Seasonal allergies: a clear example of bad urban planning
This article is also available here in Spanish.

Seasonal allergies: a clear example of bad urban planning

My list

Author | Eduardo Bravo

The reasoning seems simple: if respiratory allergies are mainly caused by pollen, people suffering with them should avoid the countryside during the pollen season and move to the city. However, despite what logic suggests, this is not the case.

Pollution, the effects of climate change on the flowering time of trees, the bad choice of species in cities or their incorrect distribution in different urban spaces have resulted in the **percentage of people affected by allergies in cities being three times higher than that in rural environments.

Are allergies worse in cities?

The answer is yes. According to the professionals, although all plants pollinate, not all plants trigger allergies. To do so, that pollen has to reach the airways, a process that is facilitated by the atmospheric conditions of urban environments.

The main reason for this are vehicle exhaust fumes that degrade air quality, making the pollen remain in the air for longer. Furthermore, according to allergists, the small size of diesel particles facilitates their entry into the airways, bringing about the allergic reaction.

This combination has contributed to the increased allergenic power of pollen in recent years, to the extent that some experts already call this new variety super pollen and predict that within the next few decades, more than half of the European population will suffer from some form of allergy.

The worst cities for people with allergies

The need for fast-growing trees in cities has resulted in the species being planted also producing the most pollen. This defective urban planning strategy in terms of gardens, in addition to high levels of pollution, has led to the following cities being the worst in the world for pollen allergies:

  • Moscow: the Russian capital has an abundance of poplars. Each Spring, this tree generates pukh, a type of fluff that covers the streets until it creates a white blanket that looks like snow and which easily reaches the airways.

  • London: the capital of the United Kingdom is one of the worst cities in the world for people living with allergies due to its landscape practices. Specifically, the vast numbers of birch trees can be a real problem, increased by the fact that traditionally only male (pollinating) trees have been planted, since they create "less mess" by not depositing seeds.

  • **Tokyo: **the cherry blossom festival is an important event in Japan. The problem is that these trees, together with the cypress or the rice plant, trigger allergies, which affect the economy as well as health. In 2018, it was estimated that the country lost 1.8 billion dollars due to pollen-induced allergies.

Solutions

Apart from the discomfort associated with allergies, the danger with these types of ailments is that they lead to other more serious ones such as asthma. Therefore, measures need to be taken to improve air quality in cities. For example, the use of bicycles and public transport should be encouraged, the use of private vehicles should be reduced, and people should shop locally and control energy wastage.

In the particular case of people with allergies, recommendations include avoiding contact with pollen. It is therefore not advisable to exercise outdoors during risky days, keep windows shut at home or at work, use different clothes inside and outside and use protective masks.

Images | Cenczi, Pandapotter, Essuera, Alicja

Related Content

Recommended profiles for you

KG
Klelia Guerrero García
Fudela
Field officer
DR
Diego Felipe Ramirez Lopera
Cruz Roja Colombiana Seccional Cundinamarca y Bogotá
Analista de Bienestar y Calidad de Vida
AB
Antonio Bastos
Ventimila
CEO, Architect and Urbanist, inventor/ Ventimila
MM
Muhammad Muhammad
UIN Ar-Raniry
As a student in my university
TE
truls Engstrom
bolder AS
R&D manager
JK
Jane Katz
Global Urban Development
Board Vice Chair and Washington DC representative /GUD
KF
Karla França
National Confederation of Municipalities CNM
Analyst (CNM), Ph.D, in Geography and Researcher at University of Brasilia UnB/Brazil.
NH
Nicolas Hawa
UHasselt
MSC candidate in Strategy & Innovation Management\\nSocial Innovation in Public Private Partnerships
AR
Andrea Rosen
INFARM
Head of Smart City
BG
Beatriz Guijarro-Turégano
Freelance
Head of data analytics in Liquen Data Lab. PhD candidate in urban anthropology.
LV
Laura Valdés
Metropolis
Research and Communications Officer
TV
Tracy Vaughan
Embassy of Canada in the Hague
Trade Program Assistant
IQ
Irfan Qalamkar
Sorbonne
ICT Services Lead
KK
Karolina Kashkanova
La Salle Ramon Llull University
Student
JE
Juan Manuel Escobar DiazGranados
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Sport diplomacy / public diplomacy advisor
GS
Gabor Csaba Sooki-Toth
University of Gyor
Assistant Professor
PM
Paulo Messori
Municipalidad de la Ciudad de Córdoba
Director de Escrituración Social
RD
robert de nmiguelmoyer
rwdmm
founder
FV
Frans-Anton Vermast
Amsterdam Smart City
Strategy advisor & international smart city ambassador
CV
Cindy Vargas
Smartl
Founder