Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

The benefits of urban trees

2016-05-14T13:44:24Z

Vox Urban:

[[File:Urban_Trees.jpg|link=File:Urban_Trees.jpg]]Trees and urban green infrastructure are a core aesthetic and environmental component of the urban landscape. Unfortunately until recently the common attitude to urban trees was not to place them in the centre of initial planning, but rather treat them as a nice and optional addition to a completed project.

Attitudes are changing now. Good urban planning and placemaking tend to take advantage of the existing green infrastructure and provide space and place for planting more trees and greenery.

The importance of green urban forests is difficult to overestimate: it influences all major areas of residents’ wellbeing from physical health, to the level of a community’s engagement, to mental wellbeing. The potential benefits must be estimated at the initial phase of planning, and green infrastructure should be central to any development.

== Environmental Benefits ==

* Tree canopies provide valuable habitat for all kind of species, thus restoring and maintaining healthy species diversity
* Trees prevent soil erosion protecting urban hillsides and slopes from destruction by the constant stream of rainwater
* Trees produce oxygen: an acre of mature trees can generate enough oxygen for 18 people a year

== Regulating Urban Climate ==

Trees play a vital role in temperature regulation of cities. The [http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FCRN012.pdf/$FILE/FCRN012.pdf research] undertaken by the UK Forestry Commission shows that trees and green infrastructure can reduce urban heat islands (UHI) and cool the air by between 2ºC and 8ºC.

Although the reduction might seem insignificant at first sight, in reality it can be life saving. According to the same research, during hot summers the UHI effect becomes the cause of heat-related stress, which accounts for around 1100 premature deaths per year in the UK.

Urban trees are an effective tool in cooling down cities and towns. They fulfil three important functions that drive the temperature down:

# use the solar energy to convert water inside them into water vapour thus preventing it from being transferred into the actual heat
# reflect the heat thus preventing it from being absorbed and stored warming the local environment
# shade people and buildings from direct exposure to the sun thus reducing overheating and excessive heating through windows that creates an internal green house effect

== Community Benefits ==

Trees and green spaces are also an essential element of [http://www.voxurban.com/2016/04/7-placemaking-tips-project-public-spaces/ placemaking], they are central to creating public realms that draw people in and bring communities together.

A 2001 study [1] in one of the Chicago public housing development showed a dramatic reduction of crime in apartment buildings surrounded by trees and greenery compared to the nearby identical apartment block surrounded by barren land. The study revealed a significant 48% reduction in property crime and 56% less violent crime.

Green infrastructure reduces crime in several ways:

* Urban trees produce a more relaxing environment reducing anxiety and aggression
* Trees and greenery encourage people to spend more time outdoors increasing surveillance and discouraging antisocial behaviour
* Green and landscaped urban areas inspire higher levels of the residents’ attention and involvement in watching over the property and each other

== Economic Benefits ==

Tree-lined areas and retail districts with enhanced green infrastructure create an attractive environment that encourages shoppers to linger longer.

Trees also make a significant contribution to the value of property in a neighbourhood.

== Urban Tree Canopy: Taking Stock for Better Urban Planning ==

In the UK alone the levels of urban deforestation have been alarmingly increasing for the last 30 years.

In an attempt to reverse the trend through out the country, the urban canopy initiative (UK UCI) was launched in 2008. The initiative set the following objectives:

* Identify why trees are being lost
* Investigate how canopy loss can be reversed
* Document viable solutions
* Establish a mechanism for disseminating those solutions
* Lobby government for a coordinated strategy for increasing urban canopy cover
* Monitor, review, deliver, and report on progress

Taking stock of the existing urban canopy is vital in identifying the ways to maintain and support urban forests. This type of survey answers the main questions that form the basis of the urban tree policy:

* How many healthy and mature trees does an area have?
* Is the number enough for the local residents to benefit?
* Which species thrive in the area and which don't?
* Which trees should be planted in the area to enhance its green infrastructure?
* What are the best places for planting?

== Urban Trees Survey in Wales ==

The '[http://www.voxurban.com/2016/04/wales-first-urban-tree-canopy-survey/ Tree Cover in Welsh Towns and Cities study]' was designed to help address the lack of knowledge and accountability as far as Wales’ urban trees are concerned. The study also provides a valuable insight into how trees contribute to the quality of those most used places in towns and cities.

The study has paved a way to understanding what green resources Welsh cities and towns already have. This invaluable information provides planners and urban designers with a context in which they plan redevelopment projects and new built areas.

1. Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2001). “Environment and crime in the inner city: Does vegetation reduce crime?” Environment and Behavior, 33(3), 343-367.

[[Category:Publications_/_reports]]

The benefits of urban trees

2016-05-14T13:41:46Z

Vox Urban: Created page with "File:Urban Trees.jpgTrees and urban green infrastructure are a core aesthetic and environmental component of the urban landscape. Unfortunately until recently the common atti..."

[[File:Urban Trees.jpg]]Trees and urban green infrastructure are a core aesthetic and environmental component of the urban landscape. Unfortunately until recently the common attitude to urban trees was not to place them in the centre of initial planning, but rather treat them as a nice and optional addition to a completed project.

Attitudes are changing now. Good urban planning and placemaking tend to take advantage of the existing green infrastructure and provide space and place for planting more trees and greenery.

The importance of green urban forests is difficult to overestimate: it influences all major areas of residents’ wellbeing from physical health, to the level of a community’s engagement, to mental wellbeing. The potential benefits must be estimated at the initial phase of planning, and green infrastructure should be central to any development.

== Environmental Benefits ==

* Tree canopies provide valuable habitat for all kind of species, thus restoring and maintaining healthy species diversity
* Trees prevent soil erosion protecting urban hillsides and slopes from destruction by the constant stream of rainwater
* Trees produce oxygen: an acre of mature trees can generate enough oxygen for 18 people a year

== Regulating Urban Climate ==

Trees play a vital role in temperature regulation of cities. The [http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/FCRN012.pdf/$FILE/FCRN012.pdf research] undertaken by the UK Forestry Commission shows that trees and green infrastructure can reduce urban heat islands (UHI) and cool the air by between 2ºC and 8ºC.

Although the reduction might seem insignificant at first sight, in reality it can be life saving. According to the same research, during hot summers the UHI effect becomes the cause of heat-related stress, which accounts for around 1100 premature deaths per year in the UK.

Urban trees are an effective tool in cooling down cities and towns. They fulfil three important functions that drive the temperature down:

# use the solar energy to convert water inside them into water vapour thus preventing it from being transferred into the actual heat
# reflect the heat thus preventing it from being absorbed and stored warming the local environment
# shade people and buildings from direct exposure to the sun thus reducing overheating and excessive heating through windows that creates an internal green house effect

== Community Benefits ==

Trees and green spaces are also an essential element of [http://www.voxurban.com/2016/04/7-placemaking-tips-project-public-spaces/ placemaking], they are central to creating public realms that draw people in and bring communities together.

A 2001 study [1] in one of the Chicago public housing development showed a dramatic reduction of crime in apartment buildings surrounded by trees and greenery compared to the nearby identical apartment block surrounded by barren land. The study revealed a significant 48% reduction in property crime and 56% less violent crime.

Green infrastructure reduces crime in several ways:

* Urban trees produce a more relaxing environment reducing anxiety and aggression
* Trees and greenery encourage people to spend more time outdoors increasing surveillance and discouraging antisocial behaviour
* Green and landscaped urban areas inspire higher levels of the residents’ attention and involvement in watching over the property and each other

== Economic Benefits ==

Tree-lined areas and retail districts with enhanced green infrastructure create an attractive environment that encourages shoppers to linger longer.

Trees also make a significant contribution to the value of property in a neighbourhood.

== Urban Tree Canopy: Taking Stock for Better Urban Planning ==

In the UK alone the levels of urban deforestation have been alarmingly increasing for the last 30 years.

In an attempt to reverse the trend through out the country, the urban canopy initiative (UK UCI) was launched in 2008. The initiative set the following objectives:

* Identify why trees are being lost
* Investigate how canopy loss can be reversed
* Document viable solutions
* Establish a mechanism for disseminating those solutions
* Lobby government for a coordinated strategy for increasing urban canopy cover
* Monitor, review, deliver, and report on progress

Taking stock of the existing urban canopy is vital in identifying the ways to maintain and support urban forests. This type of survey answers the main questions that form the basis of the urban tree policy:

* How many healthy and mature trees does an area have?
* Is the number enough for the local residents to benefit?
* Which species thrive in the area and which don't?
* Which trees should be planted in the area to enhance its green infrastructure?
* What are the best places for planting?

== Urban Trees Survey in Wales ==

The '[http://www.voxurban.com/2016/04/wales-first-urban-tree-canopy-survey/ Tree Cover in Welsh Towns and Cities study]' was designed to help address the lack of knowledge and accountability as far as Wales’ urban trees are concerned. The study also provides a valuable insight into how trees contribute to the quality of those most used places in towns and cities.

The study has paved a way to understanding what green resources Welsh cities and towns already have. This invaluable information provides planners and urban designers with a context in which they plan redevelopment projects and new built areas.

1. Kuo, F.E., & Sullivan, W.C. (2001). “Environment and crime in the inner city: Does vegetation reduce crime?” Environment and Behavior, 33(3), 343-367.

[[Category:Publications_/_reports]]

File:Urban Trees.jpg

2016-05-14T13:19:17Z

Vox Urban: Urban green infrastructure is an invaluable asset for urban planning and design

Urban green infrastructure is an invaluable asset for urban planning and design