Living Near Urban Trees Linked to Lower Heart Disease Risk

Living near trees in urban neighborhoods may reduce cardiovascular disease, while grassy areas show less benefit, according to new research. 

A multi-institutional study led by the University of California, Davis, analyzed more than 350 million street view images to assess the impact of different types of urban greenery on heart health. The research, published in Environmental Epidemiology, found that neighborhoods with higher percentages of visible trees were associated with a 4% decrease in cardiovascular disease (CVD), while areas with more grass or other green space types showed a 6% and 3% increase in risk, respectively.

“Our findings suggest public health interventions should prioritize the preservation and planting of tree canopies in neighborhoods,” says Peter James, Associate Professor, UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences, and Director, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health. “Urban forestry initiatives and policies that protect mature trees are likely to yield greater cardiovascular health benefits compared to investments in grass planting,” he adds.

The study linked neighborhood greenery data to nearly 89,000 women in the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, comparing the types and percentages of trees, grass, or other green space within 500m of participants’ homes to 18 years of health records. The association between higher tree coverage and lower cardiovascular disease remained consistent after adjusting for population density, air pollution, census region, and socioeconomic status.

Previous research supports these findings. A 2023 Australian study in Heart, Lung and Circulation analyzed ten years of linked health data from over 100,000 adults and found that a 10% increase in tree canopy within 1.6km of a household was associated with a 3% lower risk of all-cause mortality, as well as reduced CVD mortality and lower incidence of heart attacks. Open grassy areas, in contrast, showed no comparable benefits. 

Broader research, including meta-analyses of over 100 million individuals, indicates that surrounding greenery correlates with lower risk of stroke, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction. Trees and shrubs filter air pollutants, reduce noise and light exposure, and moderate urban temperatures. They also influence physiological pathways, lowering blood pressure, systemic oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers, while promoting physical activity, mental well-being, and social cohesion.

Researchers from UC Davis have noted that grassy areas and other non-tree vegetation may sometimes be associated with higher cardiovascular risk. Possible factors include exposure to pesticides, air pollution from mowing, and lower cooling and pollutant-filtering capacity compared with trees. This highlights the importance of disaggregating green space types when designing urban health interventions.

The implications extend to urban planning. Mexico City has prioritized urban forestry and biodiversity through initiatives such as the designation of six new Urban Forest Areas (UFAs), in 2024, the Biodiversity Monitoring Program, and partnerships with organizations like Ríos Tarango A.C. These programs involve reforestation, species monitoring, ecosystem restoration, and carbon capture measurements. The city’s protected ravines, urban forests, and linear parks demonstrate a model where ecological design directly supports human health, particularly cardiovascular outcomes.

In addition, Mexico City’s Ministry of Environment (SEDEMA) has developed a Biodiversity Monitoring Program to train staff in identifying fungi, lichens, and other species, reinforcing ecosystem management and monitoring in urban areas. Efforts to integrate community participation and scientific oversight are intended to sustain urban tree canopies, ensuring long-term benefits for both ecological and public health outcomes.

Technological and policy innovations complement these efforts. Eugen Reséndiz, Professor, Tecnológico de Monterrey, awarded the 2025 Nobel Sustainability Trust Award, highlighted the Global Observatory of Health and Sustainable Cities, which provides open-access tools for cities to evaluate health and environmental metrics. Programs like this support evidence-based urban planning that prioritizes tree canopy and green infrastructure for population health benefits. The observatory also launched the “Thousand Cities Challenge,” aiming to encourage cities worldwide to apply urban health indicators, focusing on sustainable and equitable green space strategies.

Expanding cardiovascular care infrastructure reinforces the link between prevention and treatment. In Mexico, IMSS opened a new hemodynamics unit at Hospital General Regional No. 1, increasing access to complex procedures like angioplasty and electrophysiology studies. The investment aims to reduce delays, improve patient outcomes, and complement preventive strategies, aligning with evidence that environmental interventions — such as tree planting — can mitigate risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and stress, which contribute to heart disease.

Corporate strategies also reflect the importance of cardiovascular health and environmental design. Experts at the Mexico Business Health Summit 2025 emphasized holistic employee well-being as a driver of productivity, retention, and business resilience. Companies integrating physical, mental, and environmental health into workplace programs report measurable benefits, echoing research that community-level interventions, including urban greenery, support heart health at scale. Organizations that invest in wellness initiatives see lower absenteeism, reduced healthcare costs, and higher employee engagement, demonstrating the economic as well as health benefits of proactive strategies.

Specific wellness strategies include embedding daily physical activity into work routines, offering on-site screenings and preventive health programs, and leveraging telemedicine and digital tools to monitor employees’ health metrics. “Insurance costs are skyrocketing and keeping them down is a priority. Prevention is essential to address this problem,” says José Manuel Bas, Human Resources Director, GNP Seguros. Data-driven approaches allow organizations to personalize wellness offerings and ensure active engagement, increasing the impact on employees’ cardiovascular health.

The convergence of urban forestry, biodiversity protection, healthcare infrastructure, and workplace wellness creates a holistic framework for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. By combining environmental interventions like tree planting with preventive clinical care and corporate wellness programs, cities can amplify the benefits of tree canopies on heart health, particularly for high-density urban populations.

“Heart disease has such an enormous impact that even small improvements through environmental interventions can have meaningful effects,” says Eric Rimm, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School. He adds that urban forestry offers a scalable approach to improving cardiovascular health beyond individual lifestyle choices.

As Mexico and other countries continue to urbanize, prioritizing tree planting and canopy preservation emerges as a public health strategy, with measurable outcomes for mortality, chronic disease, and quality of life. Integrating these efforts with corporate wellness programs and clinical interventions underscores a new paradigm: sustainable, health-conscious urban design benefits both people and cities.