The importance of greenery in cities: trees reduce thefts and robberies.

It's not just an environmental issue. There are not only aesthetic benefits. No, greenery in the city, and for this reason we do nothing but urge the planting of trees everywhere in urban areas, it also increases the safety of citizens. And it improves their mood, to the point of fighting the trough , solitudeOn the other hand, there is no place for greater human relationships, for a community, than a public park or a garden.

IMPORTANCE OF GREEN SPACES IN THE CITY

Greenery will save us, or at least we hope so. Until now, we knew the environmental benefits of trees in cities: they clean the air, provide shade, improve aestheticsWe knew, for example, that one hectare of forest eliminates 15 tons of particulate matter per year. But now international research is revealing new and unprecedented qualities of city parks, leading to a different interpretation of urban greenery. The Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence has presented some studies with surprising new findings. Trees are a valuable deterrent against petty crime, robberies and pickpocketing, and thus represent a safeguard for the safety of citizens.In Melbourne, where administrators have managed to plant up to three thousand trees a year, the homicide rate has dropped to 3,1 per 100 inhabitants, against a world average of 6,2. Lime trees, plane trees, oleanders, palm trees, dandelionsTree-lined avenues help combat stress and depression.

ALSO READ: The intelligence of plants: this is how they think and defend themselves from pollution.

SAFER CITIES THANKS TO GREEN SPACES: EXAMPLES

A research carried out in London showed that in neighborhoods with the highest density of tall trees, the use of antidepressant drugs drops by 20 percent. The real estate market immediately absorbed this data, and home values ​​in tree-lined areas further increased. Japan, a country where melancholy is almost endemic, as in the film Lost in Translation, the government has funded, with four million dollars a year, studies to determine the effects of the Shinrin Yoku, or a sort of immersion in the parks, as a preventative medicine for the psychological balance of the population. From here it has been certified The anti-stress and anti-depressant effects of greenery in the city, linked to a basic scientific principle: In fact, tree foliage releases volatile substances, monoterpenes, which can positively influence our immune system.. As it is demonstrated that in areas with tree-lined avenues the road accidents They are significantly lower than those in neighborhoods without greenery. The reason? Drivers surrounded by greenery relax, don't floor the accelerator, aren't in an obsessive hurry, and slow down. That is, they drive with the necessary caution when driving in the city.

URBAN GREEN SPACE TO PREVENT THEFT AND ROBBERY

The new watchword, for administrators and landscape architects, is becoming the verb “to vegetate”, or exploit any portion of space to widen the tree networks. "We're discovering a new frontier of greenery in cities, with elements previously undervalued or even ignored. We love the color, aesthetics, and decor that come from vegetation, but we must also consider broader benefits, and the indicators of well-being and self-reported happiness that increase where parks grow and are frequented."explains Stefania De Pascale, full professor of Horticulture at the Federico II University of Naples. A prime example of the strong relationship between the population and trees is Stockholm, where 45 percent of residents visit a park at least once a week. With an important side effect: suicides in the Swedish capital continue to decline.

VALUE OF TREE IN THE CITY

In addition to these discoveries, there is also the potential, both urban and economic, of a policy of urban design based on increasing the number of trees planted in the area. Cities are home to just 5 percent of known plant species, and therefore have enormous room for growth to accommodate a greater share of biodiversity. It is no coincidence that vegetable gardens and urban agriculture are multiplying, includingapiculture on rooftops; green spaces are increasing and are being handed over to citizens' associations who manage them; the architecture of skyscrapers and large buildings with vertical greenery has become fashionableConcrete, in short, is surrounded by plants. Economically, the European horticultural sector covers an area of ​​210 hectares, with a turnover of nearly 3 billion euros. And for once, Italy isn't at the bottom of the list: 12 percent of these areas are located in our country, and we're third in the ranking after the Netherlands and Germany.There's a lot of talk about the Italian agricultural economy, which is tied to wine and vineyards, but we forget that the floriculture sector provides over 100 jobs in our country." Professor De Pascale reminds us. And even if we don't want to imitate Melbourne, where all trees are listed by age and condition, we can certainly increase the amount of investment in urban greenery. Knowing that it will not only provide us with the pleasure of a look, a visual treat, but also the chance to avoid a psychiatric bill.

TRULY GREEN-FRIENDLY CITIES:

• Trees, the people plant them. Alone. In India, 66 million trees were planted in 12 hours (photos)
• Trees adopted by neighborhood residents: agreements are multiplying in Italy. Hurray!
• Tree-lined cities: the 5 most beautiful in the world. With dreamy avenues, parks, and gardens (Photos)