Trees soften and cleanse the urban environment.New York City streets that have no trees epitomize the lack of environmental balance in our urban areas. Trees provide shade in the summer, help absorb polluting runoff and swallow up carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming. In short, trees help tame the concrete jungle - by creating a little jungle of their own.
The vital importance of trees is not lost on the Bloomberg administration, which recently drafted an amendment [1] to the city's zoning laws that would require trees to be planted in all new developments, major enlargements and certain property conversions. In lower-density residential areas, the proposal would also require green planting strips between the sidewalk and street.
"These new regulations requiring street tree planting will go a long way to fulfilling Mayor Bloomberg's pledge to plant and care for one million street trees throughout the five boroughs over the next decade," says City Planning Director Amanda Burden [2]. "Street trees not only help beautify neighborhoods, cool the streets and cleanse the air, they will also create a healthier, more environmentally sustainable city."
Mandatory tree planting was one of the 127 PlaNYC [3] initiatives announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Earth Day 2007. The city already requires some new developments to include street trees. But the patchwork regulations don't apply everywhere in the five boroughs; the new amendment would apply to all zoning districts citywide. It calls for one tree for every 25 feet of street frontage. In higher-density and commercial districts, trees would be planted in pits with cobblestones and ground cover. In less-dense neighborhoods, the trees would be planted in a continuous green strip. The requirement is expected to add about 10,000 new trees a year.
Besides improving the city's esthetics, the additional trees will bring tangible environmental benefits, according to NYLCV's State Policy Director Joshua Nachowitz [3]. The 5.2 million existing trees in New York City remove 42,300 tons of carbon each year. In addition, each tree diverts around 1,400 gallons of rainwater each year, reducing the nitrogen-rich runoff that pollutes the city's waterways when it rains.
"The proposed amendment provides a reasonable and equitable framework for substantially increasing the number of trees in the city," Nachowitz says. "Expanding tree cover is a cost-effective tool to battle climate change, improve water quality and make our city more livable."
The City Planning Commission [4] held its first hearing on the proposed text amendment in December (click here [5] to read NYLCV's testimony), and expects to approve it in the coming weeks. The City Council will also review the matter later this winter.
Click here [6] to read the full amendment, or here [7] to view a slideshow on the proposal.