CIVIC-PG Track A - Developing Community-Informed Strategies for Increased Longevity of Urban Trees to Mitigate Climate Change

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to provide government, community, and financial support for long-term maintenance of a healthy tree canopy to mitigate air pollution and exacerbation of urban heat from climate change, especially in communities at greatest risk from increased heat as a result of disinvestment and racial discrimination. By developing tree maintenance plans that align with community values and sharing lessons learned across the Midwest region through a newly formed Midwest tree hub, this project will develop tools for tapping into non-traditional funds for tree maintenance that alleviate the effects of extreme heat while also improving air quality, reducing energy burdens, and addressing other community priorities. This project significantly adds to the work on expanding tree canopy to maximize benefits to human and environmental health. While many communities hold pieces of the puzzle, such as where trees should be planted and how to fund the planting of new trees, the ability to maintain a healthy tree canopy over time is often thwarted by a lack of resources, knowledge, and coordination. This project will focus on those barriers by leveraging support, sharing knowledge, and increasing coordination to equitably sustain healthy tree canopies to mitigate the effects of climate change. This planning effort brings together clusters of local government, NGOs, and academic institutions in four Midwestern communities to build climate resilience by developing long-term, community-based solutions to maintain and expand tree canopy, focusing on communities that have experienced the most disinvestment and suffered the greatest disparities in health, income, and climate resilience. This work will bring together local government and community organizations in Indianapolis; Kansas City, Missouri; Dane County, Wisconsin; and St. Louis, to share successful tools, datasets, and strategies as well as dive deeper into common challenges and barriers that will not only benefit their communities but have impacts throughout the Midwest. The focus communities have been collecting data and exploring resources to better plan for expanded tree canopy in their respective locales. This multi-city and multi-institution collaboration will expand partner and stakeholder knowledge in: quantifying benefits of planting and maintenance strategies as planting zones shift due to climate change, best practices for the deployment of sensors and technology to aid in more efficient and effective tree maintenance, community engagement strategies for developing and implementing long-term maintenance plans prioritizing underserved and historically disinvested areas, and the possibility of using carbon credits as long-term funding for local tree programs. This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program—Track A. Living in a changing climate: pre-disaster action around adaptation, resilience, and mitigation—and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.