Parks Cool Neighbourhoods and Cut Pollution Hundreds of Metres Beyond Their Boundaries

In a study published in City and Environment Interactions, researchers used high-frequency monitoring to assess how parks influence air temperature, particle pollution and noise levels.   

The team carried out tests in and around Stoke Park, the largest park in Guildford, Surrey, consisting of 52 hectares of grassland, trees and gardens. The findings showed that PM10 pollution levels – airborne particles and liquid droplets that are 10 micrometres or less in diameter – were more than 11 per cent lower inside the park during the morning compared with nearby built-up areas. Morning temperatures were also reduced by 6.5 per cent.  

Throughout the day, temperatures inside the park consistently stayed several degrees cooler, with neighbouring areas feeling the effects. For every 100 metres travelled away from the park edge into built-up streets, temperatures warmed by more than half a degree, up to 300 metres beyond the park boundary. 

Noise pollution also dropped steadily with distance from roads, decreasing by 5.41 decibels (dB) inside park areas – enough for most people to perceive a noticeable difference in noise.

"Our work shows that parks can bring measurable cuts in heat, pollution and noise both inside parks and across surrounding neighbourhoods. This provides stronger evidence for planners and policymakers looking to design healthier and more climate-resilient towns and cities."— Professor Prashant Kumar, Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability, Professor and Chair in Air Quality and Health; Founding Director, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE)

The study also showed that tree-shaded and grassland areas significantly improved thermal comfort. Tree cover and grassland reduced Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) – a measure of how hot conditions feel to the human body – by as much as 8.5 °C compared with nearby built-up streets. 

This is proof that the benefits of parks extend far beyond their boundaries. Shaded areas with trees particularly improved thermal comfort during hotter periods of the day.

“Cities are having to adapt more and more as the climate continues to warm, so understanding exactly how parks improve environmental conditions can help guide more effective urban design. — Soheila Khalili, Postgraduate Research Student

The research provides an integrated, fine-scale assessment of how urban parks perform under real-world summer conditions. The findings have direct implications for urban planning and policy, offering new evidence on the effectiveness of parks in mitigating urban heat, pollution and noise while helping cities become more climate resilient. 

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