Urban vegetation can have an astounding effect on local air quality, and given that the urban heat island effect can kill well beyond the borders of a particular city, simply cooling down our city centers has immense benefits.
So it's good news indeed that Louisville, in decidedly red-state Kentucky, is getting serious about tackling its urban heat island effect through increased urban forestry, as well as efforts to promote reflective surfaces and green roofs.
Reported on as part of its What Works series on urban innovation, Politico Magazine has an inspiring profile of Louisville's re-greening efforts. Among the measures taken, the city has established a tree commission, it has spent $115,000 on a tree assessment, it has hired a sustainability director and an urban forester and, perhaps most importantly, the city has worked with individuals, companies and community groups to plant more than 12,000 trees in and around Louisville's urban core.
