Trams need Trees

Sunday we voted on the referendum. My voting station is in the neighborhood of San Lorenzo. Originally a working class neighborhood, it eventually became trendy in part because of its nearness to La Sapienza University.

This is via dei Reiti Sunday morning. It looks desolate and demanding. We are experiencing very high temperatures in Rome at present so standing out in the sun waiting for a tram is not a pleasant experience. It made me think of the Tuscan countryside where there’s often a tree in the middle of a field to provide shade for the animals. So when its hot, they all huddle together under the tree to share the shade.

A floral canopy of Bougainvillea provides shades for those waiting on the tram (via dei Reti, Rome)

And Sunday morning, just like those Tuscan animals, people waiting for the tram were huddled together under an enormous bougainvillea to protect them from the harshness of the sun. But not all neighborhoods are the same. For example, the bourgeois neighborhood known as Coppède has a lot of green making waiting for a tram a lot easier.

A tram stop across from a shaded parking area (via Chiana, Roma)

A bus stop on via Chiara is much kinder than that of San Lorenzo. A strip of land with big shady trees splits the street in two offering shade not only to people walking down the street but also providing shade for parked cars. It’s also more aesthetically pleasing.

The green interior of a Roman tram with few people

On the tram.

Via Gaetano Moroni in Rome with many trees providing soothing shade — the trees of Via Gaetano Moroni

This is via Moroni in the Piazza Bologna area. It’s a street I had to walk down for several weeks and the trees made the walk a pleasant experience.

Viale Regina Margherita in Rome at a tram stop. The street Is lined with trees.

This is the tram stop on viale Regina Margherita across from the church Santa Maria Addolorata a Piazza Buenos Aires. It’s not difficult to imagine all the difference these trees make during the summer.

Photograph of the church Santa Maria Addolorata in Rome — Santa Maria Addolorata

Trees make life easier. They can help reuce urban heat by 5-10 degrees. But trees offer much more than shade. Having green spaces in the city provides various positive benefits. For example, studies show that green spaces help to reduce stress (thus helping to reduce blood pressure as well). Green spaces also help to reduce noise pollution.

The wealthier areas of the city seem to be greener. Now we can imagine why.