The Sen Times

Trees and greenery can cool cities by as much as 18C but only if theyre the right type

Cities around the world are planting more trees to cope with rising urban heat. But our research shows trees alone are often not enough. In some cases, the wrong kind of greening can even make streets feel less comfortable on a hot day. We compared field measurements from Melbourne, Munich and Hong Kong to test how different kinds of urban planting changed the heat people experience outdoors. The results showed layered vegetation where trees are combined with shrubs and ground cover often cooled cities more effectively than trees alone. We also found local climate and street design strongly