Trees could cut urban heatwave mortality by a third: study

Planting more trees in urban areas to lower summertime temperatures could decrease deaths directly linked to hot weather and heatwaves by a third, researchers say.

Its a shame that Japanese cities seem devoted to the eradication of all greenery everywhere in the built environment. Cities here need more tree cover,

Trees aren't as great as it sound. At least not here. It attract all kind of insects, pollen and the leaves. Just the bees alone is something you don't want. First off, the cost for the upkeep of the trees aren't cheap and it also need nurturing like a constant water source etc. Secondly the roots are a very problematic thing and you have to carefully plan where to plant them. Just think of the power lines and other stuff that are underground. Thirdly during storms or harsh weather, these trees can be a complete danger for people.

Sure, i would like see more trees in parks inside cities, but we shouldn't go overboard. All i am saying it ain't as awesome as people claim when it comes to having a lot trees in the cities. The main problem is always the money needed to maintain it.

Trees aren't as great as it sound. At least not here. It attract all kind of insects, pollen and the leaves. Just the bees alone is something you don't want. First off, the cost for the upkeep of the trees aren't cheap and it also need nurturing like a constant water source etc. Secondly the roots are a very problematic thing and you have to carefully plan where to plant them. Just think of the power lines and other stuff that are underground. Thirdly during storms or harsh weather, these trees can be a complete danger for people.

These are issues everywhere, not just Japan. Yet cities in other countries have trees, while Japanese ones are mostly grey heat islands with deadly heat in the summer.

Obviously there is a cost benefit analysis that needs to be doe, but Japanese cities seem to completely discount the benefits of trees when doing that.

From experience I believe trees very much reduce the heat island effect. I'm an avid motorcycle rider. I almost always commute by motorcycle. One thing I noticed coming home from a job driving gasoline tank trucks in the wee hours was, in the summer, it was much cooler passing by city parks. I don't think the cooling effect is confined only to trees. Where I live now in the desert, I typically go to work before the sun comes up. The route to work takes me through town to the edge of the desert. Half a block from the end of town the air cools dramatically. No trees out there, just sage and creosote mostly but it is much cooler on the state highway adjacent the open desert at 5 am than it was just one block back in a residential area.

Loved to sit in an Italian piazza eating a mozzarella and tomato sandwich or eating ice cream. Drinking fountains are always available.

I remember when they were going to redevelop the whole JR Osaka Station area twenty years ago and they tentatively planned a large park or grassy area.

But as you can guess, they built nothing but giant concrete, glass buildings with nowhere to chill and relax on grass or under shade. The play area with the fountain is all concrete too.

Every great city has great parks. Osaka didn't get the memo.

Tokyo seems to be losing the plot too according to their sneaky redevelopment of the Jingu Stadium area.

Piazza Navona is Rome’s liveliest and perhaps best-loved square. Maybe they can install those steam jets you see here in Japan.

Tokyo is only 7% green space.

5 of Japan's most sustainable cities

   Kyoto City. ...

   Kitakyushu City. ...

   Tahara City. ...

   Omihachiman City. ...

   Iida City.

Tokyo is more than 30% agricultural land and mountains and forest.

Green as they come.

Government can't profit from planting trees as much as they can by teaming up with their buddies in the concrete business.

Tokyo City has only 7% green space.

If you want trees in an urban setting., you need to plan for them in advance. Leave enough green space so that the root system can expand without interfering with underground utilities, streets, and sidewalks.

Trying to grow trees between the sidewalk and street causes many costly maintenance problems.

Incredible but true that Tokyo is made up of over 30% basically farmland and mountains and woods.

Tokyo is made up of over 30% basically farmland and mountains and woods.

Are you talking about the metropolitan region, as opposed to Tokyo the city? Because region is huge in size, including the remote Ogasawara islands about 1,000 kilometers away and mountainous farming areas like Ome.

Only a tiny percentage of region's population live in these distant areas, which are geographically distinct from the city. They are part of "Tokyo" only because the metro govt is their administrator.