<
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230922-how-medellin-is-beating-the-heat-with-green-corridors>
"Moisés Castro has worked selling fruits at a stand on Oriental Avenue, a
street in Medellín, for more than 30 years.
He remembers a moment decades ago when the local government knocked down the
trees lining the street as part of a traffic project.
Today, Oriental Avenue is still a typical large street filled with traffic and
local commerce. But in a reversal of the previous decisions on local greenery,
the area is now also covered with large fruit trees, shrubs and flowers. Castro
says both the local air quality and temperature have improved.
The temperature here feels enjoyable all year and noticeably fresher than other
areas in the city that do not have green cover. Bicycle paths line the streets
and pedestrians rest on benches in the shade.
Sometimes referred to as the "City of Eternal Spring", Medellín's temperate
climate has long helped attract tourists all year round, but increasing
urbanisation had also exposed it to the urban heat island effect, where
buildings and roads absorb and retain heat. Its new green corridors, however,
have proven remarkably effective in reversing this impact, with a 2C
temperature reduction across the city, according to local government data seen
by
BBC Future Planet.
Medellín, Colombia's second largest city after Bogotá, started its "green
corridors" programme in 2016 due to concern about air pollution and rising
heat. Composed of more than 30 green corridors, it connects newly-greened road
verges, vertical gardens, streams, parks and nearby hills. Initially the
project involved planting some 120,000 individual plants and 12,500 trees on
roads and in parks, with 2.5 million new smaller plants and 880,000 trees
planted across the city by 2021. The idea was to connect green spaces in the
city together through avenues and streets surrounded by trees and shade. The
initial investment to establish the project cost a total of $16.3m (£13.2m) and
annual maintenance cost $625,000 (£504,000) in 2022, according to the local
government.
The project has now become well-known around the world due to its striking
results in cooling the city. As well as reducing heat, experts say it holds
promise in improving air quality and that it has brought back wildlife to the
city.
At a time of rising concern about heatwaves linked to climate change,
especially in cities, where the urban heat island affect can increase
temperatures even more, Medellín's approach to green corridors offers a
low-cost, popular solution which other cities are increasingly looking to
replicate. Could it be a model for a climate-resilient city of the future?"
Via
The Fixer September 27, 2023:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/california-plant-based-climate-friendly-school-lunches/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
