Urban Forest Cover in Philadelphia
We all know that trees are great – they are critical to the natural state of our world, since they play a key role in the carbon cycle. But making sure that trees populate our urban areas is even more crucial!
The city of Philadelphia has done a lot to ensure a plentiful population of trees on their streets. The Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Sustainability has created a specific program to increase the urban canopy, an initiative that allows residents to request trees to be planted outside of their residencies at no charge.
The USDA has done a thorough report on the impact of urban forests, using Philadelphia as a case study. One of the most succinct ways that the report explains the impact of urban forestry is through the acronym “TREE”:
Temperature reduction and other microclimatic effect
Removal of air pollutants
Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) and tree maintenance emissions
Energy conservation in buildings and consequent power plant emission
Taken from the USDA “Assessing Urban Forest Effects and Values” report
If this doesn’t convince you to go out an get a tree planted in your urban environment, I don’t know what will! Let’s bring some green to our cities by following Philadelphia’s model and making a conscious effort to increase urban forestry.
Sources:
“Assessing Urban Forest Effects and Values” report by the USDA
Fairmont Park, Philadelphia’s Park System – Street Trees Program Website
