The city’s MillionTrees program fights asthma and global warming. But tightening maintenance budgets, increasingly severe weather and decades-old planting decisions complicate trees’ contribution.
What could be the problem with planting a million trees in New York? Paul Bufano and An Phung write about the good intentions and undesired outcomes of one of Mayor Bloomberg and PlaNYC's signature initiatives.
Reduced maintenance budgets, caring for non-native monocultures, storms of increased violence and occurrence, are all challenges effecting the program that must be balanced with its intended benefits.
"There has always been more need for tree care than need for funds to plant them," says [Samuel] Bishop, [education director at Trees New York]. "There are more people in New York than trees, so if everyone helped out a little bit there shouldn't be much of a problem."
Thanks to Nekoro Gomes
FULL STORY: As City Plants Trees, Benefits--and Some Burdens--Grow
Conceptual Shift: New York's Growing Again
For decades, New York City's boom times lay deep in the past. Now that the city's growing again, Aaron Renn says New York may need to take cues from the Sun Belt, of all places.
APTA Requests CDL Testing Change to Address Bus Operator Shortage
Eighty-four percent of U.S. transit agencies surveyed said CDL complexity was a hiring obstacle, with the “under-the-hood” requirement being the most challenging.
Chicago Transit Recovery Trails Behind Other Major US Cities
Sluggish ridership rates and staffing shortages are dampening recovery. Looming budget gaps could make things even worse.
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.
Montreal’s Gorilla Park Repurposes Defunct Railway Track
The park is part of a global movement to build public spaces that connect neighbors and work with local elements to serve as key parts of a city’s green infrastructure.
Art in Action: USC Event Calls for an Urgent Green Energy Transition
The El Respiro / Respire event at USC uses a large-scale human geochoreography to demand an urgent and equitable transition to green energy, blending art, activism, and community engagement to amplify the message of climate justice.
Safe Parking Programs Help People Access Housing
The safety and stability offered by Safe Parking sites have helped 40 percent of unhoused San Diego residents who accessed these programs get into permanent housing.
Study: Single-Staircase Buildings Pose No Additional Risks
Zoning codes have long prohibited single-stair residential buildings due to safety concerns, but changing that could lower the cost of construction and allow for more flexible housing designs.
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.
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA)
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
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