A research conducted by the Bluesky International, an aerial mapping company, has identified the most desired places to live in London, based on maximum tree cover.
Using the National Tree Map data that provides accurate height, location, and canopy coverage data for trees as tall as three meters or more, the Bluesky has revealed the happiest places to live in London.
“Often referred to as the ‘lungs of the planet’ trees, it has a pivotal role in capturing and storing carbon and providing massive benefits to the environment and our health. They also contribute to cooling our cities and prevent flooding through interception and absorption,” commented Ralph Coleman, Sales Director at Leicestershire-based Bluesky.
“But what this research reinforces is the importance of trees on our mental wellbeing with the two sets of data showing a strong positive correlation between canopy cover and happiness,” he added.
What does the research show?
The research also showed a direct correlation between happiness and the ‘greenest’ London Boroughs. This was done by comparing its unique database of more than 3 million trees with the results of Rightmove’s annual Happy at Home Index.
Bluesky has revealed that London’s leafiest boroughs with tree cover rates of over 26% are Barnet, Camden and Richmond-upon-Thames, whereas at the other end of the green scale are Barking and Dagenham, Newham and Tower Hamlets scoring between 8-12%, accounts for the lowest levels of tree cover in London.
The Rightmove Happiness at Home Index 2021 asked circa 21,000 residents how they felt about where they lived. It ranked 10 happiness factors including friendliness, community spirit, whether people feel like they can be themselves, opportunities locally to develop skills, amenities, including schools, restaurants, shops and sports facilities, and access to nature and green spaces.
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Technology of mapping trees
The Bluesky launched the National Tree Map 11 years ago to address the issues of building subsidence for the insurance sector. It is created using innovative algorithms and image processing techniques, from the most up-to-date aerial photography covering the whole of Great Britain and Ireland.
It captures data including measurements of height and canopy cover and is widely used by a number of different industries and sectors, such as local authorities, energy companies, property developers and academic and research organizations investigating the role of trees and green spaces and their impact on health, environment and infrastructure.
Data from Rightmove’s most recent Happy at Home Index puts Richmond-upon-Thames in second place across the whole of Great Britain and, for the seventh consecutive year, top of the list of the most desirable places to live in the capital.
Conversely Barking and Dagenham, on the lower end of the tree cover spectrum, came in last behind Brent and Newham, and in the bottom half of all areas of Great Britain that were surveyed.
