Tag: Land Cover

Trees and lawns beat the heat

sarah JonasResearch Results

To mitigate heat in light of climate change, city planners are replacing artificial surfaces with vegetation cover. In water-limited regions, they have to balance the benefit of cooler temperatures with conserving water. A University of Utah study found that mixed landscapes are the best way to mitigate the heat island effect in semi-arid regions.

Land Development in New Jersey Continues to Slow

sarah JonasResearch Results

Land development in New Jersey has slowed dramatically since the 2008 Great Recession, but it’s unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to fight societal and housing inequality will affect future trends, according to a Rutgers co-authored report. Between 2012 and 2015, 10,392 acres in the Garden State became urban land. That’s 3,464 acres a year – far lower than the 16,852 acres per year in the late 1990s and continuing the trend of decreasing urban development that began in the 2008 Great Recession.