Ecology Benefiting Economy

Trees have various benefits on air quality within the city.  They differ on oxygen output based on their size, maturity, evaporation rate, and leaf surface characteristics.  Urban parks have the ability to cool adjacent neighborhoods and buildings through their implementation. Parks can be vital to emergencies such as heat waves and droughts within the city.

A recent case study in Chicago illustrates the values of parks within its urban areas. Analyzing over 250,000 of its local trees and studying over 58 of the trees species; they found that urban parks store over 52 tons of excess carbon. Local trees additionally remove over 64 tons of air pollutants each year. More information on Chicago's climate action plan can be located here. 

With the addition of parks, the city has also developed multiple mitigation strategies to improve power plant efficiency, build renewable electricity, and promote household renewable power. The Center for Neighborhood Technology is a great source for making a change in your city today! Improving ecology can simultaneously improve your economy while promoting healthy lifestyles for everyone in your city.