Street Trees for Charlotte, Mi
Charlotte Street Trees is a drive to plant over 50 street trees throughout the city in the summer of 2024. Organized by the Strong Towns Local Conversation in Charlotte, we are a non-profit, small group of neighbors helping restore the community's tree coverage.
Why Are Street Trees Important?
Heat Absorption
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the cooling impact of a single healthy tree is the equivalent of 10 room sized street air conditioners running 24/7. Tree lined streets are 5-15°F cooler than exposed heat islands.
Slow Traffic
Many studies have shown that vehicles driver slower on tree lined streets. One example is of a four year study of two sections of Colonial Drive in Orlando. The section without trees experienced 12% more mid-block crashes, 45% more injuries, and 6 deaths.
Increased Property Value
The Wharton School of business found that trees planted within fifty feet of houses in on Philadelphia Neighborhood caused home prices to increasing by 9%. In a Portland study, median sale prices of houses were $8,870 higher when a tree was adjacent to the home.
Absorb Rainwater
Trees absorb a half an inch of water every rainfall. Communities that increase their tree cover by 25% reduce their storm runoff by 10% which reduces the risk of combined sewage overflows.
Reduces Stress
Texas A&M found in a controlled study that exposure to settings with trees reduces blood pressure and muscles tension within five minutes.
Consumes CO₂
Street trees proximity to car exhaust make them extremely potent at sucking up CO₂. A study of Leicester, England, found that above ground vegetation stores 200,000 tons of carbon. 97% of which by trees.
Citation: Walk able City, by Jeff Speck - pages 223 -233. Specific study citations in the back of the book.
Why a Tree Drive in Charlotte?
Some may remember that the City of Charlotte used to have a tree planting and care program of its own. Sadly due to budget pressure these programs were cut years ago. As time passes our community's tree cover will continue to dwindle as we lose trees through attrition.
That is unless we as a community work together to reverse that trend.
2024 Trees Generously Provided by Cottage Gardens of Lansing
Red Maples, Sugar Maples
