Neither environmentalists nor developers like the city’s current regulations around tree removal, but there is praise on both sides for the “smart and nimble” new version.

The existing tree ordinance in Dallas, according to Peter Simek of D Magazine, has the unfortunate distinction of having “been a bane for developers and environmentalists alike.”
But starting this week, the Dallas City Council will be reviewing a revision that Simek calls “a smart and nimble policy that is born out of some long and difficult negotiations.”
For example, while the original ordinance does not distinguish between species of trees, the revision imposes heavy fines removing elms, oaks and pecans but no fines on removal of invasive species; the current ordinance does not take into account the age of trees removed—meaning that a very large tree can be replaced with lots of very small trees that may or may not survive—but the new ordinance tries to take size and survival rate into account.
And the reforestation fund developers pay into, which currently has little oversight, will now go towards creating an “urban forest master plan” and paying someone to implement it.
A number of studies released in recent years show that the quantifiable economic and health benefits of an urban tree canopy far outweigh the costs.
FULL STORY: After More Than 20 Years, Dallas May Finally Fix Its Broken Tree Ordinance

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

CaBi Breaks Ridership Record — Again
Washington D.C.’s bike share system is extremely popular with both residents and visitors.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws
One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.
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