Have you ever wondered how green your street is compared with the rest of Chiswick, or London as a whole? The Data Science Campus at Office for National Statistics is experimenting with a new way of analysing cities for their green credentials.
The percentage of greenery in a given street is calculated using Google Street View images and assigning a category to every pixel. Categories include vegetation, cars, pedestrians, buildings and sky.
The initial results are from Cardiff and Newport, and show the Welsh capital is marginally greener than its neighbouring city. Across Cardiff, on average, the streets have 13% greenery visible from the road. In Newport, the average street has 12% greenery. The analysis is planned to be rolled out across the UK, informing our understanding of the environment and its value.
Not only are more trees and green spaces aesthetically desirable, but urban greenery can help improve health by removing air pollution. Vegetation also helps to cool cities down, combating the common issue of urban heat islands where buildings and roads radiate heat.
Explore the data using this
map.
