As heat waves intensify and become more frequent worldwide, mitigating their harmful effects is a pressing concern. Urban greening emerges as a promising strategy to limit the negative health impacts of extreme heat. However, significant research gaps remain regarding the optimal promotion and implementation of this approach. Questions persist about the most effective types of greenspaces and their proximity to residential areas.
A recent study published in Environment International highlights the significance of forests in mitigating heat-related health risks, especially when located within walking distance of residential areas. This finding complements previous research by a collaborative team from Chinese, British, and Spanish universities and research institutes, which employed big data to quantify the beneficial health effects of urban greenery.
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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.
“By analyzing 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 kilometer 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 meters.
“Instead, our research suggests that broader-scale greening strategies, particularly involving trees, are more effective up to 1km away from communities,” she adds.
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 the topic of urban greening stems from the need for concrete evidence demonstrating the health benefits of specific types of greenspaces and actionable information for urban greening initiatives.
