Overview:

Summary: Trees provide cooling through evapotranspiration and shading that decreases temperatures along walkways. Increasing vegetation provides numerous co-benefits like reducing pollution, improving the public realm, and decreasing energy costs. The cost of planting and ongoing maintenance of trees can be a barrier. Providing incentives can encourage private property owners and businesses to plant trees.

Implementation: Encourage tree planting and protection through incentives such as stormwater fee reductions, tax credits, tax increment financing for property values, or grant programs.

Considerations for Use: Plantings require ongoing maintenance with associated costs and staffing.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  IncentiveFinancial and non-financial incentives to encourage stakeholders to implement heat risk reduction and preparedness solutions, including rebates, tax credits, expedited permitting, development/zoning bonuses, and more.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
• Intervention Type:
  Green/natural Infrastructure
• Sectors:
  Informal Settlements, Parks, Public Works

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Property owners, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Change in urban canopy, Number of trees planted

Case Studies:

• Sacramento, CA (Kresge, Pg 58)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, District, Neighborhood, Site
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Medium-term (3-9 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Medium
• Public Good:
  High
• GHG Reduction:
  Medium
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Improve stormwater management, Preserve biodiversity, Provide flood protection, Reduce air and water pollution, Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Build social cohesion, Improve human health, Improve the public realm, Increase property values