Photo by: Pixabay user Larsen9236

Planting more plants and trees in cities—where most people live—can cool urban areas and prevent harm from heat. Spending more time surrounded by green space, like trees or other vegetation, may improve mental and physical health.

 

Why it matters: Rising temperatures from climate change create “heat islands” in cities—localized areas where temperatures can be 20-50 degrees warmer than their surroundings. This happens because urban landscapes tend to be covered in dark colors that absorb more heat. This excess heat can cause cardiovascular stress, heat stroke, and other major health issues, especially those with chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD.

Mental Note: A 2018 study from Harvard Chan School followed more than 9,000 U.S. adolescents ages 12-18. It showed that adolescents who live in areas surrounded by green space had a lower chance of depressive symptoms than those living in dense urban areas.

Surviving a stroke: Harvard researchers found that people who’ve suffered a stroke may be 20% less likely to die after discharge from a hospital if they live in a home surrounded by lots of greenery compared to patients with low amounts of greenery near their homes.

School Attendance: Another study from Harvard showed that environmental factors in and around schools can affect attendance. It examined all 1,772 public schools in Massachusetts, and found that those that had more green space and better air quality had lower chronic absentee rates compared to other schools, regardless of social or economic factors.

The Upshot: Planting trees and other vegetation may provide beautiful landscapes but also can save lives.

Resources:

“The Association Between Natural Environments and Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents Living in the United States.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29273301

“Green Space May Lead to Less Depressed Teens”

https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/centers/core/spotlight/green_space/index.cfm

Green Space and Mortality Following Ischemic Stroke
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151551/

“Study: Being around trees and other greenery may help teens stave off depression”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-being-around-trees-and-other-greenery-may-help-teens-stave-off-depression/2018/01/19/252df102-fc92-11e7-ad8c-ecbb62019393_story.html

Green Space and Health

https://hwpi.harvard.edu/chge/resource/green-space-and-health

“No Tropical Paradise: Urban ‘Heat Islands’ Are Hotbeds For Health Problems”

http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/07/05/greater-boston-heat-islands

“Impact of Particulate Matter Exposure and Surrounding ‘Greenness’ on Chronic Absenteeism in Massachusetts Public Schools”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28230752

Does Greenspace Around Schools Impact Absenteeism?

Harvard Chan School's Healthy Buildings team analyzed data from schools across Massachusetts. 

Read Now

Boston's summer heat is an issue of racial equity. 'Greening' our city is one solution

Gaurab writes in Cognoscenti about heat's impact on health equity and gun violence and advocates for the community health benefits that come with investing in tree canopies.

Read Now

Saving Melnea Cass Boulevard — and a neighborhood

In a letter to the editor, our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein argues for more green space in one of the hottest spots in the city.

Read Now

Preventing a transportation ‘relapse’

Harvard Chan School's Aaron Bernstein would like to see reduced traffic and air pollution—a by-product of COVID shutdowns—continue.

Read Now

The 100 Reasons to Go Play Outside Right Now

The importance of going outside to human health.

Read Now

Does Greenspace Around Schools Impact Absenteeism?

Harvard Chan School's Healthy Buildings team analyzed data from schools across Massachusetts. 

Read Now

Living near greenery linked with less depression in teens

Being around trees and other greenery may help teens stave off depression, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Led by Carla Bezold, postdoctoral research fellow in Harvard Chan’s Department of Epidemiology, researchers analyzed data from more than 9,000 teens who began participating in 1999 in a large study…

Read Now