When It Comes to Urban Trees, More Isn’t Always Better
We built a 3-D digital twin of New York City’s entire tree canopy to show how the shade they cast isn’t shared equitably across different neighborhoods.
Shade is precious in Phoenix’s Margaret T. Hance Park in July.
Photographer: Rebecca Noble/Getty Images North AmericaAs record-breaking heat scorched cities across the Northern Hemisphere in the summer of 2023, urban trees — and their ability to mitigate high temperatures — were thrust into the spotlight. Cities of all sizes, ranging from Cedar Rapids to New York City, have proposed ambitious planting targets to increase their tree canopy, motivated by a $1.5 billion allotment for urban forest improvement in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
The problem with many of these initiatives is that they are focused on simply adding more trees. And in the face of the challenges of climate change, more will not be enough. Instead, cities need to invest in planting new trees with a focus on where they can have the biggest impact — providing the most shade where it’s most needed. To accomplish this, cities need better tools.