The Green Blocks program targets neighborhoods with the highest need for additional tree canopy.

A foundation in Tacoma, Washington is boosting the city’s tree canopy with an initiative dubbed Green Blocks that distributes free trees to residents. “The program seeks to reduce barriers to tree planting and foster stewardship among Tacoma residents. Increasing Tacoma’s tree canopy coverage helps combat the urban heat island effect, which exacerbates the health impacts of heat waves and worsens livability in urban areas,” explains Kevin Le for The Urbanist.
According to Le, trees currently cover just 20 percent of Tacoma’s area, lower than surrounding cities. The city has created a Tree Planting Priority Tool to map out which areas need trees most urgently. The City Council also passed a new ordinance making it easier to plant street trees in November 2023.
The Tacoma Tree Foundation (TTF) examines local conditions in each neighborhood to assess the best sites for new trees. Once residents apply, “TTF and City staff will review applications alongside the property’s characteristics to ensure enough plantable space and minimal interference with underground and overhead utilities.”
TTF offers the trees at no cost to residents who commit to caring for them in their critical first few years of life and plans to expand its efforts to support the trees throughout their lives. “Building upon existing giveaway and planting resources, TTF eventually plans to offer watering and monitoring services to ensure the planted trees are able to reach maturity.”
FULL STORY: Tacoma’s Lincoln District Gets Tree Planting Boost with Green Blocks Program

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

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

California Set to Increase Electric Truck Chargers by 25%
The California Transportation Commission approved funding for an additional 500 charging ports for electric trucks along some of the state’s busiest freight corridors.

21 Climate Resilience Projects Cancelled by the EPA
The federal government has pulled funding for at least 21 projects related to farming, food systems, and environmental justice to comply with one of Trump’s early executive orders.

Trump Executive Order on Homelessness Calls for Forced Institutionalization
The order seeks to remove legal precedents and consent decrees that prevent cities from moving unhoused people from the street to treatment centers.
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