MANTUA, Italy—From Athens to Melbourne and Seoul to New York, major cities are increasingly turning to trees to help defend against heatwaves and floods, and to boost people’s physical and mental health, urban officials and environmental experts say.
South Korea’s capital, Seoul, recently planted more than 2,000 groves and gardens, while Melbourne, Australia, plans to nearly double its canopy cover to 40 percent by 2040. Meanwhile, Athens is looking at planting more trees to lower temperatures and protect the Greek capital from sudden downpours.
