25 Reasons to Love Urban Trees

Love the Trees

    1. Trees drastically reduce the need for air conditioning. Just three strategically placed trees can decrease utility bills by 50%.
    2. Trees attract customers. Shoppers spend up 12% more in shopping centers with trees and will shop longer and return more frequently.
    3. Trees can reduce annual storm water runoff by 2% — 7%.
    4. Trees reduce noise pollution by absorbing sounds.
    5. Urban forests support 60,000 California jobs annually.
    6. Trees encourage walking and cycling, which decreases car use and vehicular emissions, and helps keep people physically fit.
    7. Trees clean the air we breathe by absorbing carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and other air pollutants.
    8. Trees and vegetation can raise property values up to 37%.
    9. Trees shade cars and parking lots, reducing ozone emissions from vehicles.
    10. Contact with nature encourages imagination and creativity and helps a child’s cognitive and intellectual development. Research shows that natural settings can reduce Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms.
    11. By filtering airborne pollutants, trees reduce the conditions that cause asthma and other respiratory problems.
    12. Trees along streets results in slower traffic and more relaxed driving behaviors.
    13. Green spaces in urban environments are associated with lower crime rates, as well as reduced incidents of litter and graffiti.
    14. Trees increase the likelihood of physical activity by more than 300%. In fact, children and youth living in greener neighborhoods have lower body mass index.
    15. Urban nature helps to restore the mind from mental fatigue and relax the body. Trees reduce stress by lowering levels of cortisol, a stress indicating hormone.
    16. Trees promote biodiversity by creating wildlife habitat.
    17. Shade from trees cuts extends the life of pavement to reduce street repaving and maintenance costs.
    18. Trees provide fresh fruits and nut to feed residents and encourage healthy diets.
    19. Trees provide a natural method of flood control by absorbing and slowing the flow of stormwater.
    20. Trees provide protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays, thereby helping to prevent skin cancer.
    21. Patients recovering from surgery have faster recovery rates and shorter hospital stays when they can view nature.
    22. Trees protect soil by absorbing, transforming and containing contaminants and reducing soil erosion.
    23. Trees beautify and enhance the character of neighborhoods and foster civic pride for one’s community.
    24. The greening of neighborhoods with trees is an effective method of revitalizing neighborhoods and creating attractive and inviting settings that encourage social interaction amongst neighbors.
    25. Trees are the only form of urban infrastructure that actually increase in value over time and result in a more than 300% return on investment.