• Landscaping is not only attractive but good for the environment.flower box image by Jennifer Giroux from Fotolia.com
  
  Unfortunately, public housing has some pretty unpleasant associations. Poverty, dirt and despair are all words that come to mind when someone mentions public housing. However, public housing does not have to be so bleak. Landscaping projects in such developments can bring color and happiness to a hopeless neighborhood. Landscaping brings additional environmental benefits as well. These benefits include decreasing air pollution, saving energy and providing a habitat and nutrition for wildlife.
  
  

Reducing Air Pollution

• The American Lung Association reported in May 2009 that six out of 10 Americans live in urban areas in which air pollution causes health problems. If more trees were planted in such areas, however, especially in public housing projects, air pollution levels would drop. In addition to making neighborhoods more attractive, trees absorb carbon dioxide, a common air pollutant. Trees use carbon dioxide for nutrition, and they release oxygen as a waste product. More trees equal more fresh air, which is always better for the environment.
  
  

Saving Energy

• Trees and shrubs act as more than just ornaments on lawns and in gardens. They can actually lower energy bills. Planting trees and shrubs in front of windows creates shade, while still allowing light into the home during the summer. In the winter, trees and shrubs reduce the amount of cold air entering the home. For the impoverished families living in public housing projects, lower energy bills are a godsend. When people use less energy to heat and cool their homes, the environment benefits.
  
  

Wildlife Habitat and Food

• With the right kinds of plants, public housing can attract wildlife as well as human residents. Plants, trees and shrubs can both shelter and feed various animals and insects. Trees provide a place for birds and their young to nest, while butterflies feed off of certain plants and flowers. The Earth thrives on biodiversity, so providing habitat and food for a wider variety of animals and insects impacts the planet positively. Moreover, encountering wildlife in public housing projects introduces the residents to the importance of preserving wildlife.