LIFE TreeCheck

Temperatures in large cities tend to be several degrees higher than in the surrounding countryside - enough to make residents uncomfortably hot, especially in summer. Hard infrastructure such as roads and concrete paving also adds to the challenge of flooding and drainage. 

LIFE TreeCheck aimed to minimise this urban heat island effect by planting trees and grassland, as well as restoring rivers and public swimming areas. Green and blue infrastructure - composed by  trees and lawns in the streets, parks, gardens, plants on roofs and building facades, public fountains, lakes and rivers - are essential for making our cities more liveable in the future. 

During its four-year implementation, the LIFE TreeCheck project has clocked up some impressive results. As well as the LIFE TreeCheck app which enables residents to discover the most cooling trees in their neighbourhood, green and blue infrastructure was introduced across eight cities in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary, benefitting a combined population of more than 4.4 million citizens. 

Meanwhile Tree Check PRO is an online programme designed to help city planners and urban designers to search for specific trees, bushes or green areas and find out how they contribute to cooling new public spaces and buildings. The software predicts the cooling value of a tree over time, both in terms of its performance and the amount of money it could save over three, five and 20 years. 

LIFE TreeCheck has also created a database of best practice featuring 158 separate projects which makes it “a piece of cake to find an interesting solution for your own house or an entire municipality and its surroundings.” As part of its Green Oasis programme, it also made 128 mini-grants to community groups to create better public spaces. 5,666 people were involved in planting the Green Oases, 22 educational events were arranged and more than 500 people were trained. 

More information.