Trees work everywhere, not just in Mork and Mindy country.
I’ve made mention of Mork and Mindy to students a few times and they respond with blank stares. That time in Boulder has passed, replaced with homeless people, electric scooters, smartphones, obesity, and other.
Nanu nanu
As once might have been said.
Winters here in Milwaukee are warmer than they were in the ’70s.
I don’t need a thermometer or a fancy graph to know that.
“”I don’t need a thermometer or a fancy graph to know that.””
But apparently you do need a very big, go faster CMIP5/6/7 capable abacus and that will cost quite a few groats.
Tea leaves will do the job just as well.
“that will cost quite a few groats.”
And use copious amounts of fossil fuel electricity.
Zero chance of running something like that on erratic wind and solar
When young, we don’t ponder the temperature, too busy pondering the opposite sex and how to earn a living. Maybe you just got old. 🙂
I bet when you were a little kid snow was as deep as your thighs and now barely comes up to your knees.
What a shame Marcus Vitruvius Pollio isn’t around today to tell architects that so many of their efforts are expensive inefficient monstrosities. In property pages I virtually never see a house advertised as being well oriented for solar efficiency. It should be top of the list after the basics like number of rooms.
Many Mediterranean structures in the hotter regions (Greece, north Africa, etc.) are painted white. And they figured this out thousands of years before any scientists existed. Amazing. 🙂
I have a book on that topic showing the similarity of the structures, going back centuries.
The obvious solution is to level the forest and build a solar farm to solve “climate change.” See Germany for instructions!!
Exactly. Who are these numpties who think trees temper the climate. More solar panels please.
Maybe erect plastic trees?
2 birds, one stone…
/s
Talk about re-inventing the wheel.
It’s cooler in summer out in shady country lanes or down by the seashore than it is in the city? Gosh! Who woulda thunk it?
News Flash! That’s why Roman Emperor Hadrian built his villa out in the suburbs, and why city folk used to visit Pompeii in summer. In modern times, it’s why New Yorkers took vacations in the Berkshires and Newport.
ah, the Berkshires- where I grew up!
Why have tress when you can have solar panels?
Suburban sprawl! Bad!! We need “15 minute cities”!!!
Oh, that aggravates Urban Heat Islands? Never mind.
I envision a checkerboard, alternating high rise with forests…
15 minutes within your zone, at least 30 minutes from anything else.
File this under inclusivity.
‘We need 15 minute cities’ &
‘That tree in your front yard is no longer yours … it belongs to the community’ &
‘You need to put together a tree planting plan (and bond it for 7 years), or just contribute $600 cash per lot (to the Urban Foresters budget)’.
And we all need to repeatedly ask, but not answer, why housing is so expensive.
Its true the trees in many city lots are not yours. When my brother’s sewer connection blocked up, the plumber pointed to a 15 y/o volunteer pine. “You will have to get a permit to take that down before I can proceed”. My brother: “Come back tomorrow. There will be no tree”
In Thousand Oaks California the 14,000 identified mature oaks have a serial number. Woe betide they who presume ownership.
😎
The whole “15 minute cities” thing.
Considering the population of the Earth, how many of them would there need to be?
How far apart from each other?
Would there be a “hospital” city? If you were having a heart attack, would you need to hop on your bike and peddle yourself to the ER in the “hospital city”?
A drinking water supply city? A wastewater treatment city? A power supply city?
Where I live, the nearest grocery store is twenty minutes away—by car. If traffic is light.
I like trees. At the right diameter, one can cut them down-then-up and burn them in a wood stove. It is a good idea to plant them right under your soffits so you don’t have to go far to get them. Snark!
Forgot to mention: forests within walkable distance from residential areas need to be intensely managed.
Or at least mildly managed- compared to most which are not managed at all or are abused.
The ultimate that I’ve experienced in Central Park in NYC- not a forest, but a nice park with many nicely managed trees.
John,
‘Urban forest’, in planner speak, has nothing to do with forests … it is just the trees in the city (and the management is incidental to the salaries in the Urban Foresters office).
When I was in school working part time in a research lab, grad students and profs were constantly complaining about how hard it was to come up with a PHD thesis topic that hadn’t already been done. The solution seems to be to just do the same things over and over with a slightly different spin.
Maybe they were looking for a thesis that wouldn’t be too difficult. The ones that would push the edge of the science would be difficult. Every science has such difficult edges.
A ‘difficult’ thesis? A friend, lives less than two blocks away. One thesis, two (2) PHD’s. One, Astronomy, the second Mathematics. Dealing with the orbit of the planet Mercury. He’s as ‘down to earth’ as anyone I’ve ever met.
blah, blah, blah- it’s just common sense- and not a new idea- it’s been around for decades- but now we’ll need to wait for the brilliant scientists to do their research! Boring word salad.
> “Urban greening is a promising strategy to limit the negative health impacts of extreme heat; however, much remains to be learned about how best to promote and implement it. It is still unclear what types of greenspace matter most and how close greenspaces should be to living areas.”
Re-greening urbanscapes started with Lady Bird Johnson in the 1960s. After 60 years they still aren’t sure what works?
I can tell you for sure part of the problem. We have Urban Planners. We do not have Suburban Planners or Rural Planners or Wilderness Planners. Urban Planners have but two gods; density and transit. There is no room for greenspace in their religion.
Standing in the shade reduces heat stress – who knew!
What a lot of gibberish just to tell us cities I.e. concrete, pavement, buildings etc are hotter than forests. We already knew that, we have been telling you that for decades. Creating your own pissing match whether big forests further away or smaller green spaces (we always called them parks) closer in are better is useless banter. Quit wasting my money.