Building suburbs with trees from day one should be the norm, not the exception.
Casey Council’s push for real tree canopy in Clyde shows how cooler streets, walkable neighbourhoods and liveable communities are a planning choice. Trees are infrastructure, not decoration.

#climateaction #urbanforests #greencities #coolingsuburbs #australia

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-06/clyde-tree-canopy-requirement-casey-council/106174988

‘#Microforest’ takes root amid city streets of #ProvidenceRI, reflecting worldwide trend

“As more and more people see it, they’ll be inspired,” said Jeff Matteis of the Pearl Street Garden Collective. “It’s just like one little point, but it just radiates benefits out.”

By Edward Fitzpatrick, September 27, 2025

PROVIDENCE — "The asphalt grid of South Providence is lined with multifamily homes and concrete sidewalks. But along Pearl Street, one lot stands out.

"It’s lush and green, with nearly 270 trees packed into a 1,000-square-foot lot. Officially called the Pearl Street Garden, it contains a tiny forest in the middle of the urban jungle.

" 'Microforests' like this one are cropping up in places ranging from #ElizabethNJ to #CambridgeMA, to #Pakistan. South Providence has two, both along Pearl Street, created by #GroundworkRhodeIsland and the #PearlStreetGardenCollective. The goal is to combat climate change and bring cooling shade to urban areas that lack the leafy boulevards of wealthier neighborhoods.

" 'This isn’t habitat restoration on the scale that is needed in terms of the world,' said Jacq Hall, director of special projects at Groundwork Rhode Island, an environmental group that works to create healthier, more resilient urban communities in Rhode Island. 'But it is a really great way, especially in a city, for people to become very in close touch with biodiversity and why it’s important and why it’s also beautiful.'

"In May, more than 100 people came out to plant the microforest.

" 'There’s microforest momentum happening around the world right now,' said Jeff Matteis, cofounder of the Pearl Street Garden Collective, a group of artists, gardeners, and educators championing #ecological land #stewardship. 'I think as more and more people see it, they’ll be inspired.' "

Read more:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/27/metro/microforest-takes-root-amid-city-streets-of-providence-reflecting-worldwide-trend/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/ZSUcw

#SolarPunkSunday #MoreGreenSpace #UrbanForests

The Miyawaki Method of micro-forestry

https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-6-5-the-method

#HackerNews #MiyawakiMethod #microforestry #sustainability #urbanforests #ecofriendly

American cities with the most trees per square mile

Listed below are those larger American cities for whom data on tree canopies is readily available, that have the most trees per square mile. Bear in mind that some examples are solely from inside the city limits proper, while others like Miami are for both the city and surrounding county.

Most surprising from the data gathered is the extent of the tree canopies in some Texan cities, especially Dallas and its suburbs, as well as Austin. Also, an unfortunate number of cities have not estimated the extent of their tree canopy.

One would have thought that ever city with a collegiate forestry or landscape architecture program would have long since calculated the extent of their tree canopy. Certainly, some have, as Athens, Austin, Seattle, Ann Arbor, Gainesville, and Fort Collins all can attest. But to not find comparable numbers from places like Boulder, Eugene, Raleigh, or Madison was quite unexpected.

Peace!

Note: Data is for all trees on both public and private property.

_______

2. Austin, Texas = 33.8 million or 103,522 trees per square mile

3. Orlando, Florida = 7.5 million or 67,812 trees per square mile

4. Tampa, Florida = 9.9 million or 56,474 trees per square mile

5. Seattle, Washington = 4.35 million or 51,909 trees per square mile

6. Ann Arbor, Michigan = 1.45 million or 51,408 trees per square mile

7. Houston, Texas = 33 million or 49,624 trees per square mile for Houston

8. Gainesville, Florida = 2.95 million or 46,714 trees per square mile

9. Springfield, Missouri = 3.6 million or 43,742 trees per square mile

10. Bellevue, Washington = 1.4 million or 41,841 trees per square mile

11. Lewisville, Texas = 1.652 million or 38,870 trees per square mile

12. Dallas, Texas = 14.7 million or 38,103 trees per square mile

13. Washington, DC = 2.43 million or 35,578 trees per square mile

14. Denton, Texas = 3.5 million or 35, 425 trees per square mile

15. Milwaukee, Wisconsin = 3.38 million or 35,135 trees per square mile

16. Cleveland, Ohio = 2.37 million or 30,502 trees per square mile

17. Baltimore, Maryland = 2.8 million or 30,418 trees per square mile

18. Arlington, Texas = 2.965 million or 29,589 trees per square mile

19. Arlington, Virginia = 755,000 = 29,038 trees per square mile

20. Grand Rapids, Michigan = 1.28 million or 28,444 trees per square mile

21. Tulsa, Oklahoma = 5.2 million or 26,329 trees per square mile

22. New York City, New York = 7.0 million 23,133 trees per square mile

23. Plano, Texas = 1.6 million or 22,222 trees per square mile

24. Los Angeles, California = 10.5 million or 20,887 trees per square mile

25. Cincinnati, Ohio = 1.6 million or 20,566 trees per square mile

26. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania = 2.9 million or 20,322 trees per square mile

27. Providence, Rhode Island = 415,000 or 20,165 trees per square mile

28. Miami-Dade County, Florida = 36 million 0r 18,499 per square mile

29. Chicago, Illinois = 4.1 million or 18,038 trees per square mile

30. Minneapolis, Minnesota = 979,000 or 17,026 trees per square mile

31. Denver, Colorado = 2.2 million or 14,379 trees per square mile

32. San Francisco, California = 669,000 or 14,264 trees per square mile

33. Portland, Oregon = 1.4 million or 10,491 trees per square mile

34. Sacramento, California = 1.0 million or 9,990 trees per square mile

35. St. Paul, Minnesota = 500,000 or 8,897 trees per square mile

36. San Jose, California = 1.6 million or 8,825 trees per square mile

37. Fort Collins, Colorado = 500,000 or 8,741 trees per square mile

38. Irvine, California = 550,000 or 8,384 trees per square mile

39. Birmingham, Alabama = 1.0 million or 6,803 trees per square mile

40. Virginia Beach, Virginia = 3.2 million or 6,438 trees per square mile

41. El Paso, Texas = 1.28 million or 4,954 trees per square mile

42. Oakland, California = 200,000 or 2,564 trees per square mile

43. Buffalo, New York = 130,000 or 2,476 trees per square mile

SOURCES:

• https://www.texastrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Updated-State-of-the-Dallas-Urban-Forest-Report.pdf
• https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/content/article.aspx?id=23475#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%20the%20Austin,oak%2C%20sugarberry%20and%20Texas%20persimmon.
• https://upwithtrees.org/Tulsa_UFMP_Final.pdf
• https://wordpress.com/post/panethos.wordpress.com/69529
• https://www.miamidade.gov/environment/library/reports/urban-tree-study.pdf
• https://www.tampa.gov/construction-services/tree-information#:~:text=Examples%20of%20protected%20trees%20include,go%20to%20the%20Accela%20website.
• https://www.tampa.gov/city-planning/natural-resource-planning/urban-forest-management-plan#:~:text=Tampa’s%20municipal%20forest%20consists%20of,species%20and%20145%20shrub%20species.
• https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/53315#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%20the%20urban,red%20maple%2C%20and%20Norway%20maple.
• https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/news-press/2024/april-2024/cleveland-metroparks-launches-tree-planting-intera#:~:text=Total%20tree%20population%20is%20estimated,not%20tolerant%20to%20climate%20change
• https://caseytrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/iTree-2015-Report_English.pdf
• https://bcrp.baltimorecity.gov/forestry/treebaltimore/value#:~:text=Baltimore%20has%202.8%20million%20trees,and%20increasing%20our%20property%20values.
• https://chicagorti.org/2020-chicago-tree-census/#key-findings
• https://www.itreetools.org/documents/327/Milwaukee%20Ecosystem%20Analysis.pdf
• https://www.a2gov.org/departments/forestry/Pages/The-Urban-Forest.aspx#:~:text=The%20analysis%20estimates%20that%20Ann,produced%20by%20358%2C000%20automobiles%20annually.
• https://www.stpaul.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/natural-resources/forestry/landmark-tree-program#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Saint%20Paul,the%20City%20of%20Saint%20Paul.
• https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/23593#:~:text=Abstract,quality%20in%20the%20Minneapolis%20area.
• https://coolgreentrees.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Bham-Urban-Forest-Management-Plan-Upper-Village-Creek-Dec-2016.pdf
• https://www.americanforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Seattle-Urban-Forest-fact-sheet.pdf
• https://www.americanforests.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Portland-Urban-Forest-Fact-Sheet-FINAL.pdf
• https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2021/sf-tree-cover/#:~:text=San%20Francisco%20is%20home%20to%20an%20estimated%20669%2C000%20trees%2C%20covering,the%20wealth%20of%20its%20residents.
• https://www.oaklandca.gov/resources/tree-services-fact-sheet-frequently-asked-questions#:~:text=Estimates%20show%20that%20Oakland’s%20urban,future%20of%20Oakland’s%20urban%20forest.
• https://sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-changes-rules-to-replenish-tree-canopy/#:~:text=There%20are%20roughly%201.6%20million,concerted%20effort%20to%20replace%20it.
• https://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/12/20/how-did-sacramento-get-so-many-trees/
• https://streetsla.lacity.org/faqs-ufd#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20estimated%20that,of%20the%20larger%20urban%20forest.
• https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/e271a008988240e8acc7321a5cf5eb95
• https://research.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/57234#:~:text=An%20analysis%20of%20the%20urban,pin%20oak%2C%20and%20red%20maple.
• https://www.arlnow.com/2023/02/14/how-protecting-outstanding-private-trees-figures-into-arlingtons-conservation-goals/#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%20755%2C000%20trees,directly%20managed%20by%20Arlington%20County.
• https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/virginia-beach-departments-docs/parks-rec/Outdoors/CaringForParks/Urban-Forest-Management-Plan.pdf
• https://communityimpact.com/dallas-fort-worth/plano/environment/2022/03/01/trees-to-be-planted-along-road-in-effort-to-increase-planos-urban-forestry/#:~:text=By%20Erick%20Pirayesh%20%7C%207:00,Community%20Impact%20Newspaper%20staff)
• http://www.google.gemini.ai
• https://www.providenceri.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/iTreeEcoProv2014.pdf
• https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/TFS_Main/Urban_and_Community_Forestry/Services_for_Local_Government/Inventories_and_Reports/El%20Paso%20Community%20Forest%20Assessment_final%2011.26.pdf
• https://www.cityofdenton.com/1113/Urban-Forestry#:~:text=Denton’s%20urban%20forest%20plays%20a,2.2%25%20from%202008%20to%202014.
• https://www.itreetools.org/documents/37/GR_Report.pdf
• https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR276
• https://www.cityofirvine.org/news-media/news-article/city-irvines-50th-anniversary-arbor-day-celebration#:~:text=With%20over%20550%2C000%20trees%2C%20Irvine,lives%20due%20to%20COVID%2D19.
• https://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/oes/natural-environment/tree-canopy/#:~:text=Cincinnati%20Parks%20%E2%80%93%20Street%20Trees,aesthetics%20throughout%20the%20urban%20forest.
• https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/uploadedFiles/TFS_Main/Urban_and_Community_Forestry/Services_for_Local_Government/Inventories_and_Reports/ArlingtonFinalUFOREAnalysisReport.pdf
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369649665_City_of_Lewisville_HIP_Appendix_E_-_Urban_Tree_Canopy_Study
• https://www.reed.edu/math-stats/241/2020/03/20/trees-buffalo/
• https://www.accgov.com/9914/Community-Tree-Study
• https://research.fs.usda.gov/nrs/news/releases/urban-forests-count-missouri#:~:text=Springfield%20has%203.6%20million%20trees,removal%20estimated%20at%20$2%20million.
• https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/environmental-stewardship/trees-open-space#:~:text=Bellevue’s%20estimated%201.4%20million%20trees,of%20natural%20areas%20each%20year

#cities #climateChange #environment #forests #geography #history #landUse #nature #planning #travel #treeCanopy #trees #urbanForests #urbanForsts #woodlands

HT @suzannewhitby

"#SomeGoodNews Tiny urban forests, inspired by the Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, are transforming urban landscapes and contributing to the fight against climate change."

https://www.demagazine.co.uk/2024/08/23/rewilding-cities-how-tiny-urban-forests-are-combating-climate-change/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rewilding-cities-how-tiny-urban-forests-are-combating-climate-change
#SolarPunkSunday #MiyawakiMethod #Rewilding #UrbanForests #ClimateChange