Green spaces better places to live than usa

For human health, being around more green space can improve immune system function , increase physical activity, reduce noise and air pollution, and boost mental health to name just a few benefits. Some research shows that when local green spaces are biodiverse , they can amplify psychological benefits even more.

From a climate change standpoint, these spaces help buffer the urban heat island effect, which occurs when thick, impervious surfaces like pavement and building facades absorb and retain heat. With an ever-changing and warming climate , this can make cities almost unbearable to live in, raising energy costs as hotter, longer summers set in. As water evaporates from leaves on trees and plants, it cools them down in the same way that sweat chills humans. Projects all across the country and world have focused on planting more trees to keep temperatures at bay, with varying levels of success.

As flooding becomes more of a regular threat in US cities, urban green spaces can also take some pressure off stormwater management. When rainwater surges through a neighborhood, heavy metals, trash, and bacteria get scooped up and flushed into the drinking water supply. This effect has been seen in urban centers as giant as Beijing, China, where one paper found that nearly , gallons of potential runoff was reduced per hectare or about 2.

That in itself covers most of the cost of landscaping and upkeep. But can planting a few trees protect entire communities from heat islands and stormwater pollution? Not at the same time, at least. In new research out last month in the journal Nature , Mark Cuthbert, an environmental science research fellow at the University of Cardiff, looked at green spaces over 15 years and found that depending on the climate of the region, urban green spaces might not be able to work against heat and stormwater surges.

Green space can help make low-income neighborhoods less vulnerable to climate and health risks by lowering local temperatures, improving air quality and mitigating flooding. For instance, in Buenos Aires , environmental restoration and re-greening of Lake Soldati is part of a multifaceted strategy to reduce flood risk in low-income areas of the city. Green space can also deliver additional benefits that may be particularly important in underserved neighborhoods, like providing areas for leisure and community life, creating safer, more livable streets and reducing building energy costs associated with cooling.

Cities can take three crucial steps to make sure that the health, economic and environmental benefits of urban green spaces become drivers of increased social equity. Establish Strong Political Leadership Municipalities should establish strong political leadership that prioritizes underserved communities in urban green infrastructure projects and protects long-term social benefits from short-term economic interests.

This can include proactively targeting neighborhood residents when hiring for the construction and maintenance of green infrastructure. The One Soul One Tree mangrove restoration campaign in Indonesia provided a new income source for residents in addition to creating environmental benefits. In addition to protecting 5, mangrove trees, the project encouraged residents to harvest syrup from mangroves to create batik Indonesian dyed fabric and other products, creating a new source of income for residents.

Engage Communities Meaningfully Proactive and meaningful community engagement is essential to ensuring local buy-in and agency in restoration and conservation projects. This allowed the initial focus on affordable housing to broaden and include cultural and political equity, workforce development and small business enterprises. Community engagement, however, should not mean depending on residents and private property owners to plant and maintain new trees. This approach tends to be most effective in more affluent neighborhoods where residents have the financial resources to buy and care for young trees.

Partnering with local and trusted organizations can be a critical strategy to build trust and ensure that communication and participation techniques are appropriate and effective. Develop Innovative Funding Models Equitable urban green planning requires innovative funding to help city governments put green spaces in underserved neighborhoods, while protecting community ownership to prevent gentrification.

One way to do this is with impact bonds, which allow municipalities to share risk with investors, reducing their liability and financing costs for future projects. Atlanta is using impact bonds to protect the Proctor Creek watershed and remediate environmental pollution in underserved neighborhoods. Washington, D. Classic financial instruments can also be adapted to steer investment to underserved neighborhoods. For instance, California established equity criteria for funds raised through general obligation bonds to finance parks in underserved neighborhoods.

The funds raised are then prioritized for projects that prevent resident displacement. A Greener, More Equitable Future for Cities Adopting a social equity lens in urban forestry decision-making can help cities make green spaces an essential tool to tackle existing inequalities, while building local resilience and well-being. Urban forest management with a focus on social equity can help make green spaces like this one accessible to and beneficial for everyone.

In the short-term, implementing better urban forest management practices will make for nicer strolls through neighborhoods when the dust of the coronavirus pandemic settles. Long-term, these practices will help local communities to be greener, healthier and more equitable. It will be highlighted at the upcoming Climate Adaptation Summit in January.

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One of the most popular is the sprawling hole Silver Lake Country Club, which encompasses three individual courses, each presenting distinct challenges. Got the budget to spend big, Tiger? Arguably the most prestigious of them is the Wynstone, a Jack Nicklaus—designed course anchoring a gated residential enclave spread across acres of partially wooded, lake-dotted land.

That said, the association takes care of pretty much everything, from landscaping and water treatment to hour private security. Wynstone Dr. The developer Toll Brothers is building several dozen smartly appointed open-concept single-family homes on lots facing the fairways, all with access not just to the nearby club but also to walking trails and playgrounds. For the best value, Rogers recommends looking at new developments south of downtown.

Jefferson Ave. Aurora also offers access to the Fox River Trail, a mile paved biking and walking route. But developers are betting big farther south, in Bridgeport, where new townhomes are going up along the South Branch, many just steps from the prosaically named Park No. That 4. Buyers with smaller budgets can find relative bargains in the form of fixer-upper houses just a few blocks in from the river.

Short St. Bustling with recreational boaters, kids taking sailing lessons, tennis players, cyclists, nature lovers visiting the migratory bird sanctuary, and even golfers, this stretch of lakefront can feel like the center of the universe on a nice day. The dense residential neighborhood west of the harbor offers surprisingly affordable options, especially for young first-time homebuyers.

And with the Red Line running through the heart of the area, and Lake Shore Drive just blocks away, Lake View delivers unsurpassed access to the city beyond the harbor — if you ever have the urge to leave. Wellington Ave. Demand for such properties has soared, says Beth Alberts of Compass. The neighborhood just to the west of the beach is justly proud of its waterfront — and of its architecture, too: Few lakeside communities pack in as much architectural interest as South Shore, from the six graceful s apartment buildings of the Jeffrey-Cyril Historic District to the Mediterranean grandeur of the South Shore Cultural Center to the distinctive 19th-century colonial and Renaissance revival homes of the Jackson Park Highlands area.

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Below are his contact details. In their work, the researchers used a vegetation index to measure the density of greenery in locales. Using their scale, barren areas composed of rocks or sand would score closer to a zero, while an area like a lush tropical rainforest would score closer to one.

The researchers found that the higher the vegetation index, the lower the rate of premature death. But not all green spaces will do the trick. Additionally, attractive public green spaces help spur socially connected neighborhoods — which enhances psychological health through positive social interactions and a sense of community.

Other research, however, suggests that there is something inherent about green spaces themselves that are good for us. According to the attention restoration theory , our daily lives are often cognitively draining and this can result in poorer moods. But the stimuli nature provides creates a restorative environment that relieves attention fatigue.

Increased urban vegetation also helps to negate something called the heat island effect. Daytime temperatures in urban areas are about degrees Fahrenheit higher than temperatures in outlying areas and nighttime temperatures are about degrees higher. Experts say these conditions are detrimental to health because they amplify pre-existing conditions and contribute to heat-related deaths and illnesses, such as respiratory difficulties and heat stroke.

But more green areas in cities can curb the heat island effect by reducing surface and air temperatures — in addition to sucking harmful smog and pollution from the air. And while these are troubling statistics — sometimes adding green spaces in neighborhoods can backfire. Green spaces are in demand, just like any other desirable neighborhood amenity.

Adding new green spaces in neighborhoods that previously lacked them can increase rents and displace lower-income residents who may have lived in these communities for decades.