Medellín’s Green Revolution: How a City Beat Extreme Heat With Trees

Facing rising temperatures and increasing urban heat, Colombia’s Medellín city adopted an innovative solution by bringing nature back into its streets. Under the Green Corridors programme, the city planted nearly 880,000 trees and 2.5 million shrubs and plants across roads, parks, riverbanks and public spaces, creating a greener and cooler environment.

Launched in 2016, the initiative developed 30 green corridors that provide shaded pathways for pedestrians and cyclists while reducing heat absorbed by concrete surfaces. Studies showed that temperatures in these green areas dropped by up to 5°C, with average temperatures decreasing from around 31.6°C to 27.1°C between 2016 and 2019.

The programme also helped improve air quality, restored habitats for birds, butterflies and insects, generated around 2,600 landscaping jobs and encouraged cycling by making city roads more comfortable. Today, Medellín’s green infrastructure model is being recognised globally as an effective way to tackle climate change and extreme heat.