Reminda me of flying into Georgia as part of a trip leg. Much of the surrounding area looked like it was a suburban area overlaid on a forest or what modernn fantasy elves or something as houses were trqnsplanted to modern America - it was so filled with trees - given the heat and history it makes sense and was even oddly beautiful from the sky.
Really I think part of the cultural problem with home design environmentally - aside from the density issues is that so many don't even try to adapt to the environment and do daft things like trying to grow lush water thirsty grasses in the desert or cut away trees in areas that really need the drainage. They often do the equivalent of going around with a brazier of burning coals at 50F instead of putting on a jacket.