Why is public/green space important?
Casey Trees will be participating (for the second year in a row) in the PARK(ing) Day movement, and wanted to give you a little insight into our interest in the event. We wanted to answer a few of the questions we knew you were sure to have about it – so today we’ll be addressing the underlying issue behind PARK(ing) Day: “why is public/green space important?”
PARK(ing) Day was designed as a way “to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat.” Granted, the pop-up parks are only temporary, but their purpose as a methodology for showcasing the capacity of only a few feet of space is easy to see.
Casey Trees has talked about this issue itself, many times and in many ways, but never more clearly than in it’s Green Issues Briefs: a collection of nine briefs on the benefits of incorporating green elements (vegetation, natural areas, etc.) into the urban environment and recommendations for how to do so as the District grows and redevelops.
There are a variety of things that green spaces do for cities and their inhabitants:
- Provides cooler temperatures that make pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit riders much more comfortable.
- Creates a natural draw outside that helps to deter delinquency and crime, through stronger neighborhood ties.
But what is at the center of these green elements, and the PARK(ing) Day movement? Trees, and their battle with impervious surfaces. It is trees that create the biggest effects, and whose presence is the most important throughout green spaces.
By reducing temperatures and increasing shade, trees reduce the level of smog and help children, the elderly and asthmatics (who suffer when ozone levels are high). Trees trap hundreds of thousands of tons of carbon in the District, as well as reduce energy demand for air conditioning (which results in fewer greenhouse gases). Street trees block wind, reduce glare and provide a barrier between vehicles and pedestrians. Roadside trees and landscaping act as traffic-calming devices, reducing driver speeds and accidents, and alleviating driver stress. Trees can significantly increase the selling price of residences, and can decrease the effects of stormwater runoff through slowing and capturing rainfall, trapping pollutants and reducing sediments in local waterways.
Though PARK(ing) Day doesn’t provide permanent solutions to city needs for more public/green space, it does force the conversation – and we hope you’ll come out to ours on Friday and lend your voice!
Remember, we’ll be at the corner of 12th & G Streets NW (located near the Metro Center and Macy’s) between 8 am and 6 pm on Friday, September 21st. Be sure to check back with us tomorrow for more information on what our space looked like last year, and the plans we have for this year’s space!
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