Can we have density, and great access to nature? Can challenging canopy targets for heatwave protection, often around 30-40% of all land cover, be met in neighbourhoods that are expanding their apartment housing with infill development?
This study explores the evidence. Tree canopy cover is often lower in dense areas than in suburban neighbourhoods, but not always - and the dropoff isn't as sharp in some cities as in others. In this presentation, we will show how density and canopy are related in 20 cities, ranging from New York to Melbourne to Munich. We show that density can coexist with greenery, and explore the ways that streetscapes and private properties contribute to greenery as density changes. Our study offers hope for nature-friendly 'gentle density', and offers insights into how we might do density better by following the positive examples we identify.