Taiwan is planning more urban forests to make its cities cooler and easier to walk

Anyone who has stepped out of a Taipei MRT station in July and immediately felt their soul leave their body will appreciate this one: Taiwan is preparing a 10-year urban forest plan to add more shade to its cities, starting with Taipei and New Taipei. The proposal, expected to be presented to President Lai Ching-te at the National Climate Change Committee on April 30, is part of a broader push to treat trees as climate infrastructure, not just decorative landscaping.

The timing makes sense. Taipei summers are already hot, wet and increasingly brutal, with daytime highs in June to August often around 32–35C, plus humidity that can make a five-minute walk feel like a personal attack. Officials say the goal is simple: commuters should one day be able to leave an MRT station and reach work, shops or public spaces without trudging across long stretches of exposed pavement. For travellers, that translates to a city that is easier – and far less sweaty – to explore on foot.

The plan will prioritise native tree species, avoid planting in places where trees are unlikely to thrive, and may even introduce a tree “ID card” system so officials can digitally track each tree’s condition over time. Taipei has already identified four urban heat hot spots for extra planting: Wanhua, Shilin, Neihu and the East District. They were picked for good reason: these areas combine dense traffic, heavy development and relatively poor shade coverage, from Shilin’s night-market bustle to Neihu’s concrete-heavy tech corridors.

This is also about liveability, not just optics. Taipei’s greening strategy is shifting away from simply counting green space and towards canopy cover and shading effect, with a stated aim of reducing heat-island intensity in targeted areas. If successful, the model could later extend to other Taiwanese cities such as Taichung and Kaohsiung, which are also grappling with heat-trapping geography and dense traffic.

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