{
  "id": 5667127,
  "title": "Comparing green space for urban cooling, study",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/comparing-green-space-for-urban-cooling-study",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-04T23:23:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/comparing-green-space-for-urban-cooling-study/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Urban areas can become dangerously hot during extreme heat events, making it crucial for city planners to find ways to reduce temperatures and protect residents from heat exposure. A new study suggests that integrating green-blue infrastructure (GBI) into cities could be an effective strategy. GBI refers to land and water-based features that are designed to work together with the built environment to provide various benefits, such as wildlife corridors, flood mitigation, and cooling. Researchers from Guildford, a town in southeast England, studied six different types of GBI in the area: a woodland, grassland, lakeside area, vegetated green wall, small pocket park, and riverside location. To measure the effectiveness of these green spaces, the researchers installed sensors at each site and recorded temperatures at one-minute intervals between June 2023 and the end of August 2025. During this period, they compared the temperatures in each green space to a built-up area nearby. The study found that all six GBI sites were cooler than their built-up counterparts, with temperature reductions ranging from 1.81 to 2.49°C (3.26 to 4.48°F). The cooling effect was even more noticeable during extreme heat events. The woodland site, for instance, was found to be up to 6°C (almost 11°F) cooler than the surrounding built environment on the hottest days. Similarly, the riverside and pocket park areas were found to be 3.5°C cooler on average.",
  "summary": "Cities can become dangerously hot during extreme heat events, making it increasingly important for urban planners to find ways to reduce temperatures and protect people from heat exposure. Woodlands, grasslands, lakes and rivers can create significantly cooler microclimates, offering one potential way to reduce urban heat, a new study finds. The study focused on Guildford, […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}