Environmental benefits and impacts of greenspace development

Findings and Recommendations

Scientific evidence suggests that the UK will be subjected to warmer and wetter winters, hotter and drier summers, rising air temperatures, increased storminess and heavier rainfall. These factors may contribute to an increased risk of significant pollutant linkages forming where greenspaces have been established on regenerated land.

Tree have been shown to take up more atmospheric pollution than other types of vegetation because of their large leaf area and increased air turbulence around them. To understand how urban and peri-urban trees and greenspace can improve air quality, an the PUrE Software Platform has been created (Cleall, et al, 2009),. Modelling of pollutant indicates that some tree species indeed have a net beneficial effect, while others may not, particularly under some extreme climatic conditions.

Development of Methuselah, a strategy for monitoring the impacts of urban greenspaces.