Nine Cities That Love Their Trees
More and more American cities are working to preserve their trees. The impulse is mostly functional: Trees provide shade, purify the air, and decrease runoff. Jeremy Barrick, a leader in New York’s planting effort, calls them “amazing multitaskers.” Here’s a look at cities working to conserve their tree canopies.
Happy Arbor Day
New York
Philadelphia
Austin
Detroit
Washington, D.C.
Baltimore
Portland
Tampa
Pittsburgh
By Ryan Morris, Meg Roosevelt, Xaquín G.V., and Matthew Twombly, NGM staff;
Sources: UVM Spatial Analysis Lab; USDA Forest Service; NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (data from 2010); City of Philadelphia (2008); TreePittsburgh (2010); Washington D.C., Casey Trees (2011); Baltimore (2007); Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (2010); Tampa (2011), University of South Florida, City of Tampa, and University of Florida IFAS; Austin (2010), Jon Meade, Watershed Protection Department, Policy & Planning; Oregon Metro Data Resource Center (2007)