Trees

Mature jacaranda trees full of purple blooms on street in Los Angeles, California.

Expanding LA's Urban Forest

The County of Los Angeles Chief Sustainability Office is leading the effort to prepare the county's first Urban Forest Management Plan.

March 19, 2024 - Los Angeles County Chief Sustainability Office

Group of people planting a small tree.

Southern California Water District Offers $100 Rebate for Planting Trees

Residents and businesses can choose from a list of eligible trees to support efforts to boost urban tree canopies and help with stormwater retention.

March 14, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

View of downtown Los Angeles from elevated hillside with palm trees in foreground and pink sky.

Planning for Trees in Los Angeles

The County and City of Los Angeles are working together on community engagement efforts for their Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs).

February 21, 2024 - LAist

Looking up at a modern glass skyscraper with green tree next to it.

The Benefits of Trees

In addition to all the economically valuable services they provide, trees are beautiful as pure aesthetic objects and a welcome presence in any landscape.

February 19, 2024 - Corey Squire

Close-up of yellow lemon growing on tree poking through chain link fence.

The Promise of Urban Food Forests

Planting food-producing trees can offer both shade and a source of healthy foods in concrete-dominated neighborhoods.

February 9, 2024 - Grist

View of One World Trade Center down straight street with bright green trees on either side.

Tree Folio NYC Aims to Monitor Urban Forest in Real Time

A new tool could help the city reach its goal of planting up to 250,000 new trees by 2035.

January 11, 2024 - Yahoo News

Sunset view of tall palm trees and shorter trees lining empty street with Los Angeles skyline and crescent moon in background.

Los Angeles Seeks Public Input for Urban Forest Plans

The County and City of Los Angeles are working together on community engagement efforts for their Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs).

January 9, 2024 - County of Los Angeles

People walking on paved path in green city park with trees and tall city skyscrapers in background.

Green Spaces Benefit Neighborhoods—When Residents can Reach Them

A study comparing green space and walkability scores found that, without effective access to local parks, residents of greener neighborhoods don’t reap the health benefits.

December 3, 2023 - American Heart Association News

Canada geese and ducks on the shore of a lake with red brick boathouse in background across the lake in Lincoln Park, Los Angeles.

Study: How Urban Redlining Impacts Bird Populations

A legacy of historic housing discrimination and disinvestment is having lasting effects on more than just human lives in cities.

October 19, 2023 - Phys.org

View of Albuquerque, New Mexico with green trees in foreground, mountains in background against sunset sky.

Growing ‘Climate Ready’ Urban Trees

A New Mexico research program will assess the health of seedlings to understand which trees will be most resilient to climate risks.

October 18, 2023 - Route Fifty

Aerial view of residential buildings in Koreatown, Los Angeles with downtown skyline in background

Advancing Shade Equity in LA’s Koreatown

Koreatown is one of Los Angeles's densest and most park-poor communities. A privately funded tree planting initiative will bring some much needed greenery and shade to the area.

October 3, 2023 - LAist

Aerial view of Atlanta BeltLine paved bike trail surrounded by green trees

Trees Beautify Segment of Atlanta’s BeltLine

A local nonprofit planted 500 trees along a previously unimpressive segment of the bike and walking trail, creating an ‘instant forest’ effect.

May 30, 2023 - Urbanize Atlanta

Seattle skyline panorama seen from Kerry Park at sunset in golden evening light with Mount Rainier in the background, Washington State, United States of America

Washington Cities Balance Housing Development and Tree Canopy

Cities like Seattle and Bellingham are working to increase housing density while also preserving urban trees and green spaces.

May 3, 2023 - The Urbanist

Aerial view of green trees over residential neighborhood with Austin, Texas skyline in the background

Street Trees as Climate Resilience

An Austin-based urban designer explains how protecting and encouraging the planting of street trees will make the city more resilient to increasingly common extreme heat events, among many other benefits.

April 3, 2023 - Diana Ionescu

Trees

How the Urban Tree Canopy Can Save Lives in a Heat Wave

New research reveals the direct link between planting more trees and a reduction in heat-related deaths.

February 6, 2023 - Phys.org

Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Protecting Chicago’s Tree Canopy

Advocates for urban greening are asking the city to boost its tree planting efforts and protect existing trees, which are a key tool for fighting the effects of climate change and worsening heat waves.

June 24, 2022 - Chicago Tribune

Pioneer Square, Seattle

How To Preserve Both Affordable Housing and Urban Trees

Housing and environmental activists are calling on the city to commit to a ‘Trees and’ approach, rejecting the perceived conflict between housing affordability and a healthy urban tree canopy.

April 26, 2022 - The Stranger

A New Orleans streetscape lined with mature Southern Live Oak trees.

Green Infrastructure Thinking for Southern Cities in 2022 and Beyond

Resilience planning requires communities to think of a well planned and maintained tree canopy as a public utility system with multiple benefits.

February 10, 2022 - Gaylan Williams

Trees

How the Phoenix Tree Canopy Affects Urban Temperatures

As extreme weather intensifies, cities are using trees to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce energy consumption.

September 27, 2021 - Vox

Superstorm Sandy

How New York City Can Prepare for the Next Catastrophic Floods–Now

The city must take urgent action to mitigate the effects of increasingly damaging rainstorms.

September 6, 2021 - Slate

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.