60sec doc - Urban Interventions Transform City Streets

Planting more trees in European cities could reduce heat deaths by 40%

 

 Urban greening can really save lives, a study has found. Planting more trees in European cities could reduce heat deaths by 40%. By providing shade for people, pavements, and buildings. Researchers looked at 93 European cities, with an average tree cover of 15% (That means the percentage of the city covered in trees). They found that increasing tree cover to 30% would lower average temperatures by 0.4°C. Hot weather can produce an ‘urban heat island’ effect in cities with a lack of greenery, which is when asphalt, steel, and concrete absorb and retain heat, pushing the ambient temperature to dangerous highs. Watch the video to learn more about how urban greening can help tackle the urban heat island effect in cities. #urbangreen #trees #hotweather #heatwaves #plantingtrees

4min 32sec clip - 'Urban Explorers' Visit Abandoned (in 1970's) Hotel

An @ONS interactive graphic - Population increased in #1961 #rural districts - Explore 1961 area population size compared with #2011 (1961 boundaries)

Text from source post "the cities of Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield and Bristol - Of those six urban centres, five also saw the biggest reductions in the proportion of the population of England and Wales they were home to between censuses. The city of Birmingham, as it was defined in 1961, went from housing 2.4% of the population to 1.7%. Places that saw an increase in population proportion between censuses were generally areas that in 1961 were classed as rural districts. As cities spread, people moved and the New Towns were built, some of these previously rural districts became more urbanised." Source = this @ONS post

Comparing countries in #Europe: life expectancy, #employment rate, access to passenger flights, urban or rural, GDP

This European Commission report  - Investment for Jobs & Growth - from July 2014 has some interesting comparative maps and graphics covering Europe.  ( I found the report via @conradhackett  )

Its the 6th report on economic, social and territorial cohesion. 

As reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged I've included below some of the maps that caught my eye.  The report has loads more that might interest you - so its worth a quick skim

Life expectancy: darkest brown = 77 deepest green = 85 - for EU 2011 & USA 2010

Employment rate for 20 to 64 yr olds: green = higher, brown = lower  - as at 2013

Access to passenger flights: red = most, green = least  - as at 2012

Urban or rural: predominantly urban = red, predominantly rural = green

GDP (PPS) per head:  red = lowest, green = highest  - as at 2011

church urban fund - what they are about #cuf @churchurbanfund