Green Infrastructure Fights Urban Heat in Canadian Cities

Canadian cities face rising temperatures as climate change intensifies the urban heat island effect. Built-up areas, full of concrete, asphalt, and steel, heat up far more than surrounding rural landscapes.

Learn more in the in-depth article by Lark Researcher Denis Koshelev: Innovative Approaches to Mitigating Urban Heat.

University of Alberta research found that Edmonton’s surface temperatures have climbed as much as 12°C above nearby rural regions in the past two decades. Toronto expects a tripling of extremely hot days, even in low-carbon scenarios, underscoring the urgent need for solutions.

Green Infrastructure: Nature’s Cooling Power

Cities across Canada are increasingly turning to green infrastructure as a cost-effective and sustainable solution. Green roofs, trees, and restored waterways can lower average temperatures by 0.3–1.3°C, according to research in Toronto. These cooling effects occur through evapotranspiration as plants release water vapour that absorbs heat, and shading, which blocks solar radiation from heating city surfaces.

• Toronto’s Green Roof Bylaw has led to more than 500 installations, while its forest management plan aims to increase tree canopy coverage from 28% to 40% by 2050. Urban forests provide cooling benefits valued at more than $389 million annually, as shown in a comparable study from Louisville, Kentucky.

• Vancouver has taken a different but equally innovative path. The city has begun daylighting buried creeks and streams, restoring water flows that provide evaporative cooling while also improving aesthetics and biodiversity.

• Montreal has adopted a multi-pronged strategy, including lighter, reflective pavements and a massive tree-planting campaign. Its Urban Forest Action Plan (PAFU), launched in 2012, aims to raise tree cover from 20% to 25% by 2025, with a commitment to add 500,000 new trees by 2030.

  
  

Why Urban Heat Matters

These projects demonstrate that urban nature is not a luxury but essential infrastructure. Trees, parks, and waterways reduce dangerous heat, improve air quality, and make neighbourhoods more livable. As cities across Canada invest in greening strategies, they create a model for how urban areas worldwide can adapt to rising temperatures.

The first wave of solutions shows immense promise, but experts agree that tackling the urban heat crisis will require even more ambitious and integrated approaches.