One of the best forms of heat relief is pretty simple: trees.
One of the best forms of heat relief is pretty simple: trees. In cities, as studies have documented, more tree cover lowers surface temperatures and heat-related health risks.
However, as a new study led by MIT researchers shows, the amount of tree cover varies widely within cities, and is generally connected to wealth levels. After examining a cross-section of cities on four continents at different latitudes, the research finds a consistent link between wealth and neighborhood tree abundance within a city, with better-off residents usually enjoying much more shade on nearby sidewalks.
“Shade is the easiest way to counter warm weather,” says Fabio Duarte, an MIT urban studies scholar and co-author of a new paper detailing the study’s results. “Strictly by looking at which areas are shaded, we can tell where rich people and poor people live.”
Read more at: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Photo Credit: hamlinjandrew via Pixabay
