Excerpt: Plant a Forest On Your Block

Apr 1, 2009
Dec 14, 2017

Trees enrich our communities in countless ways

Street trees are lovely, but they also provide quantifiable economic, safety and environmental benefits. Photo credit: Dade City Garden Club

Dan Burden, founder of Walkable Communities Inc., is one of America’s leading authorities on what it takes to revitalize your neighborhood. He’s worked with citizens all across the country in improving their communities. Burden tackles a whole range of problems from crime to traffic to economic vitality, all of which he believes can be improved by getting people out on the sidewalks. But he also stresses the importance of another underappreciated factor affecting the vitality of neighborhoods: street trees. In a paper, Burden outlined 22 benefits of tree-lined streets, including:

--Slower and safer traffic. Once considered to a danger to passing motorists, recent research suggests that trees make motorists safer. He quotes a 2005 study in the Journal of the American Planning Association saying, “There is a growing body of evidence that the inclusion of trees and other streetscape features in the roadside environment may actually reduce crashes and injuries on urban roadways.” Other research shows that drivers go between 3 and 15 mph slower on a stretch of road with trees than on one without, even on the same street.

-- Less crime. A tree-lined street naturally attracts more people and a greater level of upkeep and attention from residents and business owners, all of which are significant deterrents to crime.

-- Improved business. Stores in commercial districts shaded by trees show 20 percent higher income, according to Burden. This should put the rest the old shopkeepers’ myth that trees pose a problem because no one can see their store signs.

-- Better pedestrian environment and safety. No one enjoys strolling along a road with roaring traffic a few feet away. A stand of trees offers an important buffer that enhances the aesthetic and psychological experience of walking. But tree-lined streets not only feel safer, they are safer since auto traffic moves slower and trees provide a visual and literal barrier that keep inattentive or drunk drivers on the roadway.

--Protection from the elements: A line of mature trees shields passers-by from moderate rains, intense sun, heavy winds, and hot temperatures. There can be as much as 15 degrees difference between shaded and exposed streets. This not only protects people, but also the roads themselves. According to findings from California, asphalt lasts 40-60 percent longer when it is shielded by foliage.

-- Reduced energy use. As anyone growing up in a hot climate knows, trees can be as important as air conditioning in keeping you cool. Street trees shading a house can reduce summer energy bills 15-35 percent. And, in a wonderful example of Mother Nature’s engineering savvy, most trees shed their leaves in the cooler months when you want the sun’s warmth to come through.

Burden recommends planting trees four to eight feet from the curbs, and spaced 15- 30 feet along your block. For an investment of $250-600 for planting a tree and the critical first years of maintance, Burden predicts each street tree will offer returns of $90,000 through the decades (not counting the considerable aesthetic, natural and social benefits).

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