Environment
Want Your City to Thrive? Look to Its Trees
Communities like Culver City, California, are focusing on urban forest plans to help protect a major economic and environmental asset: the tree canopy.
To paraphrase a beloved children's book, trees are nice—they give us oxygen, filter air pollutants, and absorb rainwater. Plus, research shows that trees in urban areas slow down traffic, foster civic pride and identity, and improve property values.
These perks haven't been lost on officials in Culver City, a neighborhood in ever-greenifying Los Angeles whose picturesque tree-lined streets are among the most coveted and expensive places to live in the area. Like a growing (sorry) number of American cities, Culver City is developing an urban forest master plan to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of its tree canopy.