The world is rapidly urbanizing. And it’s rapidly warming. And one of the places it’s warming the most is in our cities, as a result of the urban heat island effect. But there’s a way to combat this problem, and it’s seems pretty simple — at least at first: just plant more trees.
Mehdi Heris is an assistant professor in Urban Policy and Planning at Hunter College in New York, where his research is focused on how to impact urban ecosystems through policy. And several of his recent studies are focused on the beneficial impacts of implementing urban green infrastructure in cities around the world.