🌐 Crime Fighters & Therapists: The High-Value Roles of Urban Trees in City Life

What's the best neighborhood to pick for raising a family? You'll want to check out the schools, of course. And you'll want to inquire about the quantity, diversity, and maturity of the local trees. That goes for anyone who wants to get a leg up, a greater shot at health, happiness, and survival.

Over the past two decades, a growing body of research is influencing how policymakers and public health officials think about urban trees. While leafy giants in the Amazon rightly grab much of the headlines for their vital role in reversing climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, the trees closest to you most directly impact and improve your life.

Here are some of the benefits of urban trees:

• You’re less likely to die. A study in Portland, Oregon, looked at records dating back over thirty years and revealed that for every 100 trees in a neighborhood, one less person will die prematurely.

• You’re less likely to be depressed. In London, research shows that boroughs with plentiful street trees have lower rates of antidepressant prescriptions.

• You’re less likely to contract childhood leukemia. Studies in New Zealand and Madrid, Spain, show a strong association between proximity to diverse trees, plant habitat, and urban green space and a decline in the most common cancer affecting children.

• You’re less likely to give birth to an underweight newborn. Studies in the Pacific Northwest show (here and here) that women who live in houses near more trees have healthier babies.

If all that doesn’t yet convince you that trees are on your side:

You’re less likely to get shot or be the victim of any violent crime when trees are in the vicinity. In New Haven, Connecticut, a 10% increase in tree canopy was associated with a 15% decrease in violent crime. Studies in other cities, including  Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Portland, Oregon, confirm the findings. 

Geoffrey Donovan is an urban forester, researcher, and economist at the U.S. Forest Service. Holding a Ph.D. in Forest Economics from Colorado State University, Donovan has authored many of the abovementioned studies. Donovan’s research goes deep into the numbers, and they're staggering.

The public health return on urban trees is $1700 for every $1 spent on planting and maintenance. The financial return for cities is $3 for every $1 spent on planting and maintenance. Planting trees increases property values, which results in more property tax income.

Thanks to a historic $1.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction earmarked for the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forest Program, cities and communities nationwide are accelerating tree planting.

Geoffrey Donovan joinsJosh on Supercool to talk about the many city services urban trees augment and how they boost quality of life.

Take me to the podcast:

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Number of the week: $4.7 Billion

That’s how much urban trees save Americans annually on energy bills by shading buildings, cooling air temperatures, and altering wind speeds around buildings.

Quote of the week:

“Going from a $36 to $40 million program with urban forestry to a little over $1.5 billion was a substantial infusion in dollars to address things like tree equity, tree canopy, and more importantly, providing this type of funding to underserved communities.”

Homer Wilkes, Undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, on the historic funding for the U.S. Forest Service in the Inflation Reduction Act.

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City Spotlight: Portland, Oregon

Forget the Portlandia stereotypes; this city is much more than bearded, beanie-donned, flannel-wearing, highly caffeinated brunchgoers. While the “treehugger” moniker may be apt, this love for timber is modernizing the city.

Here’s what’s Supercool about Portland:

The Airport: PDX’s new main terminal is a state-of-the-art transit hub. At nine acres, it has one of the largest mass timber roofs in the world. The wood was sourced within 300 miles by working directly with family- and Tribal-owned forest owners and businesses, using selective logging methods long-practiced by local tribes. Using wood instead of steel cut the carbon impact by 125%.

A Commercial Office Building: The Plae Building in Portland’s Old Town district is the only office building in the world to obtain the coveted Living Buildings certification from the International Living Future Institute. It’s made from Cross-Laminted Timber (CLT), generates more renewable power than it consumes, and harvests rainwater to supply all drinking water and other uses.

A Redevelopment Project: Made in Old Town is a new $125 million redevelopment project to revitalize Portland’s oldest neighborhood into a hub for sustainable footwear and innovation. The project spans 323,000 square feet of space across nine run-down buildings. Nike’s former Chief Sustainability Officer and former President are on the three-person stewardship commitment along with Elias Stahl, CEO of Hilos. This 3D-printed footwear company will be an anchor tenant.

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