Texas Trees, Alliance Data and American Forests Conduct Urban Heat Island Study to Understand the Effects of Trees, Paved Surfaces and Buildings on Temperature and Air Quality in Dallas County

Alliance Data, and Texas Trees Foundation, in conjunction with American Forests, the oldest national conservation organization in the United States, teamed up to implement the urban heat island study in Dallas County, which identifies where the region is experiencing high urban heat island temperatures and the associated effect on air quality, and where greater tree canopy coverage could mitigate the issue. The study also uncovered that Dallas is the second largest city in the country that is warming the fastest, which means hotter nights and even hotter days. Within the urban heat islands, the hottest areas in the city, average 101 for more than five months out of the year. The study is serving as a catalyst for developing a strategy to promote tree canopy policies and long-term funding support with local government, civic and non-profit organizations.

A more detailed breakdown of the study's results can be viewed in this presentation by Dr. Brian Stone, Georgia Institute of Technology, who helped make the study and it's data a reality. The full report will be available this summer.