WHY
Trees Matter in the cities?
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Why trees matter in the cities?
Tree in cities provide us with fresh air, cooler neighborhoods, which reduces heat-related illnesses and utility cost. Similar to buildings, streets, and sewer lines, trees are critical infrastructure that improve our quality of life. But a map of tree cover in America’s cities is often a reflection of income and race of the neighborhoods. Why? Redlining policies dating back to the 1930s, a housing discrimination policy that prevented home ownership by POC, lay the foundation of this inequity.
Source: Americaforests.org
Trees can prevent death
Communities with too few trees suffered from high incidence of heat related illness. The average temperature can vary up to 10 degrees between places with trees compared to those without.
In communities with fewer trees, there is more heat, and more death: Heat kills more people in the United States than any other kind of extreme weather.
Trees today prevent approximately 1200 more heat-related deaths annually in the US.
Source: McDonald RI, Kroeger T, Zhang P, Hamel P. The Value of US Urban Tree Cover for Reducing Heat-Related Health Impacts and Electricity Consumption. Ecosystems (2020)23:137-150
Trees can reduce crime rate
Trees are shown to improve mental health and reduce precursors to crime, thereby lessening the chance that stress or aggression will contribute to someone committing a crime. Quality green spaces can motivate communities to protect and care for these spaces. Properly designed and well-maintained green spaces also serve as deterrent to potential criminals by displaying that the residents and businesses in an area are actively involved in the community
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Source: Kuo FE, Sullivan WC. Aggression and violence in the Inner City – Effects of environment via mental fatigue. Environment and Behavior, Vol 33(4), July 2001;;543-571
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Shepley M, Sachs N, Sadatsafavi H et al. The impact of green space on violet crime in urban environments: An evidence of synthesis. Int J. Environ Res Public Health 2019;16(24)5119.