Urban tree planting
- Cities are planting more trees along streets and in parks to improve liveability
- Trees provide shade, reduce the “urban heat island” effect, and can improve mental well-being
- Benefits: cooler streets in summer; improved air quality; better water absorption during heavy rain
- Challenges: young trees often fail without regular watering; roots can damage pavements; some species trigger allergies
- Good practice: choose suitable species, plan maintenance budgets, involve local communities in care
Tree survival after three years (new planting programmes)
| City | Country | Survival rate after 3 years | Average summer high (°C) |
| Barcelona | Spain | 68% | 30 |
| Manchester | United Kingdom | 82% | 21 |
| Athens | Greece | 61% | 33 |

