Urban greening is a matter of life and death
Los Angeles has long been characterized by freeways and palm trees, but as many of our cities have grown, trees and green space often have been seen as little more than beautification strategies. However, tree canopy and park space are important not only for our health but our very survival on Earth.
At a recent Ethnic Media Services (EMS) briefing, the panelists talk about new research and how the realities of climate change have led to a push for more and better green space and efforts to address inequities in access to parks and shade. Research by UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health found that increasing urban greening, tree canopy, and park space, particularly in green-poor areas, could add nearly a million years of life expectancy across Los Angeles County and dramatically improve life for low-income residents of color.
Uneven tree distribution causes health inequities
Trees are distributed unevenly in most cities, including Los Angeles, where 20% of the city’s trees are found in just four neighborhoods. This inequity has consequences for the health of residents as well as the environment in different neighborhoods. Several studies have data that echo the Trust for Public Lands’ finding that 27 million children lack access to quality parks close to home. For low-income families with children and families of color with children, the disparities in nature access are even more acute.
Michael Jerrett, Professor, UCLA Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Co-
Director, of the Center for Healthy Climate Solutions, Fielding School of Public Health, says “If we look at the human timeline, it’s good to be reminded that we evolved in nature, and it’s really just been very recently that we’ve moved into cities. So, there’s an inherent love for nature, trust for nature.” This underscores the importance of urban greening and if work is done to correctly implement changes, then Los Angeles can set an example for other cities across the country.
Greenery extends the life of a community
Did you know that planting more trees can extend years to the life of a community?
Urban greening is literally a matter of life and death. A recent UCLA study, the first of its kind in the United States, found that if neighborhoods that are below average in tree canopy and vegetation in Los Angeles were brought up to the average, planting more trees would add more than 570,000 years of life expectancy to the current residents of those neighborhoods.
The UCLA study echoes similar findings in Spain and the Netherlands, suggesting that the results are likely applicable in other cities.
Trees provide shade and cooling respite from extreme heat events, which are increasing in frequency with climate change. Trees provide habitat for birds and other species. And trees improve human health. But how can the city enact policies and practices that are going to help ensure that we have more tree canopy healthier tree canopies for our residents?
The Four Pillars of Urban Forest Management
Rachel Malarich, City Forester for the City of Los Angeles says “In our office, we talk about what I refer to as the 4 pillars of urban forest management for the city of LA. They are planting, maintenance, preservation, and engagement. if you don’t have all 4, you don’t have a healthy open force.”
Los Angeles, like other cities, has made planting trees a priority in areas of the city that have below-average tree canopy. However, the solution is not just planting trees and leaving them alone. Trees need space and good care. Communities need to have resources and organize to ensure that their urban forests can thrive.
Dig a $10 hole for a $1 tree
There is an old saying that you should dig a $10 hole for a $1 tree. In other words, you should put 10 times what a tree costs into creating a welcoming new home for the tree. That means digging an adequate spacious hole and adding soil rich with nutrients immediately around the new tree’s roots. It also means regular watering for at least a few years.
On average, residents of Beverly Hills live up to 90 years, while residents of South Los Angeles, just 15 miles away, live to 77 on average, a difference of 13 years. There are many reasons for these differences. Urban greening is one. Tree canopy is also unevenly distributed in the city. On this map from TreePeople, greener neighborhoods have more trees. The lack of live vegetation and tree canopy in many low-income neighborhoods of color has serious consequences for human health, well-being, and lifespans. A recent UCLA study found that 60% of the Latino population and 67% of the Black population in Los Angeles live in areas with below-average tree canopy, and tree canopy is substantially sparser in low-income neighborhoods.
Greening America
A lot of that is changing with The Bezos Earth Fund’s Greening America’s Cities (GAC) initiative with their $400M commitment through 2030 to create green spaces in underserved urban communities. Grants will support environmental and climate justice by investing in communities that have had limited resources to build healthy and vibrant green spaces. The heart of the GAC mission is to provide community organizations with resources and support to build urban farms, parks, and much-needed tree canopies for their residents.
Researchers as well as the panelists encourage people to think more about their surroundings when making healthy living decisions. Numerous studies have demonstrated that access to urban green spaces is positively associated with good physical and mental health outcomes for people who live in cities. Time spent in green spaces tends to reduce stress, increase physical activity, improve social connectedness, and provide a buffer against air pollution, noise, and extreme heat.
Photo by Eddie Zhang on Unsplash
