Urban plantings are part of the solution to living in warmer cities, but most tree and shrub species in the world’s cities will struggle too. The impacts on liveability could be huge.
Aerial view of a residential neighbourhood with abundant urban forest around it.
(Ollie Craig/pexels)
Trees were already known for cooling and cleaning the air of cities. A Europe-wide, participative science project shows how much their density matters for urban biodiversity.
Some cities never sleep.
Noam Cohen/EyeEm via Getty Images
North America’s 2021 extreme heat event should compel governments to scale innovations from leading cities and countries to advance resilient, restorative and renewable cities.
Extreme heat waves are putting lives in danger, with some of the hottest urban neighborhoods 10 degrees hotter or more than their wealthier neighbors. Often, these are communities of color.
Concrete and asphalt roads, and other built materials readily absorb, store and release heat, raising city temperatures, a phenomenon called the urban heat island.
(Pixabay)
An invasive Australian tree is exploiting ever-stronger hurricanes.
Although it is important to have a diversity of tree species in urban landscapes, planting and protecting taller species should be strongly encouraged.
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More carbon dioxide in the air doesn’t necessarily mean more growth for trees, and the increasing risk of wildfires and drought has major consequences, as an interactive map shows.
Maple syrup contains bioactive molecules whose benefits go far beyond the simple pleasure of a sweet treat.
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