New research published by the Global Centre for Clean Air Research should be used to guide town planners and developers.
According to the University of Surrey’s GCARE team, which collaborated with more than 30 co-authors from seven countries, integrating parkland within the designs for new communities can bring down air pollution levels by almost one-quarter.
A 22% ‘city-wide’ reduction would mean green spaces deliver the most effective solution to improving air quality, but the study also goes on to examine different types of green, blue and grey infrastructure [GBGI] – including trees, green walls, and hedges. Trees were found to be most effective in open road conditions, with a potential 77% cut in pollution levels. However, in narrower spaces this approach could actually worsen atmospheric conditions by trapping dirty air and creating pollution canyons.
‘We are beginning to understand just how powerful green infrastructure can be against urban air pollution, but their effectiveness hinges on where and how they are implemented. Our review has found that well-placed greenery can cut black carbon levels by up to 40%, making our communities greener and healthier,’ said Professor Prashant Kumar, lead author of the Surrey study and Founding Director of GCARE and RECLAIM.
Kumar is also the founder of RECLAIM [Reclaiming Forgotten Cities – Turning Cities from Vulnerable Spaces to Healthy Places for People], which incorporates this news research. The £1.45million project is funded through UK Research & Innovation’s Network Plus initiative, led by GCARE, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, and the universities of Bath, Bangor, and Warwick.
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Image: Jan Baborák via Unsplash