Less Claritin, More Allergy-Free City Parks?

Researcher points the way to breathing easier in urban green spaces.

Researchers looking at how public space landscaping affects allergy sufferers studied Garcia Lorca Park in Granada, Spain. (Photo by Ikimashoo)

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Park lovers prone to allergies could have a way to enjoy outdoor public spaces without heavy medicine doses. Researchers from the University of Granada in Spain assessed trees in Granada’s 10 largest green spaces and found that some were setting off sneezy misery more than others. Pollen allergies are high in the city.

Led by botany professor Paloma Carinanos, an allergy sufferer herself, they studied how plants in urban green spaces influence the air quality of the area and health of residents. According to a press release about a study they published last month in the Journal of Environmental Quality:

What the researchers found was surprising. Many of the most common trees in Granada were among the trees causing unhealthy or hazardous air quality. Carinanos also found it surprising that the design of these green spaces thought about landscaping, climate, and fashion criteria, but didn’t think about pollen problems.

From their findings, the researchers have made suggestions for planning future green spaces. Their recommendations are to make sure that all citizens can enjoy the great outdoors with clear eyes and dry noses. Carinanos says that in the future, urban green spaces “will become ‘comfort islands’ inside ‘urban heat islands.’” She wants to make sure these comfort islands are “for all citizens without exception.”

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Marielle Mondon is an editor and freelance journalist in Philadelphia. Her work has appeared in Philadelphia City Paper, Wild Magazine, and PolicyMic. She previously reported on communities in Northern Manhattan while earning an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University.

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Tags: urban planningparkshealth

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