The Maintenance Gap in Tree Planting Programs

An associate professor at North Carolina State University is delving into the long-term impacts of tree planting efforts. Ysabelle Kempe explains: “Smart Cities Dive caught up with Larson to discuss the potential worst outcome of tree-planting efforts, whether trees are inherently valuable to society and why communities in most need of trees may not welcome more.”

Larson points out that “you can’t just put a tree in the ground. You have to nurture it, you have to care for it and maintain it.” Larson explains that, if left unattended, urban trees can quickly die off. Meanwhile, trees, usually viewed as a universal good, can also have negative impacts on communities. “They’re a maintenance issue. They create opportunities for perceived crime in densely forested settings. Sometimes trees fuel property [value] rises and [higher] property taxes, which is a good thing, but it also can catalyze green gentrification, which drives residents out of neighborhoods where they might have been for generations.”

Larson says one obvious solution is “don’t plant trees without public input and community involvement.” For planners or advocates hoping to start tree planting projects, Larson advises, “Take a little bit of time to get to know the place, the key players, and work within their system and the organizations that are based there to make things happen.”