Trees improve cities by controlling temperature, absorbing water and carbon dioxide, and adding beauty.

State University of New York Professor Theodore Endreny and his team sought to calculate the value of trees to their cities in terms of dollars and cents. Cities are serviced by their trees, Endreny argues in The Conversation. "These services can include food, clean air and water, climate and flood control, pollination, recreation and noise damping. We currently don’t simulate many services, so our calculations actually underestimate the value of urban trees."
Besides saving cities close to a million dollars per kilometer of tree cover in air pollution mitigation, "the median annual value of carbon dioxide sequestered by megacity tree cover was $7.9 million. That comes out to about $17,000 per square kilometer," Endreny writes. The study found a great variety in the density of the canopy of the 10 megacities, but "[a]ll of the cities we studied had the potential to add additional trees, with about 18 percent of the metropolitan area on average available."
FULL STORY: We calculated how much money trees save for your city

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.

LA County Creating Action Plan to Tackle Extreme Heat
Los Angeles County is creating a Heat Action Plan to help communities stay safe during extreme heat, with steps like adding more shade, improving buildings, and supporting the neighborhoods most at risk.

Maryland Plans Quick-Build Complete Streets Projects
The state will use low-cost interventions to improve road safety in five Maryland counties.

Downtown Los Angeles Gears Up for Growth
A new report highlights Downtown L.A.’s ongoing revival through major housing projects, adaptive reuse, hospitality growth, and preparations for global events in the years ahead.
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