A plan and program to increase tree canopy cover and engagement in the Lawrenceville neighborhood

Why Lawrenceville?

• Engaged group of Tree Tenders• Diverse land uses• Lower canopy cover• Compromised air quality• Urban Heat Island

What do we have? State Of Lawrenceville’s Urban Forest

What do we want? Planning Process and Public Engagement

How do we get there? Recommendations and Implementation

How are we doing? Evaluation and Monitoring

State Of Lawrenceville’s Urban Forest

• Includes:– Urban tree canopy assessment (2011)

– Park tree resource structure (2013)

– TreeVitalize efforts (2008-2014)

– Street tree resource structure (2014)• iTree streets

– Allegheny Cemetery inventory (2006)

– Connection to:• Air quality

• Stormwater

Lower Lawrenceville

Central Lawrenceville (with Cemetery)

Central Lawrenceville (without Cemetery)

Upper Lawrenceville

Pittsburgh Average

Current Canopy (%)

15.3 33.6 12.3 19 42

Possible Canopy (%)

39.9 42.6 41.7 44 33

Grass 20.0 30.9 22.9 12.9 24Bare soil 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.0 0Water 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 5Building 25.5 14.0 26.9 21.0 12Road 19.4 9.7 19.0 15.8 13Paved 19.4 11.5 18.7 31.1 23Pervious 35.7 64.7 35.4 32.1 62

Impervious64.3 35.5 64.6 67.9 38

Lower Lawrenceville

Central Lawrenceville (with Cemetery)

Central Lawrenceville (without Cemetery)

Upper Lawrenceville

Pittsburgh Average

Current Canopy (%)

15.3 33.6 12.3 19 42

Possible Canopy (%)

39.9 42.6 41.7 44 33

Grass 20.0 30.9 22.9 12.9 24Bare soil 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.0 0Water 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 5Building 25.5 14.0 26.9 21.0 12Road 19.4 9.7 19.0 15.8 13Paved 19.4 11.5 18.7 31.1 23Pervious 35.7 64.7 35.4 32.1 62

Impervious64.3 35.5 64.6 67.9 38

Parcel Analysis

Honey LocustGleditsia triacanthos 141 trees (10%)

Callery PearPyrus calleryana 223 trees (16%)

Red MapleAcer rubrum130 trees (9%)

Norway MapleAcer platanoides99 trees (7%)

Hedge MapleAcer campestre104 trees (7%)

Japanese Tree LilacSyringa reticulata92 trees (6%)

* $477,916 annual benefits* 7,750,899 gallons of rainfall intercepted

Public Engagement

• Neighborhood Ambassador• Steering Committee

– Lawrenceville United– Lawrenceville Corporation– Friends of Arsenal Park– Lawrenceville Tree Tenders– City of Pittsburgh Planning Office– City of Pittsburgh Forestry Division

• Community Survey• Community Meetings

– State of Lawrenceville’s Urban Forest– Recommendations– Implementation strategies

Program Goals1) Provide a strategic vision to increase and enhance the current tree canopy throughout Lawrenceville.2) Encourage public and private participation in urban forest management through volunteerism. 3) Empower neighborhood organizations to move forward different projects and programs to increase, maintain, and protect trees.4) Ensure tree benefits for future generations through a sustainable planting program.

Program Vision: Driven by an engaged and informed community and supported by non-profit organizations, city agencies, and private property owners, Lawrenceville’s urban forest will be better maintained and grow over the next five years to increase social, environmental, economic, and public health benefits trees provide.

Trees Mean Business

Cemetery

Residential Tree Planting

Program

Community Spaces

Trees for Industrial Property

Outreach

Maintenance

Residential Homeowners

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Increaseproperty

value

Improve airquality

Increasebusiness

sales

Provideshade

during hotsummermonths

Reduceutility bills

Reducestormwater

runoff

Reducecrime rates

None of theabove

Other(pleasespecify)

Residents - Trees provide benefits to a neighborhood. What benefits do you think are important to your neighborhood?

0

50

100

150

200

250

Fruit Evergreen Small floweringtree

Large shade tree None/No room

If you have room to plant a tree in your backyard, what type of tree would you like to

plant?

Industrial Property Owners

Commercial Owners

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Give an annualdonationtowards a

neighborhoodtree fund to

care for trees inmy businessdistrict if the

fee isreasonable.

Offer adonation of

food, water, giftcard, or someother business

item for thelocal Tree

Tenders at aTree Care event

Offer discountsto Tree Tenders

Take a TreeTender class

gearedspecifically

towardbusinessowners

Take part in avolunteer treeplanting eventin my business

district

None of theabove

Other (pleasespecify)

Business owners - How would you help to protect, maintain, and plant trees in the

business district?

Cemeteries

Community Spaces

• number of trees planted

• survival rates

• overall tree canopy cover change

• tree canopy cover change by land type

• number of Tree Tenders

• number of trees pruned

• number of trees mulched and weeded

• assessment of annual tree benefits

Evaluation and Monitoring

October 18th, 2014

October 25th, 2014

Questions?