Planting trees in urban areas and neighborhoods provides many benefits for the environment and local community. Urban greenery is not only beautiful, but also lowers stress, pollution, noise, and heat levels. Studies have shown that neighborhoods with trees experience less crime, and tree cover is also associated with improved cardio, skin, and lung health. Lower-income and minority neighborhoods enjoy less tree cover than their counterparts and could greatly benefit from focused planting efforts.
Climate Protection: Sequesters carbon dioxide and other pollutants from the atmosphere and soil; provides shelter for wildlife
Energy & Mobility: Decreases energy needed for cooling
Resilience: Lowers flood risk and wind speed
Food & Water: Improves water quality by absorbing pollutants from the air and soil
Jobs & Assets: Increases property values by reducing crime and beautifying the neighborhood
Health, Well-Being, & Safety: Reduces stress, lowers temperatures, suppresses noise, improves air quality
Connection: Fosters opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education
This post is part of a series on examples of multisolving, or climate-smart policies that simultaneously work to mitigate climate change while providing co-benefits such as the ones described above. The multiple benefits analysis was done using the FLOWER framework.
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