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Effects of urban vegetation on climate, air pollution and health Volume 14, issue 6, November-December 2015

Authors
1 Association pour la prévention de la pollution atmosphérique
Comité régional Nord-Pas-de-Calais
235, avenue de la Recherche
59120 Loos
France
2 Réseau national de surveillance aérobiologique
Le Plat du Pin
69690 Brussieu
France
3 Université de Lille
Faculté des sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques
Laboratoire des sciences végétales et fongiques (LSVF)
E.A. 4483 « Impacts de l’environnement chimique sur la santé humaine »
3, rue du Professeur-Laguesse
B.P. 83
59006 Lille cedex
France
* Tirés à part

Cities concentrate multitudinous sources of air pollution. The surfaces and layouts of both buildings and streets contribute to urban heat islands. Air pollution and heat have deleterious health effects. It is necessary to rethink today's city to offer its inhabitants a healthy and sustainable environment. Vegetation is an essential part of the strategy developed towards this goal. It also has disadvantages, however, and its use cannot be improvised. The main objectives of this article, which relies on recent studies, is to provide an update on the effects of city vegetation on urban climate, air pollution and health, but also to show the limitations of these studies in providing recommendations for change. Thus, vegetation helps to reduce urban heat island effects and, to a lesser extent, to capture some pollutants. The studies, however, are often based on models and are difficult to transpose. Diversified vegetation offers the greatest environmental and health benefits, although care must be taken concerning the allergenic potential of new plantings.