• Study highlights that expanding urban green cover through trees, parks, and vegetation reduces heat by improving shade, evapotr anspiration, and microclimate regulation in cities.

• Model simulations indicate that increasing green cover by nearly eight percent can reduce average neighborhood temperatures across Delhi by about one degree Celsius.

• Cooling effects remain uneven, with dense urban neighborhoods receiving significantly lower temperature reductions compared to greener and less built-up localities across the city.

• Urban density, building materials, and surface composition strongly influence how effectively added vegetation can reduce heat in different parts of Delhi.

• Findings suggest planners should expand green infrastructure equitably to ensure cooling benefits reach high-density and heat-vulnerable residential communities across cities.

• Urban greening is identified as a practical climate adaptation strategy that can reduce heat stress and improve overall livability in metropolitan regions.

• Researchers caution that green cover expansion alone cannot fully address extreme heat risks without complementary emissions reductions and broader sustainable urban planning.