Green spaces in cities

In short: Urban greenery like parks, street trees, and green roofs significantly improves quality of life in cities while mitigating negative effects of urbanisation. As cities become denser, the importance of these areas for climate and health grows.

In more detail: Sealed surfaces heat up more strongly in cities than natural soils and vegetation, leading to the so-called urban heat island effect.

In detail

• Cooling effect: Trees and green spaces provide shade and cool the surrounding air through evaporation, especially noticeable on hot summer days.
• Air quality: Plants filter particulate matter and other pollutants from the air, even if the effect of individual trees is limited.
• Biodiversity: City parks and green strips provide habitat for insects, birds, and other animals, even in the middle of densely built-up areas.
• Rainwater management: Green spaces and roofs absorb rainwater and delay runoff, reducing sewer overload during heavy rain.
• Mental wellbeing: Studies show that spending time in green spaces can reduce stress and improve the mental health of the urban population.
• Green roofs and facades: These solutions create additional green space without using valuable building land, while also improving building insulation.
• Equitable distribution: Access to high-quality green spaces is unevenly distributed in many cities, which can reinforce social and health inequalities (lichtverschmutzung-und-ihre-folgen, co2-fussabdruck-im-alltag).