Policy Issues
Tree Lawns
Tree Care
Tree Preservation/Protection
Planting Best Practices
Tree Lawns
When trees are planted in too small tree lawns, their roots either can’t grow or grow in ways that damage the surrounding infrastructure.
Too-small tree lawns also severely limit how much water a tree gets. In a more natural setting, a tree’s roots typically extend as far as the branches of its canopy, and it collects water from that entire area. A typical city tree lawn is far smaller, so the tree only gets water that lands right by its trunk. Because the tree is surrounded by pavement, most of the rainwater a tree could use is instead directed into storm drains, routinely causing the stormwater system to overflow and pollute area waterways.
Many trees will survive for many years in this confined space, but the added stress makes them more susceptible to disease and early death. To minimize these issues, arborists typically choose smaller or medium-sized trees; the large trees that are most impactful usually aren’t even considered an option.
In order to have the big, healthy, long-lived street trees our city needs, we must protect, expand and restore our tree lawns.
Protect Tree Lawns
Currently, there is nothing to prevent a nearby property owner from paving over a nearby tree lawn for any reason. It is policy to allow any tree lawn to be paved over as long as it is done so with approved materials.
This is a common choice to reduce maintenance, but this increases storm runoff and means that no tree can be planted there. That pavement will most likely prevent the planting of a tree in that space for decades. Long sections of tree lawn around the city are completely paved, creating a barren, unfriendly walking experience.
It is a terrible choice for the community and the environment. Property owners should be educated on the impacts of paving and required to provide a compelling reason why the tree lawn needs to be paved over.
Expand & Restore Tree Lawns
With the limited resources available and lack of policies to enable de-paving
Tree Care
Tree Preservation/Protection
Planting Best Practices
Contact Your Local Officials
Get Published In the Papers
Letters to the Editor and Opinion Editorials or Op-Eds can be powerful tools to push for change. In order to make sure yours has a good chance of being published, make sure to check the publications’ guidelines.