In 2010, the city of Phoenix adopted the Tree and Shade Master Plan.
It called for the city to invest in trees and “urban forests” in an effort to “reduce its carbon footprint, decrease energy costs, reduce storm water runoff, increase biodiversity, address the urban heat island effect, clean the air and increase property values.”
It also called for a minimum 25% arboreal coverage of the city, and though city services plant about 2,000 trees a year, some downtown neighborhoods are struggling to meet 10% coverage.
On Wednesday, the Phoenix City Council passed an ordinance that would codify some of the provisions within the Tree and Shade Master Plan into municipal law.
Nicole Rodriguez is a community advocate and a member of the city’s Tree and Shade subcommittee, and The Show spoke with her to learn about the latest developments.
