Seattle provides plenty of shade for residents to enjoy in the summer months.
Charles Mudede takes a dive into the world of urban tree canopies, comparing Seattle's urban forest to cities around the world and finding that the Pacific Northwest City is pretty green.
According to Treepedia, the density of Seattle's forest is second only to Sacramento's in the US. Vancouver BC, which is up in Canada and the second-largest city in the Pacific Northwest, has a denser forest than Seattle's.
Mudede also cites a 2012 report called "Forest Ecosystem Values: Analysis of the Structure, Function, and Economic Benefits," to place the number of trees in Seattle at 4.35 trees and tree-like shrubs. That's 7 trees and tree-like shrubs for every resident in Seattle. Mudede also explains the loose definition of "tree" (hence all the "tree-like shrubs")—it might come as a surprise to amateur biologists that there "is no hard science to tree-ness."
Treepedia is also worth another look. The project by the MIT Senseable City Lab uses Google Street View data to measure the urban "Green Canopy," or the aboveground portion of trees and vegetation in cities around the world. Planetizen covered the public release of Treepedia at the beginning of 2017.
Read the full story: Seattle Is the Seventh-Densest City In the World—For Trees
How To Preserve Both Affordable Housing and Urban Trees
Housing and environmental activists are calling on the city to commit to a ‘Trees and’ approach, rejecting the perceived conflict between housing affordability and a healthy urban tree canopy.
A New Study Asserts the Importance of Urban Trees in Conservation Efforts
Data collected from 13 million tree planting records in 473 urban areas across 73 countries provides insight into the role of urban trees in biodiversity conservation.
Chicago Was Already Wiping Out Trees. Then the Derecho Hit.
An Urban Forestry Board is needed in Chicago to unsure the health and safety benefits of a flourishing urban forest.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello