Urban Tree Canopy

How the Urban Tree Canopy Can Save Lives in a Heat Wave
New research reveals the direct link between planting more trees and a reduction in heat-related deaths.

Protecting Chicago’s Tree Canopy
Advocates for urban greening are asking the city to boost its tree planting efforts and protect existing trees, which are a key tool for fighting the effects of climate change and worsening heat waves.

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.

Green Infrastructure Thinking for Southern Cities in 2022 and Beyond
Resilience planning requires communities to think of a well planned and maintained tree canopy as a public utility system with multiple benefits.

Redlined Neighborhoods Suffer More From Extreme Heat
The recent heat wave in the Pacific Northwest highlighted how historical inequities still affect the health and well-being of low-income and marginalized communities.

Research Shows Urban Trees Stave off Depression
A new study shows that regular exposure to trees and green spaces has a powerful impact on depression and mental health.

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.

Louisville Updates its Development Code to Benefit the City's Trees
The effect of development codes can be felt in the urban tree canopies. Louisville is updating its code to stem the loss of 56,000 trees a year in the city.

Los Angeles Takes Steps to Grow Out Its Urban Forest
Los Angeles is rolling out a street tree inventory to complement other sustainability measures included in its own Green New Deal. The focus is on underserved neighborhoods.

Cleveland Launches Tree Replenishment Program
The city of Cleveland will hope to reap environmental and economic rewards by spending $1 million a year to regrow its tree canopy.

Updating the Land Development Code to Protect Trees in Louisville
The Louisville Metro Council has tasked the Louisville Metro Department of Planning and Design with updating the code to preserve and add trees to the city.

Affordable Housing or Trees: A Tough Choice in a Wave of New Development
Environmentalists are up in arms after the loss of thousands of trees to make room for new developments in Nashville. Now a new affordable housing project could be the demise of the city's largest tree.

San Antonio Branching Out its Tree Planting Efforts
The city of San Antonio has a lot of money to spend on trees but not a lot of places to plant them.

Matching Urban Infill With Tree Infill
Seattle shows how new buildings and new trees can be added to a city simultaneously—in fact, neighborhoods adding new buildings are maintaining its urban tree canopy while static single-family neighborhoods are losing trees.

Dallas Considers a Major Revision to its Tree Ordinance
Neither environmentalists nor developers like the city’s current regulations around tree removal, but there is praise on both sides for the “smart and nimble” new version.

The Cost of a Well-Maintained Urban Tree Canopy Is Actually Pretty Cheap
In terms of its public health benefits, a flourishing tree canopy is practically priceless.

Comparing the World's Urban Tree Canopies
Seattle provides plenty of shade for residents to enjoy in the summer months.

Tamping Down Urban Heat Islands
As summer temperatures rise and heat waves roll through, cities can take steps to keep cool. But shedding the heat may be difficult for urban areas designed to retain it.
Op-Ed Calls Density the 'Mortal Enemy of Trees'—Debate Ensues
A surprising argument from an article in Seattle publication Crosscut this week: density is the mortal enemy of trees.
Pagination
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
Code Studio
TAG Associates, Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Knox County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.