In Dallas as in Phoenix, People Look to Trees for Relief from Urban Heat Islands
by Brandon Loomis
Originally published on AZcentral.com
Few neighborhoods in America need trees more than South Oak Cliff, a sun-blasted shade desert in this rapidly warming Texas city.
Like much of Phoenix, the south-side Dallas district lacks sufficient shade for comfort during summer and safety during heat waves, when temperatures can climb as much as 11 degrees higher than parts of the city where the shade cover is greater.
Despite South Oak Cliff's leafy name, big shade trees are relatively scarce along its streets. In this part of Dallas, the canopy, a measure of areas covered by trees, is one-third as dense as it is in the city overall, and neighbors say the trees that do exist are aging and falling over in storms.
Dallas ranks just behind Phoenix on the list of fastest-warming urban heat islands, metropolitan areas where heat-absorbing concrete and asphalt push temperatures higher during the hottest months.
These islands of urban development contribute to a steady rise in temperatures and can intensify heat's deadly effects, focusing the worst of it on inner cities and neighborhoods where residents can least afford to seek relief.