Money Saved
Perhaps not all parks can say that they saved the city $4 million dollars, but if a park is built rather than the Brazos bridge rebuild, Houston can claim this benefit!
Houston has a serious problem with car-on-car accidents, car-on-bike accidents, and car-on-pedestrian accidents. The Bagby, Smith, Holman, 59 entrance is a known safety hazard for all modes of transport. Redesigning this area would benefit drivers, bikers, and walkers.
Noise reduction
Everyone knows that city traffic brings a lot of noise with it. Trees, shrubs, grass, and other natural elements help dampen the city sounds and may bring new sounds like birdsong and insects buzzing. 2 feet of plant width can decrease noise by 4 db, increasing the plant width can decrease noise by more than 7 db.
Stress reduction
Check out this link! Parks and green spaces are widely known to reduce stress and have the potential to improve both mental and physical health.
Flood mitigation
Hawthorne and Bagby have flooded during every major rainstorm for years. Having more permeable ground and adding trees and grass would help to retain water and decrease runoff. Studies say that natural ground cover can reduce runoff rates from 50% to as low as 10%.
Keeping the area cool
Climate change is real. Texas is hot. Trees bring shade and parks can help reduce “heat islands” that are common in heavily paved areas. Parks can help Houston!
Air Quality
Tree canopies can physically trap air pollutants, and photosynthesis makes oxygen from CO2.