Rather an unfortunate conclusion. The real conclusion is that trees make cities cooler but in certain circumstances the cooling is not quite as much as other instances but it is still major cooling.
When you have a result like this - trees cool cities - that has been proved so many times there is a temptation to find any slight differences, e.g. cooling is not quite so much in some cases and make that the big story.
We were out in the Canary Wharf, Bank Street and Underground station area yesterday - so much greening is taking place, not completed yet, but already they have numerous islands on the water for the bird-life - and many more trees with nesting boxes. At the moment there were just a pair of coots, the cormorants and geese were not to be seen. The swans seem to have gathered upstream on the river - it’s always a joy to see them flying past - I assume getting some exercise or maybe hoping to avoid being used for the Christmas song - how many swans a swimming are finally sent? There are probably are enough.
Looking to see what spring will bring.
The greenery looks very interesting although wonder about the roots and soil. Really they should have put this in when they were doing the buildings in the first place. Retrofitting probably gives less access to underground and risks more issues with services on the other hand there is the opposite effect in so many estates where there is greenery put in at the beginning but then slowly removed bit by bit my those maintaining it.
The worst thing the arty architects do is to plant jack hammer rooted cherry trees for there flower colour without regard for the pavement damage they do.
The other thing, which is actually done more often by councils and others maintaining the area, is to plant trees that never get to be more than very small. Then say how wonderful, there are trees, but they are not much taller and wider than people and provide almost no ecosystem services and may actually be an overall cost to the environment if doing a full lifecycle analysis.
There is a lot happening under the water. the Canary Wharf malls and links to other buildings - the Christmas Trees there are worth a visit. Then the Jubilee Line from the Station can’t be far below - it runs under the river to Canada Water. All really mindboggeling.
Yes there are all sorts of crazy things with roots in boxes and watering and feeding systems.