Banuelos: Accommodating urbanization needs to be greener for our health

One day on my evening walk, I noticed new signs stapled to beautifully flowering trees lining the VTA light rail. The plan? Better infrastructure and direct public transit to Eastridge Mall. The impact? The removal of eight mature trees, noise pollution and no new construction in sight.

In truth, the trees were removed in the heat of the summer, and months later the sidewalk and existing road verge were being demolished and replaced with seemingly more concrete — no replacement of trees in sight. Even so, the trees have begun to resprout in the median strip as the work failed to remove the trunk.

While the city and VTA have extensive plans to connect Eastridge to BART, it should not be at the expense of the natural elements we need the most. Unfortunately, this is not just personal preference. The lack of green space in urban neighborhoods is taking a toll on our the health of our children and communities.

Across the Bay Area, and especially in impoverished neighborhoods, more and more of our trees, parks and safe outdoor spaces are diminishing. However, research shows exposure to green spaces for adults and children is necessary for physical and mental health. Epidemiological evidence reveals the benefits of green space on mental health extend from teens to adults. Additionally, green spaces improve the health of adults by lowering blood pressure and risk of type 2 diabetes, improving cardiovascular health, reducing obesity and mortality rates, and overall are associated with a longer life.

The lack of green spaces also leads to community health hazards, which include extreme heat and heat islands. Urban areas with paved surfaces and buildings tend to lean hotter than non-urban and greener regions, creating heat islands. The warmest neighborhoods in San Jose and those with the lowest levels of canopy cover are the same neighborhoods with the highest level of poverty and home to the highest levels of Latino and Asian residents. Without canopy cover, temperatures can be 10 degrees higher compared to areas with more cover. For more sensitive populations like young children and the elderly, this can harm their overall health and well-being. In this case of a lower income and minority community, we see trees and green spaces as expendable and sacrificed for development projects.

Investing in the green spaces of all communities should be a public health priority. Community members should be able to pinpoint community gardens, accessible parks and safe areas for gathering, all within walking distance of their homes. This will not only improve the mental and physical well-being of people, but will also improve air quality.

We should not wait four years for more trees to be planted near a new light rail stop. While we prioritize public transportation, it is also possible to prioritize green spaces through innovative ways in their development. We need to advocate for areas where our children can play safely, where we can host family gatherings and where we can take an evening stroll in the community with each other, regardless of whether the area we live in is of high or low socioeconomic status.

Dalliana Banuelos is a master of public health student at San Jose State University.