Central Park adapts to climate change while helping New York stay cool

New York’s Central Park – one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks – is experiencing heavier downpours, flooding and soil erosion, while prolonged heatwaves are putting pressure on the ecosystem as well as visitors. 

But the park also helps New York cope with the heat. It helps cool the city, clean the air, capture stormwater and gives people a place to escape the heat under the trees. The temperature in the park can be around 5°Celsius (10°F) lower than on surrounding streets, according to the Central Park Climate Lab.

“Central Park and urban parks are so much more than just recreation spaces,” said Yanina Kupava, a Director at the Central Park Conservancy. “They are vital urban green infrastructure.”

UN News visited Central Park on a hot summer day, just weeks before world leaders gather at UN Headquarters for the General Assembly’s General Debate. 

As politicians and experts discuss how cities can adapt to a warming planet, some of those solutions can already be seen just a few blocks away in the park.

Plants for a new climate

If the main challenge in the 1980s was restoring the park – which had suffered from years of neglect after the 1970s fiscal crisis – today the priority is to preserve its historic landscape in the face of a changing climate. 

The Park’s celebrated crabapple alleys, for example, have become one of its most spectacular sights in spring, when branches burst into white, pink and purple blossom. Park staff say the setting is so romantic that the number of marriage proposals there is “wild”.

But winters that are too warm could prevent apple trees from flowering altogether, while spells of warm weather in February can cause magnolias and cherry trees to bloom too soon.

“If they bloom too early then a late frost can really impact the trees,” Ms. Kupava explained. “And if we get milder and milder winters those trees might have trouble blooming and pollinating.”

Being located in the middle of a major metropolis places additional pressure on the park’s plants and wildlife. New York, like other densely built-up urban areas, heats up faster and retains heat longer than surrounding suburban and rural areas. 

The Central Park Conservancy, the body in charge of maintaining the park, is thus looking for plant varieties that may be better adapted to the new climate and is experimenting with plants from different climate zones. 

The challenge is a delicate one: adapting a landscape conceived in the 19th Century to 21st-Century conditions without allowing Central Park to lose the character that has made it recognisable around the world.

‘Not a leaf goes to waste’

At a working site in the northern part of the park, piles of leaves, weeds and other plant material – including food waste from staff facilities – are now being turned into compost. 

It is used to give plants the strength to cope with changing climatic conditions. It is also used to enrich garden soil, help restore heavily used lawns and to reduce surface runoff during heavy rain.

“We want all of that wonderful material to stay in the park for those nutrients to get returned back to the soil,” Ms. Kupava said.

The Conservancy now plans to expand the site so that even more material can be processed – keeping as much as possible out of landfill.

Saving every drop

Water conservation is another priority. 

New underground infrastructure will allow water to circulate between the water bodies in the northern section of Central Park, halting the need to continually draw potable water into the system.

“It’s not going to be something that is highly visible to the public, but the water savings to the city will be immense,” Ms. Kupava said.

At the same time, the Conservancy is gradually replacing petrol- and diesel-powered machinery with electric alternatives, from smaller power tools to larger mowers, tractors and even trash compactors. Functioning equipment is not simply discarded, but electric alternatives are considered as machinery needs to be replaced and suitable technologies become available.

A lesson for cities everywhere

Although the Conservancy’s work is centred on one park, its story offers lessons far beyond New York.

More than half of the world’s population already lives in cities, and by 2050 that figure is expected to approach 70 per cent. As temperatures rise and flood risks increase, urban green spaces are becoming ever more important.

“I think what other cities can take away is that long-term investment in their green infrastructure is critical. It really helps cities have a better environment in the day-to-day but also helps them be prepared for future climate and environmental change,” said Ms. Kupava.