Vol. 81 No. 1 (2026)
Articles

Urban greenery and air quality in Florence

PDF (Italiano)
  • Jacopo Manzini ,
  • Elena Paoletti,
  • Barbara B. Moura ,
  • Pierre Sicard,
  • Beatrice Sorrentino ,
  • Yasutomo Hoshika
Jacopo Manzini
Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
Elena Paoletti
Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo 90133, Italy.
Barbara B. Moura
Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo 90133, Italy.
Pierre Sicard
ACRI-ST, 260 route du Pin Montard, 06904 Sophia-Antipolis, Francia
Beatrice Sorrentino
National Agency for New Technologies, Energy, and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), CR Casaccia, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy.
Yasutomo Hoshika
Istituto di Ricerca sugli Ecosistemi Terrestri (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo 90133, Italy.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1194

Published 2026-04-02

Keywords

  • air quality,
  • green infrastructure,
  • human health,
  • pollution,
  • urban greening.

How to Cite

Manzini , J., Paoletti, E., B. Moura , B., Sicard, P., Sorrentino , B., & Hoshika , Y. (2026). Urban greenery and air quality in Florence. L’Italia Forestale E Montana, 81(1), 3–15. https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1194

Copyright (c) 2026 Jacopo Manzini , Elena Paoletti, Barbara B. Moura , Pierre Sicard , Beatrice Sorrentino , Yasutomo Hoshika

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Billions of people are exposed to levels of urban pollution that exceed regulatory standards for health protection. Urban greenery can certainly reduce the concentrations of major air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3), although the choice of tree species plays a prominent role. The FlorTree model was developed for species selection. FlorTree classified 221 species considering stomatal absorption of NO2 and O3, dry deposition of PM, and O3 formation potential due to the emission of volatile organic compounds. A web APP was developed for evaluating the best species for ameliorating urban air quality. Based on these results, a small urban forest of lime, elm, maple, and cypress trees was planted in the municipality of Florence to quantify, using specific sensors, the actual removal of pollutants by the vegetation. Two-year monitoring showed a reduction in NO2, O3, and PM below the canopies. Compliance with the 3-30-300 rule (3 trees visible from your own apartment, 30% tree cover nearby your apartment, 300 meters of distance to green spaces) was also verified in Florence. Results show that approximately 37% of buildings do not meet any criteria, clearly demonstrating the need for new urban greening to improve air quality and human health. Florence tree cover is about 17% (for trees that are >3m tall) or 30% (when including shrubs and meadows), and can remove dangerous pollutants from the air. If Florence tree cover is 30%, 57 premature deaths for air pollution would be prevented every year relative to the year 2019.

PDF (Italiano)

References

  1. Abriha-Molnár, V. É., Szabó, S., Magura, T., Tóthmérész, B., Abriha, D., Sipos, B., & Simon, E. (2024). Environmental impact assessment based on particulate matter, and chlorophyll content of urban trees. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 19911. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70664-4
  2. Afifa Arshad, K., Hussain, N., Ashraf, M. H., & Saleem, M. Z. (2024). Air pollution and climate change as grand challenges to sustainability. Science of The Total Environment, 928, 172370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172370
  3. Astell-Burt, T., & Feng, X. (2020). Urban green space, tree canopy and prevention of cardiometabolic diseases: A multilevel longitudinal study of 46 786 Australians. International Journal of Epidemiology, 49(3), 926–933. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyz239
  4. Berger, M., Bastl, M., Bouchal, J., Dirr, L., & Berger, U. (2021). The influence of air pollution on pollen allergy sufferers. Allergologie Select, 5(01), 345–348. https://doi.org/10.5414/ALX02284E
  5. Cheng, X., Van Damme, S., & Uyttenhove, P. (2021). A review of empirical studies of cultural ecosystem services in urban green infrastructure. Journal of Environmental Management, 293, 112895. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112895
  6. Ciccarese, L., Rastelli, V., Iovino, F., & Piovesan, G. (2025). Regolamento dell’Unione europea per il Ripristino della Natura: Considerazioni per la sua attuazione nel settore forestale. L’Italia forestale e montana, 80(3), 135–159. https://doi.org/10.36253/ifm-1182
  7. Donzelli, G., & Suarez-Varela, M. M. (2024). Tropospheric Ozone: A Critical Review of the Literature on Emissions, Exposure, and Health Effects. Atmosphere, 15(7), 779. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15070779
  8. Fang, J., & Lechowicz, M. J. (2006). Climatic limits for the present distribution of beech (Fagus L.) species in the world. Journal of Biogeography, 33(10), 1804–1819. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2006.01533.x
  9. Fitzky, A. C., Kaser, L., Peron, A., Karl, T., Graus, M., Tholen, D., ... & Rewald, B. (2023). Same, same, but different: Drought and salinity affect BVOC emission rate and alter blend composition of urban trees. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 80, 127842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127842
  10. Fitzky, A. C., Sandén, H., Karl, T., Fares, S., Calfapietra, C., Grote, R., ... & Rewald, B. (2019). The Interplay Between Ozone and Urban Vegetation - BVOC Emissions, Ozone Deposition, and Tree Ecophysiology. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 2, 50. https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2019.00050
  11. Grylls, T., & Van Reeuwijk, M. (2022). How trees affect urban air quality: It depends on the source. Atmospheric Environment, 290, 119275. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119275
  12. Hoshika, Y., Osada, Y., De Marco, A., Peñuelas, J., & Paoletti, E. (2018). Global diurnal and nocturnal parameters of stomatal conductance in woody plants and major crops. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27(2), 257–275. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12681
  13. Iungman, T., Cirach, M., Marando, F., Pereira Barboza, E., Khomenko, S., Masselot, P., ... & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2023). Cooling cities through urban green infrastructure: A health impact assessment of European cities. The Lancet, 401(10376), 577–589. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)02585-5
  14. Jiang, B., Cai, Y., Shi, Y., Zhai, Q., Huang, H., Peng, L., & Zhan, J. (2026). Characterization, sources, and driving factors of particulate matter (PM) pollution in a desert hinterland city: Insights from Hotan, China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 161, 209–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2025.10.024
  15. Jyethi, D. S. (2016). Air Quality: Global and Regional Emissions of Particulate Matter, SOx, and NOx. In U. Kulshrestha & P. Saxena (Eds.), Plant Responses to Air Pollution (pp. 5–19). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-1201-3_2
  16. Kondo, M. C., Mueller, N., Locke, D. H., Roman, L. A., Rojas-Rueda, D., Schinasi, L. H., ... & Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J. (2020). Health impact assessment of Philadelphia’s 2025 tree canopy cover goals. The Lancet Planetary Health, 4(4), e149–e157. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30058-9
  17. Konijnendijk, C. C. (2023). Evidence-based guidelines for greener, healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods: Introducing the 3–30–300 rule. Journal of Forestry Research, 34(3), 821–830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-022-01523-z
  18. Lelieveld, J., Evans, J. S., Fnais, M., Giannadaki, D., & Pozzer, A. (2015). The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale. Nature, 525(7569), 367–371. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature15371
  19. Liang, D., & Huang, G. (2023). Influence of Urban Tree Traits on Their Ecosystem Services: A Literature Review. Land, 12(9), 1699. https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091699
  20. Lopez, M. A., Marco, A. D., Anav, A., Sorrentino, B., Paoletti, E., Manzini, J., ... & Sicard, P. (2025). The 3–30–300 rule Compliance: A geospatial tool for urban planning. Landscape and Urban Planning, 261, 105396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2025.105396
  21. Manzini, J., Hoshika, Y., Carrari, E., Sicard, P., Watanabe, M., Tanaka, R., ... & Nicese, F. P. (2023). FlorTree: A unifying modelling framework for estimating the species-specific pollution removal by individual trees and shrubs. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 85, 127967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127967
  22. Massagué, J., Torre-Pascual, E., Carnerero, C., Escudero, M., Alastuey, A., Pandolfi, M., ... & Gangoiti, G. (2024). Extreme ozone episodes in a major Mediterranean urban area. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 24(8), 4827–4850. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-4827-2024
  23. Merilo, E., Jõesaar, I., Brosché, M., & Kollist, H. (2014). To open or to close: Species‐specific stomatal responses to simultaneously applied opposing environmental factors. New Phytologist, 202(2), 499–508. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12667
  24. Mori, J., Fini, A., Galimberti, M., Ginepro, M., Burchi, G., Massa, D., & Ferrini, F. (2018). Air pollution deposition on a roadside vegetation barrier in a Mediterranean environment: Combined effect of evergreen shrub species and planting density. Science of The Total Environment, 643, 725–737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.217
  25. Nguyen, D. H., Lin, C., Vu, C. T., Cheruiyot, N. K., Nguyen, M. K., Le, T. H., ... & Bui, X. T. (2022). Tropospheric ozone and NOx: A review of worldwide variation and meteorological influences. Environmental Technology & Innovation, 28, 102809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2022.102809
  26. Nieuwenhuijsen, M. J., Dadvand, P., Márquez, S., Bartoll, X., Barboza, E. P., Cirach, M., ... & Zijlema, W. L. (2022). The evaluation of the 3-30-300 green space rule and mental health. Environmental Research, 215, 114387. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114387
  27. Percival, G. C., Keary, I. P., & AL-Habsi, S. (2006). An assessment of the drought tolerance of Fraxinus genotypes for urban landscape plantings. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 5(1), 17–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2006.03.002
  28. Shahriyari, H. A., Nikmanesh, Y., Jalali, S., Tahery, N., Zhiani Fard, A., Hatamzadeh, N., ... & Mohammadi, M. J. (2022). Air pollution and human health risks: Mechanisms and clinical manifestations of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Toxin Reviews, 41(2), 606–617. https://doi.org/10.1080/15569543.2021.1887261
  29. Sicard, P., Agathokleous, E., Anenberg, S. C., De Marco, A., Paoletti, E., & Calatayud, V. (2023a). Trends in urban air pollution over the last two decades: A global perspective. Science of The Total Environment, 858, 160064. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160064
  30. Sicard, P., Agathokleous, E., Araminiene, V., Carrari, E., Hoshika, Y., De Marco, A., & Paoletti, E. (2018). Should we see urban trees as effective solutions to reduce increasing ozone levels in cities? Environmental Pollution, 243, 163–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.08.049
  31. Sicard, P., Agathokleous, E., De Marco, A., Paoletti, E., & Calatayud, V. (2021). Urban population exposure to air pollution in Europe over the last decades. Environmental Sciences Europe, 33(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-020-00450-2
  32. Sicard, P., Coulibaly, F., Lameiro, M., Araminiene, V., De Marco, A., Sorrentino, B., Anav, A., Manzini, J., Hoshika, Y., Moura, B. B., & Paoletti, E. (2023b). Object-based classification of urban plant species from very high-resolution satellite imagery. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 81, 127866. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.127866
  33. Sicard, P., Pascu, I.-S., Petrea, S., Leca, S., Marco, A. D., Paoletti, E., Agathokleous, E., & Calatayud, V. (2025). Effect of tree canopy cover on air pollution-related mortality in European cities: An integrated approach. The Lancet Planetary Health, 9(6), e527–e537. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(25)00112-3
  34. Torkfar, P., & Russo, A. (2023). Assessing the benefits of climate-sensitive design with nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation in urban regeneration: A case study in Cheltenham, UK. Sustainability, 15(22), Articolo 15855. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152215855
  35. Zaldei, A., Vagnoli, C., Di Lonardo, S., Gioli, B., Gualtieri, G., Toscano, P., Martelli, F., & Matese, A. (2015). AIRQino, a low-cost air quality mobile platform (EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, p. 6158). https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015EGUGA..17.6158Z
  36. Zhang, K., & Batterman, S. (2013). Air pollution and health risks due to vehicle traffic. Science of The Total Environment, 450-451, 307–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.01.074
  37. Zheng, Y., Lin T., Hamm N. A. S., Liu, J., Zhou, T., Geng, H., Zhang, J., & Zhou, Y. (2024). Quantitative evaluation of urban green exposure and its impact on human health: A case study on the 3–30–300 rule. Building and Environment, 247, Articolo 111005. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171461
  38. Zhou, X., Sampath, V., & Nadeau, K. C. (2024). Effect of air pollution on asthma. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 132(4), 426–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2024.01.017