Calls to 311 for “tree emergencies” are rising, endangering a resource that helps bring down urban temperatures and reduce air pollution.
Los Angeles is seeing a rise in “tree emergencies” reported to the city’s MyLA311 service signals that its tree canopy is at risk, with more and more trees at risk of dying.
As Aai Magaiah explains in Crosstown, an analysis shows that the problem is “more or less consistent” across neighborhoods. “The sudden rise – propelled by recent rains – is an illustration of what arborists have been warning about for some time: Los Angeles is failing to properly care for its urban tree canopy, pushing once healthy trees to the point of failure. They expect conditions to get worse, exacerbated by a lack of regular maintenance and increasing stresses brought on by hotter temperatures and intense storms.”
The city’s Urban Forestry Division says it operates on a 17-year maintenance cycle, far longer than what arborists recommend. Los Angeles also has a high proportion of non-native trees that require more water and care.
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association