A better version for shade and city beautification is to force trees around/within the parking lot.

▲ Kodiack 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I love seeing trees in more places, but for parking lots in particular they do have some downsides compared to solar panels. They often require more space; they attract birds that that poo on vehicles; and there’s a higher risk of collateral damage during windstorms. Not to mention that solar panels directly produce electricity, of course.

We absolutely should see more trees in many cities, but they introduce their own challenges in parking lots, especially if they’re placed retroactively.

▲

markerz 7 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> they attract birds that that poo on vehicles

I think this is a tree density problem. Most cities have a small number of trees, and they’re almost always over cars. These are trees that line streets and parking lots. Without trees, birds just have telephone poles and wires, which are also over the cars.

In San Francisco, we have a lot of trees on most of our streets, and many parks small and big, all full of trees. This means birds spread themselves out everywhere, not just over cars.

I think the true barrier to getting more trees is that individuals tend not to want to pay for and maintain trees. This includes caring for the tree, trimming it when it gets bigger, and cleaning the pollen, leaves, fruits, and branches that fall.

▲

sulplisetalk an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Don't try to make sense on Spacker News... they wouldn't lear.

▲

adrianN 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If you don’t want trees near parking cars that essentially prevents trees in cities, since cities are practically one big parking lot.

▲

SecretDreams 8 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> they attract birds that that poo on vehicles

The city can simply introduce lizards to manage to bird issue.

▲

rglullis 7 hours ago | parent [-]

But then what are they going to do with the Gorillas? Are winters in Korea that cold?

▲

SecretDreams 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Nighttime temps of -10c, I think we've got this locked! If not, send the saja boys after them.

	▲	aaronbrethorst 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yes, but then who hunts the Huntr/x?

▲ jmward01 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

More trees often means less density which leads to worse cities. There is a place for trees, but 'more is better' is not true, especially around a parking lot which has already dropped the density massively. A parking lot is a city dead zone. Trees next to that will just expand that dead zone. It is like in the US where there are ornamental 'parks' at huge intersections. Nobody goes there. They didn't help. Same with parks around government buildings. SF is a great example of wasted space due to this. Generally, you need to minimize parking areas massively and then pack as much city next to them as possible to make up for the services they robbed. In the places where you actually do have exceptionally dense city then you can think about patches of green strategically placed. Getting a diverse, ecosystem like, city is the right approach but there is no hard and fast rule to get there.

▲ jltsiren 10 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Trees can cause a lot of trouble if you don't give them enough space to grow. "Enough space" depends on the kind of the tree, but it's typically similar to a parking space. You can mandate trees, but then you'll get less parking.

▲ dialogbox 7 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

That's not possible in most of the parking lots of South Korea. It's extremely dense and no space for big enough trees to shade cars.

▲ ErroneousBosh 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Why not both?

	▲	aziaziazi an hour ago \| parent [-]
		They both are in competition for surface exposed to the sun. The mall’s parking lot near my place used to have trees. When they installed the solar panel shaders last year they cut down all of them.

▲ Mawr 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

An even better version is to do away with the parking lot part and just have the trees.

	▲	blitzar an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		Touch a parking lot doesn't have the same ring to it.
	▲	sulplisetalk an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Meowr! /s

▲ fouc 8 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

A couple other comments warned of bird poop danger. But the smart entrepreneur will add a drive thru car wash next to the parking lot.

▲ gonzo41 8 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

People always end up petitioning for them to be cutdown because tree litter inevitably falls on cars. The best solution for cars is dense multistory parking.

▲

kijin 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Dense multistory parking underground.

In South Korea, you usually don't see parking lots the size of several football fields like in the U.S., even around venues that generally attract a lot of cars, even in suburban areas. Instead, there are several stories of parking lots under every large building. Above-ground space is simply too valuable to waste on parking.

Unfortunately, you can't install solar panels underground.

	▲	ErroneousBosh 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		> Dense multistory parking underground. I sometimes forget there are parts of the world where you can go more than about a metre down without breaking out the Kango hammer.

▲ yearolinuxdsktp 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Tree shade means bird poop danger.

▲ ProllyInfamous 10 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I recently built a 400sqft porch on my semi-urban duplex.

Two birdnests have set up shop, both in my rafters (one on CCTV). My ceilinghooked bicycle will be decommissioned for this summer's nesters.

Unfortunately, being the only porch/shade: the cats are also prowling... figuring out the rooftop connections.

#PoopPorch2026

▲ zzzoom 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Imagine considering some bird poop staining the paint dangerous instead of the air pollution that's slowly killing you.

▲ XorNot 9 hours ago | parent [-]

[flagged]

▲ defrost 9 hours ago | parent | next [-]

  If gasoline engines burned their fuel as efficiently as possible, they would produce three by-products: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N2). 

  Unfortunately, engines do not run perfectly, and as a result, they also produce three by-products commonly referred to as the "terrible trio" of automotive pollutants. This trio includes the following:

  *  Carbon monoxide (CO) – An odorless, tasteless, poisonous gas, carbon monoxide can cause a variety of health problems and even death. Many urban areas experience critically high levels of carbon monoxide, especially during the cold winter months when engines take longer to warm up and run cleanly

  *  Unburned hydrocarbons (HC) – Responsible for causing a variety of respiratory problems, unburned hydrocarbons can also cause crop damage and promote the formation of smog

  *  Oxides of nitrogen (NOX) – Like unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen cause respiratory problems and promote the formation of smog

* https://www.walkerexhaust.com/support/exhaust-101/exhaust-ga...

▲ ceejayoz 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Take a nice big sniff. CO2 and water are odorless.

▲ kulahan 9 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Have you ever seen an inversion? It’s crazy to imagine anyone who has, to end up thinking “maybe that shit-brown cloud stuck over the city is fine”.

	▲	wybiral 9 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Currently in Korea where the AQI is close to 200. Can confirm. Granted most of that is probably coal power plants and stuff but... All the more reason for more solar.