Trees, Climate Change, and Health: An Urban Planning, Greening and Implementation Perspective

Alistair Woodward; Andrea Hinwood; Daniel Bennett; Brenton Grear; Sotiris Vardoulakis; Neha Lalchandani; Katrina Lyne; Carmel Williams

doi:10.3390/ijerph20186798

Trees, Climate Change, and Health: An Urban Planning, Greening and Implementation Perspective

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Sep 21;20(18):6798. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20186798.

Authors

Alistair Woodward¹, Andrea Hinwood², Daniel Bennett³, Brenton Grear⁴, Sotiris Vardoulakis⁵, Neha Lalchandani⁶, Katrina Lyne⁷, Carmel Williams^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
² United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi 00100, Kenya.
³ Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Adelaide 5001, Australia.
⁴ Green Adelaide, Department for Environment and Water, Adelaide 5000, Australia.
⁵ Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia.
⁶ School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
⁷ Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation, Health Translation SA, SAHMRI, Adelaide 5000, Australia.

Abstract

The In Conversation: Boundary, Spanners, Thinkers and Policy Actors Round Table Series provides a platform for researchers, policy actors, and implementation experts to elevate discussion on emerging issues, present new and upcoming research, and facilitate conversations around impacts and possible solutions. This brief report, on trees, climate change, and health, reflects a conversation between the authors of this paper, along with supporting literature. It explores the potential of green spaces and trees as a viable strategy to address climate change challenges and simultaneously improve population health, well-being, and health equity. In particular, it highlights the public health benefits of trees and green space, the challenges faced in urban areas, and opportunities for the protection, maintenance and regeneration of urban green space.

Keywords: environmental health; environmental policy; green space; public health; sustainable cities; urban environment.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

City Planning*
Climate Change
Communication
Humans
Trees*

Grants and funding

We acknowledge the HEAL (Healthy Environments And Lives) National Research Network, which receives funding from the NHMRC Special Initiative in Human Health and Environmental Change (Grant No. 2008937).