Residents and businesses can choose from a list of eligible trees to support efforts to boost urban tree canopies and help with stormwater retention.
A Smart Cities Dive brief by Ysabelle Kempe outlines a new program from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California that offers residents and businesses a $100 rebate for each tree they plant on their property.
The district provides a list of preferred trees that require less water and have high stormwater retention. “Rebate participants are expected to purchase and plant the trees themselves, although the water district created a guide to tree planting and maintenance.”
As Kempe explains, “The tree rebate is a new addition to a turf replacement program that has helped property owners replace 218 million square feet of ‘water-sucking’ lawns with sustainable landscapes, the district says, which has saved enough water to serve about 68,000 homes each year.”
FULL STORY: Planting a tree just got $100 cheaper for property owners in a California water district
Forest Service Rescinds Tree Planting Grants
The $75 million program fell victim to the federal government’s purge of ‘DEI’-related projects.
New Orleans Seeks Consultants for $8M Tree Planting Initiative
The city seeks consultancy firms to help implement an $8 million USDA Urban and Community Forestry Grant, advancing its goal of planting 40,000 trees by 2030 and strengthening urban sustainability and resilience.
Tacoma Program Offers Free Street Trees
The Green Blocks program targets neighborhoods with the highest need for additional tree canopy.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research