Trees vs Parks - Pollution effectiveness

[sleeper7 4]

Lately I've been wondering which is more effective at reducing Pollution.

Is it better to place Parks or to plant Trees?

Does anyone know how much Pollution a Tree will eliminate?

I know the Park has other benefits (Cap busting and so forth) than just reducing Pollution.

I have an area that is getting a bit polluted that I've blanketed with Trees, but there's Commerial development in the area that needs a "jumpstart" from the Park/Plaza effect.

I'm worried that by replacing the Trees with a Park that I'll decrease the Pollution reducing effect.

I guess the Search function on here has been disabled, because I can't pull anything up with it, or I else I would have tried researching that way

I'd really like to know the answer to this if anyone's ever investigated it.

Thanks.

[3dpuzzlemaster 20]

Well, I don't know which is better, but, the search function does work and does not work sometimes. It is kind of odd, or just check parks & recreation section.

[MTA3479 0]

Well, in ways of spsce trees win, and over time one tree will grow alot, and I've found they do help out pollution alot. I'd say parks are more for recration and trees are for the enviroment, but that's me.

[ArchangelMichael 51]

@sleeper7 -- I wouldn't bother trying to use parks to eliminate pollution.  Typically, one tree will remove 3 "pollution units" (exactly what that is or how it is calculated is beyond me) for a radius of 3 cells.  So, if you have a thick stand of trees, they will collectively reduce a great deal of pollution.  Sometimes, though, that's just not enough.  You can use some custom lots to reduce air pollution.  Beware of lots that eliminate ALL pollution (air or water), as they will cover the entire city with filth if you ever bulldoze them!  The following lots are safe to use, but you may need to plop several:

PEG's Artificial Tree

Jasoncw's Air Filter

SimGoober's GooberGen Air Purification (which provides IM jobs)

There are also some lots that reduce water pollution and are smaller than the huge in-game water treatment plant:

Brita Water Filtration Plant

SimGoober's Water Control Board (available in this pack as a reward)

Two of the water towers in the SimGoober pack also provide some of the commercial benefits you are looking for.

When the STEX search function is down, you can try the methods described throughout this thread.  I have had good luck with the Google custom search at the top of each page (it seems to be working better than the STEX search).  Alternatively, you can make your own customized Google search.  On the google.com page (or in the search field in the upper-right of your browser) type the name of the site you want to search, then a space, then your search terms, like this example:

simtropolis.com air pollution

EDIT:  I tried to link to my custom Google search results, but it din't work properly because the results appear to be specific to my browser (Firefox 3.5.2).  It may not have worked for people using a different browser, so I removed the link to avoid problems.

I hope this is useful to you!

[sleeper7 4]

Thanks everyone, these are the kind of answers I was l looking for - not necessarily what I wanted to hear, but the right answers

I guess I'm going to have to find another solution than what I was planning though.

[zwr100 2]

I use parks and then put trees in them.  It seems like you can't fit as many trees in parks as you can in open land, but it also seems like you can plant a lot of trees in a tile, but only a few big ones can actually fit in the same tile.

I believe it's also accepted that trees grow slower or not at all in 'bad' locations, while parks at least appear to come with trees?  I wonder if trees grow better in parks?  I don't often put too much thought in pollution since traffic is always a bigger issue for me.

I assumed you were talking about the normal trees that came with the game and not any sort of custom content (I never use anything except NAM).

[sleeper7 4]

Yes, I was referring to the standard trees.

I'm using the NAM with "Better Path finding" as I'm running a city on a Large tile.

[zurrabear 20]

Why not just put in the park and see what effect it has; if pollution goes up, bulldoze and put the trees back.

You know, you can often add trees to parks; I wonder if this doesn't do double-duty on pollution, as well as get you both a park and whatever custom trees you like.

[SC4BOY 20]

I read once that mayor mode trees filter more than god mode trees, but I don't recall the particulars.. you could probably make a quick test and see for yourself fairly easily.

[pauljs75 0]

I do a bit of both. From what I recall elsewhere, parks have some other YIMBY or radius things plain trees do not. But trees seem to still be quite handy and perhaps cheaper than parks if pollution is the main concern. (No grounds maintenance fees on trees.) But the neat thing about trees is that in additon to being able to be plopped on park tiles, they're also ploppable on parts of various other developed tiles. If a developed tile has something that looks like a lawn or open area, odds are a tree just might be allowed there. Also trees can go on the very outside edge of ground level highway tiles. (Haven't checked all the other types.) So if an area is built up and developed a bit already, trees may present a more flexible option for pollution control. (Only downside to trees on a non-city or park lot is that if a lot re-develops the trees go with it.)