Urban tree canopy: All neighborhoods should have trees and the benefits they provide, such as cleaner air quality, cooler temperatures, and shade.
Insights & Analyses
- From 2000 to 2023, average tree canopy coverage was overall static across urban America.
- In 2023, more than half of Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders, and people of mixed/other backgrounds in urban areas nationwide lived in neighborhoods with less than 10 percent tree canopy coverage.
- Across most racial and ethnic groups, urban US-born residents tend to live in neighborhoods with more tree canopy coverage than their immigrant counterparts.
- Across all racial and ethnic groups in urban areas, those living below the federal poverty level have lower tree canopy coverage than those above poverty. However, the poverty gap in tree canopy coverage appears to be closing over time.
- Among Native American and Pacific Islander residents, tree canopy coverage was similar regardless of poverty status. For Native American, Mixed/Other, and people of color residents, the difference between those above and below poverty was only one percent.
- For most racial and ethnic groups identified by the census, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine have the highest average tree canopy coverage for urban residents. However, Black residents experience the highest coverage in Georgia, North Carolina, and Vermont. Arizona and Nevada consistently rank the lowest in tree canopy coverage for all racial and ethnic groups.
Drivers of Inequity
As climate change continues to warm the Earth’s surface, tree canopies are one way that people and animals can escape extreme heat. Prolonged exposure to excessive heat can cause heart attacks, kidney disease, and cognitive decline. However, not everyone has access to tree canopies in their own community. Historic discriminatory housing policies, such as redlining, contributed to patterns where wealthier and predominantly white households were able to move to suburban areas with more access to tree cover. Comparatively, there are fewer parks located in working-class neighborhoods, which are often home to more people of color and multifamily housing. Schools with more students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals are also more often located in areas with fewer tree canopies.
Strategies
Grow an equitable economy: Policies to promote healthy environments for all
- Leverage municipal zoning to increase tree canopy. Public land, such as public school sites and government-owned lots, can be sites for increased green space.
- Fund targeted tree canopy development in low-income and communities of color, particularly in urban areas. Free tree programs, such as the ones in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, provide tree selection and planting to residents.
- Develop other forms of shade infrastructure to provide immediate access to shade while new tree canopies mature.
- Create green jobs for residents to support tree planting and maintenance in neighborhoods.
- Develop education on tree canopy maintenance for homeowners to reduce the risk of losing home insurance coverage.
- Ensure development processes and land use planning produce healthy neighborhood environments.
Strategy in Action
In Los Angeles, TreePeople advances school greening by partnering with school communities and districts to plant trees to expand shade, improve health and learning for students, and promote environmental literacy among students. Since 1973, TreePeople has inspired and created opportunities for people to grow a more climate-resilient Southern California. For over 30 years, they have championed the green school yard movement, planting more than 30,000 trees on school campuses. Their school greening programs leverage data from CalEnviroScreen and other sources to prioritize school districts and neighborhoods with the highest need. These school greening initiatives support outdoor learning, reduce the rising temperature impacts of impervious surfaces such as concrete, and increase green space for surrounding communities. During the design process, TreePeople gathers input from students, parents, educators, and community members to determine what types of green spaces would be most beneficial. Common requests include grass fields for soccer, shade trees for sports spectators, and native plant gardens. To increase engagement, TreePeople partners with educators to teach students about the benefits of the specific trees and other greenery that are being planted on their campus. In 2024, TreePeople greening sites removed 11,470 sq ft of asphalt and increased tree canopy for 903 students. TreePeople advocates at the state and local level for funding for school greening projects, including securing $150 million for 160 school greening projects statewide. Learn more.
