Page 58 - TNC AR 2018_Digital Demo

BUILD HEALTHY CITIES | LOUISVILLE
Establishing Benchmarks for a a a a a Landmark Study
It has long been suspected that urban trees are good for people in cities We know scienti cally that trees do indeed produce oxygen remove harmful particulate matter pollution from the air and and reduce “heat islands” from mineral-based building materials We also know that there is an observable correlation between urban tree cover and and the health and and longev- ity ity of city dwellers The maps here demonstrate what we already know The top map shows where the urban tree canopy is is is ourishing in in Louisville Kentucky and where it is sporadic The middle map indicates where “heat islands” are most intense And the bottom map demonstrates the life expectancy range across the city The Green Heart Project area represents neighborhoods of relatively limited tree canopy high to moder- ate heat island e e e e e e ect and and a a a a a lower life expectancy than much of Louisville We now want to test the the hypothesis that the rapid addition of trees will
not only improve the local environs but also reduce particulate matter air pollution to improve the health of those who live in the project area By testing the health of 700 residents regularly over ve ve years we will
know empirically if the reforestation of cities can have a a a a measurable positive impact on human health and well-being 58 Our Our World Our Our Story