The Great Trinity Forest is a wooded urban park located on the southern outskirts of the densely urbanized area of south Dallas, Texas, and is recognized as the largest urban forest in the United States. Today, Tijuca is the largest urban forest in the world and attracts around 2 million visitors a year. But in the midst of the seemingly unspoiled natural environment in the middle of one of Brazil's main urban centers, it is still possible to see the hollow shells of ranch houses that the young forest has not yet fully claimed. Dallas has tons of beautiful and incredible parks, but none have been a better kept secret than this forest just outside the main city.
Great Trinity Forest is North America's largest urban forest with 6,000 acres, all owned by the City of Dallas. Being so massive, there's a small chance you'll see someone else and it guarantees you'll have incredible, uninterrupted views everywhere. Our capital is full of trees. In fact, although it may not always seem like it, London is so full of foliage that it is technically a forest.
That's according to a United Nations definition that states that a forest is any place that contains at least 20 percent of trees. But it's not just real forests that make London a forest, it's everything else. Unlike other cities (Paris, for example), London has a lot of trees and greenery right in the heart of the metropolis. Think about Hyde Park or Regent's Park to start.
Or Hampstead Heath, Richmond Park and Clapham Common further to the confines of the capital. Then there's the land around estates, private gardens, London's iconic squares, 900,000 street trees and outdated “edges” such as railway embankments and roadsides as well. In fact, a whopping 47 percent of this city is made up of green and blue spaces. But the impact of trees on our well-being is even greater than that.
A study published in June showed that just a two-hour dose of nature each week significantly increased people's mental and physical health. And while it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking that this means mini-breaks in the Lake District, it turns out that even short trips to city parks can improve people's mood up to four hours later. And that doesn't even mention the joy of sitting under a cooling awning on a hot day (although that may seem quite distant in our current cold climate). But it is the Jacaranda that has become synonymous with Joburg.
While Pretoria may be unofficially known as the city of Jacaranda, with more than 70,000 trees lining its streets, it is Johannesburg that has the most Jacaranda trees, with the first tree planted on Charlton Terrace in Doornfontein in the early forties. London's 3000 parks offer a wonderful dose of nature, making the city one of the greenest urban centers in the world. They are critical to cooling the urban heat island effect, potentially reducing the number of unhealthy ozone days affecting major cities in peak summer months. Dallas, Texas On the southern outskirts of the densely urbanized area of south Dallas, Texas, is a wooded urban park called the Great Trinity Forest.
While Johannesburg may not be the “largest artificial forest in the world”, it can still be said to be the “largest artificial urban forest”, with more than 10 million trees. This distinction is a celebration of their creativity and sustainability in creating healthier urban spaces. This has led to Sacramento's urban forest being one of the most lush in the nation, with trees covering 20% of the 100 square mile city. Some sources claim that the largest artificial urban forest in the world is in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Johannesburg, South Africa Some sources claim that the world's largest artificial urban forest is in Johannesburg, South Africa. This urban rainforest within the city limits is an absolute gem to explore, and there are plenty of activities and monuments to visit within the park. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Tijuca National Park, established in 1961, is arguably the largest urban forest in the world. From the top of Rio de Janeiro's imposing Corcovado Mountain, at the foot of the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue, the tall urban centers perfectly hidden along the coast are dwarfed by the rugged natural horizon.
Established in 1961, the extensive Tijuca National Park is arguably the largest urban forest in the world. In 1961, the urban rainforest was declared a national park and, since then, it has become a popular destination in Rio de Janeiro. . .