HOW GREEN IS THE METRO VANCOUVER REGION, REALLY: “By improving overall mental and physical health, urban greening also improves people’s resilience against extreme heat and wildfire smoke caused by climate change,” stated Melissa Lem, a family physician and president-elect of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (August 2022)
A view from space shows how green Metro’s cities really are, and how much green space has been lost to development this century. Vegetation fell most in areas that experienced significant growth and development since 2000. “Research shows that just sitting in nature for 15 minutes can significantly drop cortisol, the primary stress hormone, while sitting on a city street doesn’t improve it at all,” stated Dr. Melissa Lem. “Easy access to trees and green spaces improves a large number of health conditions across the lifespan, including increased physical activity, longer life expectancies and improved pregnancy outcomes.”