How Central Park is home to an environmental research centre

Researchers will use Central Park as a centre for studying climate change and the role of urban parks in the environment. Photo: AFP

What roles do parks play within cities? What place remains for nature in the urban environment and how is it changing with global warming?

New York City is seeking to answer these questions by launching the Central Park Climate Lab, a place devoted to the study of adaptation strategies for the heat island phenomenon and to climate change more generally, in the city's iconic green space: Central Park.