Environmental

Green infrastructure adds many positive environmental benefits to surrounding areas. A main benefit is the reduction of air pollution. Less air pollution leads to a decrease in health risks, such as respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer. More greenery also lowers the temperature of Urban Heat Islands through shading, leading to a less loss of life during heat waves. This is directly linked to a lower need for energy to cool buildings.

Air Pollution is associated with indirect health effects and abnormal levels of mortality and morbidity among urbanites. Urban open green spaces play a significant role in decreasing air pollution as they intercept atmospheric particles and absorb different gaseous pollutants. A study done by the Department of Architecture at the Islamic Azad University showed that the pollution removal depends on the amount of tree cover, the duration of in-leaf season, and the meteorological effects on the trees (Rakhshandehroo et al.) .

The Department of University of Belgrade in Serbia studied the effect of 5 different roadside green spaces. They found that mean air temperature reduction over 2 years ranged from 1.8 to 2.2 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature reduction is important in the decrease in need for air conditioning leading to a decrease in energy usage (Stojanovic et al.) .