Surveying Cities on Tree Canopy Assessments

See what planning and parks staff around the country think about urban tree canopy

January 18, 2022  | Alec Sabatini

a tree canopy assessment helps you understand the past and future of your trees
We were curious about how widespread the recognition and application of urban tree canopy assessments were among city parks and planning staff, so we conducted a survey to find out. We received a wide variety of responses, primarily from planners, but also a few arborists. The 50 total respondents came from all over the country and represented communities ranging from just over 10,000 population to over 250,000.

 

 

 

We asked respondents to rate how important the urban forest is to both citizens and policymakers, on a scale of 1 to 10. The average response for citizens was 7.7, while the average for policymakers was 6.4, so there is a slight discrepancy between public interest and leadership priorities. Public greenspace and urban trees are often very popular with residents, a trend strengthened by the pandemic. The challenge for the parks and forestry staff is to get the same level of buy-in from government leadership and have it reflected in their budget and resources. One of the best ways to build interest is to have data ready to share on urban tree canopy, and that is achieved through an urban tree canopy assessment.

See what planning and parks staff around the country think about urban tree canopy
See what planning and parks staff around the country think about urban tree canopy

Urban Tree Canopy Assessments

Urban tree canopy (UTC) assessments provide cities with crucial information for better urban forest management. By mapping land cover using high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery, communities can identify areas with low canopy and high planting potential. Tree canopy data helps communities plan their efforts to maximize ecosystem benefits where they are most needed, as well as develop citywide benchmarks, monitor canopy changes, and inform management plans.

When asked if they had ever completed a UTC assessment before, the most common response was no and 72% of the respondents knew their city did not have the capacity (staff, education, time, money) to do a UTC assessment in-house. When asked about their attitude towards conducting a tree canopy assessment, the most common response was “Positive”, followed by “Never thought about it before” and then “It’s expensive and too difficult to do”.

Historically, UTC assessments require a lengthy, complex, and difficult-to-budget process, which has been a barrier for smaller communities. Thanks to technological advancements that is no longer the status quo. High-resolution canopy analysis can now be completed in days instead of months and at a lower price point. This means more communities can now get access to tree canopy data and can afford to update that data more frequently. We are excited about the possibilities in this new era of plentiful tree canopy data.

Tree Canopy Regulations and Goals

We were glad to see that a vast majority of the respondents (84%) have city-wide plans, regulations, or goals addressing landscape and tree canopy requirements. Even better, 74% said their tree plans and regulations are succeeding and they are reaching their tree canopy goals. Urban tree canopy coverage is ideal for goal setting because it can represent the complex distribution and benefits of an urban forest within a single metric.

32% of respondents said their comprehensive plan included tree canopy coverage goals. Getting urban forestry objectives rolled into city-wide goals is hugely beneficial. It helps reflect the wide ranging impacts a healthy urban forest has on a city, and makes requests for funding and resources more compelling.

See what planning and parks staff around the country think about urban tree canopy

Congratulations to Spearfish, SD

Every community that filled out this survey was entered in drawing to win a free TreePlotter™ software subscription. The winner was Spearfish, a town of 12,000 on the northern edge of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Though they do not have an urban forestry department, their Parks and Recreation Department has the expertise and a passion for improving their community forest.

Last year, Spearfish used a state grant to fund a student intern to inventory all public trees using TreePlotter INVENTORY. The inventory is almost complete and has already provided some helpful insights. By viewing all of the mapped public trees, the Parks and Rec Department has identified areas of sparse canopy as well as a couple overplanted spots.

Another key revelation was Green Ash makes up about 25% of their urban forest. Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been spotted 400 miles away in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Spearfish knows it is only a matter of time before the pest appears in their own trees. The city has an EAB Action Plan in place and is replacing poor condition ash trees every winter with a more diverse array of species. The Parks and Rec Department is currently considering whether to use their prize subscription to further their work with TreePlotter INVENTORY or use TreePlotter CANOPY to gain a deeper understanding of their tree distribution.

 

 

In summary, the surveyed cities largely valued their urban forest highly and had some regulations and plans in place to support the preservation and growth of tree canopy. Fewer had actually completed assessments of their tree canopy, either because they didn’t have the resources or hadn’t considered it before. That is perhaps the most exciting takeaway, as subscription-based, artificial intelligence-driven tree canopy data is making urban tree canopy assessments more accessible than ever.

If you would like to see the full survey results, they are available below. If you would like to learn more about how an urban tree canopy assessment could work for your community, we would love to hear from you.

 

 

Related Resources

Take the 9 question Urban Forestry Scorecard quiz from PlanIT Geo

Urban Forestry Scorecard Survey

How does your urban forestry program stack up to other programs around the country? Take our nine question survey and see how your program compares to others on metrics like having a recent tree inventory and using proactive tree management.

Growing a sustainable forest inColorado Springs Colorado Skyline on a sunny day

Colorado Springs Urban Tree Canopy Assessment Report

This urban tree canopy assessment analyzed the City’s urban tree canopy, possible planting area, and change in UTC over a 20-year period, and also included a public survey and field inventory component. The results provide baseline data to develop strategies to protect trees and expand canopy coverage in our urban and natural areas in Colorado Springs during planning and development.

treeplotter canopy urban tree canopy assessment

AI-Driven Tree Canopy Assessments

Mapping and analyzing your urban tree canopy data should be easy and affordable so you can spend more time on planning, management, operations, and community engagement tasks.

Make more time for what’s important by utilizing AI-driven tree canopy data to assess your urban forest.

What to do with your urban tree canopy data

How to Leverage Your Tree Canopy Data

Tree canopy assessments provide detailed data to perform a variety of next steps. In this on-demand webinar, you will hear from past clients how they leveraged their tree canopy data.

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Stay Up To Date With The Latest News and Events

 

Join Our Newsletter

Stay informed on the urban forestry industry with our monthly TREEbune newsletter, live webinars, and industry-specific content delivered to your inbox.

Urban Forestry Webinars

PlanIT Geo has a substantial on-demand webinar library. Get CEU credits, grow your knowledge base, and stay current on cutting edge industry technology.

Follow Us

We love to share industry-related news, software tutorials, blogs, and company news across our social channels.