Addressing Equity by Strategically Planting Millions of Trees

As part of the Trillion Trees Initiative, cities across the country are pledging to plant trees and restore urban forests to fight climate change and cool off disadvantaged communities.

2 minute read

August 31, 2020, 8:00 AM PDT

By Clement Lau


Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

More trees are needed to improve air quality in communities that have been disproportionately affected by pollution and climate change. These communities are typically not only lacking in trees; many of them also face a variety of other challenges that adversely impact the health and well-being of residents.

Jad Daley, president and chief executive officer of American Forests, says, “It’s not just about more trees in cities. If you show me a map of tree cover in any city, you’re showing me a map of race and income levels. We see this as nothing less than a moral imperative.”

American Forests is part of the Trillion Trees Initiative, "a global push to encourage reforestation to capture carbon and slow the effects of global heating." Specifically, a coalition of U.S. cities, companies, and nonprofits has committed to planting and restoring 855 million of trees by 2030. The group recognizes that to truly address climate change, the initiative must be strategic and "reach traditionally disinvested neighborhoods and communities that need cooling, shade, and green space," writes Patrick Sisson

Adrian Benepe, vice president and director of national programs for the Trust for Public Land, says, “There isn’t a machine invented that can suck down carbon better than trees.” New research by the Natural Areas Conservancy, a New York-based group focused on preserving and protecting urban forests, highlights just how efficient trees can be at storing carbon.

"The roughly 6 million trees in the New York City’s 7,300 acres of natural forested areas represent a quarter of the city’s tree canopy, due to their density, but they account for 69 percent of the stored carbon and 83 percent of the sequestered carbon across the city," notes Sisson.

In addition to maintaining existing urban forests in parks, cities should also focus on ways to increase dense tree canopy coverage outside of parklands. In places like New York City, finding room for new, dense forests is increasingly challenging, but there are still some opportunities. For example, the city can use areas such as abandoned railways, utility corridors, and public right-of-ways. Cities should particularly be creative in finding locations and solutions for providing more trees in under-resourced communities.

Friday, August 28, 2020 in Bloomberg CityLab

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Brutalist grey department of housing and urban development building in Washington DC.

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response

Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

10 minutes ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Lancaster Boulevard with tree-lined median and wide sidewalks in Lancaster, California.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way

One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

29 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

Sign in front of building for seior services center in St. Petersburg, Fl.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk

High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.

2 hours ago - WESH

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA