New housing subdivisions, smaller yards and a dependence on air conditioning have resulted in a 30 per cent decline in Australian residential trees in the past decade, leading to hotter neighbourhoods and increased energy costs.
New housing subdivisions, smaller yards and a dependence on air conditioning have resulted in a 30 per cent decline in Australian residential trees in the past decade, leading to hotter neighbourhoods and increased energy costs.
The dramatic loss of suburban trees has led to UniSA environmental researchers calling for new national planning policies to mandate the inclusion of trees in any development or housing design.
Qualified architect and UniSA PhD candidate Mina Rouhollahi says a recent study of 90 Australian residential suburbs shows tree-inclusive gardens and yards provide up to a 30-metre buffer around each land unit during summer heatwaves.
“Deciduous trees, in particular, provide summer shade, while their bare branches allow heat to penetrate into the house in winter,” Rouhollahi says.
Read more at: University of South Australia
Photo Credit: rConceptz via Pixabay
