By Eric Pham, Fountain Valley High School senior
In an era of a precariously changing climate accompanied by rapid urbanization, citizens around the globe are asking the necessary question of what can be done to mitigate the effects of rampant pollution while also improving city living.
What lies at the intersection of these two problems is simple yet essential: trees. For so long, greenery has been overlooked in city planning, but in the past few years landscaping in cities has taken a center stage role in urban development. By creating and enhancing green spaces in cities, we can both work to make cities more sustainable as well as more comfortable to live in.
To see how greenery affects daily life, and how it can also change other cities for the better, we can focus on the Los Angeles metropolitan area as an example.
The Los Angeles metropolitan region (composed of Los Angeles and Orange County) is a thriving megalopolis with a population of about 18,788,000, with a density of about 212 people for every square kilometer. The Greater Los Angeles Area is the second most dense in the United States, and—more importantly—it’s a region designed for and around automobiles.
Poor public transit, robust freeways, large blocks, vast parking lots, wide streets and narrow sidewalks are all indicators that the Greater Los Angeles Area was not made for walking. Traveling by foot, bike or rail is difficult because of how the city is planned.
This means that most trips made in this area are made by cars, which contributes a significant portion of the pollution in the city. Some days, the sky turns brown at sunset due to the high amount of pollutants in the industrial areas.
To fully combat this problem, we must make sure that new developments are less than ten minutes walking distance to the nearest metro station. We must also restrict the use of single-family zoning and focus on maintaining existing roadways rather than expanding them. However, in conjunction with these policies, planting trees is another step that we can take to alleviate air pollution by improving air quality.
Planting more trees in urban areas can help to improve air quality in the region, which can have an immense impact on public health. In particular, air pollution can trigger asthma attacks which can be uncomfortable for some and deadly for others. By working to incorporate more trees and greenery into city design, we can increase the quality of living in urban environments and contribute to public health and well being.
Another surprising contribution of trees lies in how they shape the character of a city. When people think of Los Angeles, they think of sunny skies, sandy beaches and palm trees.
Palm trees are an icon in the city of Los Angeles. They help to define Los Angeles and make the region unique. Palm trees form part of the identity of the area, lining the streets and beaches of the region. They make the region special and beautify the area, attracting visitors in the process. Planting trees is just one way by which regions can grow their identity and attract permanent residents and temporary visitors to the area.
For another famous example of how green landscapes define areas, look no further than the iconic Champs Élysées in Paris, France. The square trees decorate the avenue, running parallel up and down the street.
In both cities, landscape plays a dominant role in contributing to the city atmosphere and character. In Los Angeles, the palm trees reinforce the lax beach feel that pervades the entire region. In Paris, the perfectly trimmed trees bring an almost regal quality to the street, acting as barriers between the street and pedestrians.
Trees also help regulate temperatures in cities. In these asphalt and concrete jungles, trees can make the difference between temperate and sweltering heat. The shade that trees provide is invaluable to urban lifestyles, especially in areas where the temperature is known to skyrocket.
And as the climate warms, trees will only become more necessary in making city life comfortable. Trees can provide cities with an urban canopy, blocking out sunlight for pedestrians which can help reduce the toll that a hot sunny day can take on people. This can also reduce heat stroke and heat exhaustion which is on the rise as cities experience higher and hotter temperatures during the summer months.
Trees like the jacaranda help to provide overhead shade for street goers and pedestrians, while also contributing to the aesthetic of the environment. Trees play a vital role in keeping not only pedestrians comfortable but keeping cities cooler. Exposed asphalt traps the energy of the sun in the ground which locks heat in the city and raises temperature.
This is a huge problem in Los Angeles because, in an environment designed for cars, parking lots are everywhere. Parking lots are especially effective at trapping heat because they cover such massive areas and are often left exposed with little protection.
While Los Angeles has fought this phenomenon by painting some of its streets white to deflect heat, trees have also played a role in battling the “urban heat island effect” by providing vast amounts of shade and preventing streets from overheating. Jacaranda trees are also famously drought-proof, which is a major upside in the Southern California region given its frequent dry periods.
The problems faced by Angelenos are not unique to the region. Many cities all over the globe face rampant pollution, loss of character and fading attraction, and overwhelmingly hot environments. And as residents of these cities and their surrounding areas, we have an obligation to ensure that our communities develop in an environmentally responsible manner.
By understanding the problems faced by the Greater Los Angeles area, and how responsible urban landscaping can help to alleviate some of those problems, I hope that you reflect on how you can help your community improve. As the world rapidly urbanizes, more and more people will be affected by the design decisions made in our cities, which is why it’s time to push for sustainability and responsibility in the future of our cities, countries and world.
