In an article about strong cities, Emma Durand-Wood extols the many benefits of urban trees, which contribute to everything from lower temperatures to cleaner air to higher property values.
Money makes the world go round. Although the critical environmental benefits trees provide (such as carbon sequestration, air purification and promoting biodiversity) have enormous and calculable value, advocating for trees is not always effective from an environmental perspective.
To that end, Durand-Wood describes some of the tangible, economic benefits of street trees. Surprisingly, this includes longer road life: “Street trees extend the life of road surfaces by keeping them cooler and reducing temperature fluctuations.” According to one study, the amount of shade on a road is directly related to the length of time between resurfacing.
Another benefit: fewer floods, because “a mature tree can intercept 30 to 40 percent of the rain before it reaches the ground.” Trees also provide more pleasant and safer conditions for walking and cycling, provide shade at bus stops and in public spaces, and help reduce cooling costs by lowering the ambient air temperature.
Durand-Wood concludes: “Planting and maintaining street trees is an investment, but one that pays off time and time again.” According to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, every dollar spent on planting and maintaining urban tree canopies brings a benefit of between $1.37 and $3.09.
