Cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside. Paved surfaces such as asphalt and concrete trap heat and release it at night. But as climate change worsens, this is becoming a real risk for residents.<\/p>\n
Researchers are racing to find ways to protect urban residents from rising temperatures and pollution. As recent research shows, there\u2019s no single fix<\/a> for urban heat. Different places need different solutions, from tree canopies to cool roofs to reflective pavements.<\/p>\n Taming urban heat doesn\u2019t necessarily require extravagant ideas such as air-conditioned footpaths<\/a>. Some of the most effective tools are simple adjustments to infrastructure we already have<\/a>, using nature to cool cities down with vegetation, soil and water.<\/p>\n One promising solution is hiding in plain sight: our tram tracks (particularly the many sections that run on their own corridors, separated from traffic). Cities around the world have been greening their tram corridors<\/a> by replacing concrete with grass or low vegetation.<\/p>\n The idea is not new \u2013 grass-covered tram tracks date back to Berlin in 1905<\/a> \u2013 but has seen a resurgence since the 1980s. And the results are surprisingly effective.<\/p>\n How does this work?<\/p>\n A green tram track replaces the usual concrete around tram rails with a layer of healthy vegetation. Many cities use grasses or species of sedum, a genus of drought-resistant succulents<\/a> able to survive in extreme conditions such as heat, low water and constant vibration.<\/p>\n The plants sit on a thin substrate designed to hold moisture and drain excess water, essentially turning part of the tram corridor into green infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n These systems are typically used on sections where trams run in their own corridor, rather than in lanes shared with general traffic.<\/p>\n Once in place, this simple system delivers multiple benefits:<\/p>\n Better stormwater management: Green tracks absorb and slow rainfall instead of letting it run straight into drains. Studies<\/a> show these systems can increase water storage by 50\u201370 percent, easing pressure during intense storms and supporting \u201csponge city<\/a>\u201d goals, even in relatively dense areas with limited open space.<\/p>\n Lower surface and air temperatures: Plants don\u2019t trap heat like concrete does. Thermal scans of green tracks show surface temperatures are roughly 10\u00b0C lower<\/a> during summer peaks.<\/p>\n Less noise and vibration: The plants dampen sound and vibrations from passing trams<\/a>, though this effect is modest.<\/p>\n Plantings along tram tracks can help trap dust and fine particles<\/a> on busy corridors, and provide a small boost to local air quality.<\/p>\n Even these narrow strips of green tracks help biodiversity by creating continuous habitat for insects and acting as ecological connectors<\/a> between parks, nature strips and street trees.<\/p>\n Then there are the aesthetic benefits<\/a>. In many cities, residents have reported that they prefer the softer, greener look<\/a> of these tracks.<\/p>\n Where are these tracks?<\/p>\n Green tram tracks are now found in dozens of cities across Europe<\/a> and beyond.<\/p>\n Greening is popular. A study of Warsaw residents found more than 90<\/a> percent viewed their city\u2019s green tracks positively, rating them around five times more favourably than conventional paved track.<\/p>\n A Swedish study<\/a> found a similar pattern. Residents described the grassed tram track as beautiful, calming and a clear improvement over a hard, traffic-dominated corridor.<\/p>\n Municipal staff, however, were more cautious. They acknowledged the visual and environmental benefits but worried about long-term maintenance costs and whether the model could be scaled across the network.<\/p>\n How much does it cost?<\/p>\n Installing a green track usually costs more than a bare concrete slab. But there are ways to keep costs down.<\/p>\n Grass needs mowing, watering and occasional replanting, which makes councils understandably nervous about ongoing budgets.<\/p>\n Sedum succulents have much lower maintenance needs and can need little or no irrigation once established. This reduces lifecycle costs even if the initial planting is more expensive.<\/p>\n Studies comparing grass and sedum tracks have found the long-term maintenance burden is much lower for sedum<\/a>, while the main visual and environmental benefits are largely preserved.<\/p>\n Can this work in Australia?<\/p>\n Australia experimented with the idea of green tram tracks well before many other countries. Almost 20 years ago, Adelaide installed a small-scale grassed track<\/a> as part of the Glenelg tram extension. While small, it is now considered<\/a> an early example of using a nature-based solution in railways.<\/p>\n Sydney now boasts a much more substantial example. The Parramatta Light Rail has more than a kilometre of green track<\/a>, using sedum plantings. This makes Australia\u2019s largest and most modern installation<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a good start. But there\u2019s much more that could be done. Australia has about 339km<\/a> of tram and light rail. Melbourne has more than 250km, making it the largest network<\/a> in the world. And more tracks are being built<\/a>.<\/p>\n Green tram tracks can\u2019t be installed everywhere. They can\u2019t be planted where tracks are built into the road and where cars, trucks and buses would run over them. They need a protected, stable track bed with no heavy traffic.<\/p>\n Much of Melbourne\u2019s tram network runs along long medians and dedicated corridors, such as St Kilda Road<\/a>, where tracks are already separated from traffic and could easily support green tracks.<\/p>\n In recent years, Sydney has expanded<\/a> its light rail network through the CBD and out to the east and west. Canberra<\/a> and the Gold Coast<\/a> run modern systems designed with separated trackbeds, exactly the conditions where green tracks thrive.<\/p>\n Green tram tracks are not a silver bullet for urban heat. But they offer something rare in transport infrastructure: a visible, popular, nature-based upgrade able to cool streets, manage water, relax neighbourhoods and improve how a city looks and feels.<\/p>\n As Australia invests billions in new tram and light rail lines<\/a>, the benefits of green tracks are too significant to ignore.<\/p>\n This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a> by Milad Haghani<\/a>, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne<\/a> and Ryan Keenan<\/a>, Honorary Senior Research Fellow; Principal Consultant, Positioning Insights, The University of Melbourne<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cities are hotter than the surrounding countryside. 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