Influence of Tree Canopy Coverage and Leaf Area Density on Urban Heat Island Mitigation

Esfehankalateh, Atefeh Tamaskani; Ngarambe, Jack; Yun, Geun Young

doi:10.3390/su13137496

Cited by 17 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(48 reference statements)

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“…Increased heat is directly correlated with lower levels of physical activity; increasing tree canopy coverage from 4% to 60% reduced daily maximum temperatures by approximately 3 -5.23 degrees Celsius (Esfehankalateh, et al, 2021) Sleep < 7 hours Likely Small…”

Section: Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Impact Assessment: The Impacts of Increasing Tree Canopy Coverage in Marion County, Indiana

Kampman

Whitlock

Hosler

2022

CHIA

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Background: Urban tree canopies help to address issues of climate change related to all dimensions of health. Certain areas of the city of Indianapolis are more prone to the negative effects that lack of tree coverage can cause. This assessment explored the short term and potential long-term impacts of the efforts to increase the tree canopy coverage in vulnerable areas of Indianapolis. This effort was a collaboration of faculty members from the Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, Indianapolis Department of Public Works, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, and the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability. Methods: Our team used the standard seven-step Health Impact Assessment (HIA) process to make the recommendations provided. Using direct observation of the neighborhood, secondary data collection, literature review, and a key stakeholder interview, we examined key dimensions of health including environmental, physical, and personal health outcomes resulting from increased tree canopy coverage within census tract 3505 of Marion County, Indiana. Results: Increasing the percentage of tree canopy coverage in census tract 3505 – Crown Hill has significant positive health impacts with minimal negative outcomes. Such impacts may be, but are not subject to, lower temperatures, reduced cases of respiratory and cardiac infections/illnesses, promoting animal life, increasing neighborhood property values and filtering pollutants that resultfrom human production activity. Conclusions: Further implementation of the Thrive Indianapolis project has broad positive implications for the community members living in this area. While few negative implications were found, we make recommendations to mitigate these effects while attempting to supplement the current project plan with a focus on the effects to human health.

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Section: Obesitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Impact Assessment: The Impacts of Increasing Tree Canopy Coverage in Marion County, Indiana

Kampman

Whitlock

Hosler

2022

CHIA

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“…Collectively referred to as ecosystem services and ecological resources, urban trees and their canopies play a crucial role in purifying air and water, sequestering carbon, reducing energy consumption, mitigating urban heat, and capturing stormwater [13][14][15][16][17][18]. With the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-induced stressors, such as heat waves, flooding, and climate grief, UTC provides a cost-effective solution as a frontline defense for improving the quality of the environment, which directly contributes to the sustainability of cities and their residents [19][20][21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of Tree Canopy Loss in a Mid-Sized Growing City: Case Study in Portland, OR (USA)

Ock,

Shandas,

Ribeiro

et al. 2024

Sustainability

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The benefits of the urban tree and tree canopy (UTC) are increasingly crucial in addressing urban sustainability. Yet, increasingly evident from earlier research is the distributional inequities of UTC and active efforts to expand tree plantings. Less is known about the dynamics of UTC loss over time and location. This study aims to understand the dynamics of UTC change, especially canopy loss, and to investigate the drivers of the loss. This study draws on a high–resolution dataset of an urban canopy in Portland, Oregon, USA, assessing changes in UTC from 2014 to 2020. By integrating demographic, biophysical, and policy data with UTC information, we use a spatial autoregressive model to identify the drivers of UTC loss. The results reveal an unexpected spatial distribution of UTC change: less gain in the neighborhoods with the least UTC, and greater loss in the neighborhoods with moderate UTC. This study identifies four primary drivers of UTC loss: socioeconomic characteristics, urban form, activities on trees, and residential status. Factors such as population density, race, and income have an impact on canopy loss, as well as the building footprint and the number of multifamily housing units; residential statuses, such as the proportion of owner-occupied housing and residential stability, impact canopy loss.

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“…Trees and their resulting canopies provide shade which can help cool the environment, making mature trees with large canopies a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat [9,10,11,12,13]. Increased tree and vegetation cover have been found to reduce the negative health effects of extreme heat and to help reduce the risks of heat-related morbidity and mortality in outdoor spaces while improving actual and perceived levels of thermal comfort [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding and Assessing Demographic (In)Equity Resulting from Extreme Heat Exposure due to Lack of Tree Canopies in Norfolk, VA using Agent-Based Modeling

Zamponi¹,

O’Brien²,

Jensen³

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can result in illness and death. In urban areas of dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat, extreme heat conditions can arise regularly and create harmful environmental exposures for residents daily during certain parts of the year. Tree canopies provide shade and help to cool the environment, making mature trees with large canopies a simple and effective way to reduce urban heat. We develop a demographically representative 1 (agent): 1 (person) agent-based model to understand the extent to which different demographics of residents in Norfolk, VA are equitably shaded from extreme heat conditions during a walk on a clear summer day. We use the model to assess the extent to which the city's Tree Planting Plan will be effective in remediating any existing inequities. Our results show that inequitable conditions exist for residents (1) at different education levels, (2) at different income levels and, (3) living in different census tracts. Norfolk's Tree Planting Program effectively reduces the distance residents of all demographics walk in extreme heat. However, residents of the city at lower income levels still experience statistically significantly more extreme heat exposure due to a lack of tree canopies in summer months than those at higher income levels.

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Influence of Tree Canopy Coverage and Leaf Area Density on Urban Heat Island Mitigation

Cited by 17 publications

References 44 publications

Health Impact Assessment: The Impacts of Increasing Tree Canopy Coverage in Marion County, Indiana

Health Impact Assessment: The Impacts of Increasing Tree Canopy Coverage in Marion County, Indiana

Drivers of Tree Canopy Loss in a Mid-Sized Growing City: Case Study in Portland, OR (USA)

Understanding and Assessing Demographic (In)Equity Resulting from Extreme Heat Exposure due to Lack of Tree Canopies in Norfolk, VA using Agent-Based Modeling

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