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Medellín's urban forest miracle

Medellín's urban forest miracle

Medellín transforms its urban landscape with green corridors, showing the world how to beat urban heat.

Peter Yeung reports for Reasons to be Cheerful.

In short:

  • Medellín's Green Corridors project has significantly lowered the city's temperature by planting trees and creating green spaces.
  • This initiative has not only cooled the city by 2°C in three years but also improved air quality and increased biodiversity.
  • The effort was led by the community, with support from city officials, and is seen as a model for other cities facing the heat island effect.

Key quote:

“Medellín grew at the expense of green spaces and vegetation. We built and built and built. There wasn’t a lot of thought about the impact on the climate. It became obvious that had to change."

— Pilar Vargas, a forest engineer working for City Hall

Why this matters:

Medellín's success in cooling its urban environment demonstrates a sustainable way to tackle the urban heat island effect, improving living conditions and health outcomes. As cities worldwide grapple with rising temperatures, this Colombian city's approach offers a blueprint for urban resilience and environmental stewardship.

Be sure to read about Tucson's ambitious tree planting goal aims to improve the health of residents, wildlife, and the watershed.

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