Why Raleigh is planting over 1,000 street trees in some city neighborhoods
Neighborhoods with fewer trees can be up to 20 degrees hotter than areas with more trees and green space.
Trees can help reduce flash floods and runoff during storms. And they convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.
But small city-planted trees along roads are more likely to be found in some Raleigh neighborhoods than others.
A city study found street trees are not equitably and equally planted in Raleigh. Now the city is pledging to plant 1,000 trees over three years in neighborhoods just southeast of downtown.
“With the city doing this project it shows that the city is concerned and cares about the environment,” said Chris Crum, a development forester with the city of Raleigh. “It also shows that we care about the people within the community as well.”
‘We’ve got to protect them’
Oaks. Elms. Maples. Eastern Redbuds.
The city just finished planting about 300 trees mostly in front of schools, churches, apartments and city-owned property. Streets within Walnut Terrace, the affordable housing development off Fayetteville Street, were included in the first round as were the streets in front of the Walnut Creek Wetland Center.
Trees were planted near Chavis Park, the City Cemetery of Raleigh and Rush Metropolitan AME Zion Church.
Raleigh officials want to make sure homeowners know a tree is coming before they see people digging outside, Crum said.
“Community engagement is a high priority for this project,” Crum said. “We didn’t just place trees down on the street. We excluded areas where there are single-family residential homes so that there can be some more time for engagement with those residents.”
That community engagement is one of the most important parts of the plan, said Amin Davis, an environmental scientist and board member of Partners for Environmental Justice.
“The most important part of this from a community and resident perspective is that all residents where these trees will be planted are informed ahead of time about what’s going on,” he said. “And they’re informed about the benefits and any maintenance or issues tied to these trees.”
The city contacted Partners for Environmental Justice for input on the plan.
“It’s definitely in line with things that we try to advocate and promote,” Davis said. “And, particularly in urban areas, the more trees you get, it is going to help the local air quality because those trees are going to be pumping out oxygen and helping offset all the carbon dioxide from cars and buildings and business and industry.”
Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem Corey Branch, who represents southeast Raleigh, said he’s glad to see the city move in this direction.
“Trees are like cities,” he said. “If we’re not growing, we’re dying. We’ve got to protect them.”
But he also said he gets calls from people to remove older city trees on their streets.
People can submit a tree service request online, raleighnc.gov/parks/urban-forestry-program, or call 919-996-4115 to report a city tree dying or causing problems.
For more information about the program, including a map of proposed tree locations, go to raleighnc.gov/street-tree-equity-project.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Why Raleigh is planting over 1,000 street trees in some city neighborhoods."
