Notes from Urban Tree Canopy
Blog
Field notes: the block that lost its street trees to a parking varianceA block-level field note on how a routine parking variance quietly stripped a street of its canopy, and why nobody caught it until the next survey.
How often should a city refresh its canopy layer between planting seasons?How often should a city refresh its tree canopy layer between planting seasons? Why a biennial canopy survey cadence fits most planting target programs.
- Net canopy gain vs. planting totals: accounting for tree mortality
Planting counts and canopy gain aren't the same number. Here's how urban tree mortality and a biennial canopy survey change the math.
What is tree equity, and how does it differ from canopy cover percentage?Citywide canopy percentage and tree equity measure different things. Here's how the equity gap shows up block by block, and why averages hide it.
How to prioritize blocks for planting using a thin-canopy mapA practical method for turning a thin-canopy map into a ranked planting priority list, block by block, instead of guessing from citywide averages.
- Setting a block-level canopy baseline before your planting program starts
How to set a block-level canopy baseline before a planting program starts: what to capture, when, and why citywide averages don't hold up.
- How to set a tree canopy planting target for city council
A practical walkthrough for forestry staff on picking a defensible canopy goal percentage and getting it into an ordinance council will fund.
i-Tree Canopy vs aerial canopy mapping: what's the difference?i-Tree Canopy's point sampling and a mapped canopy layer answer different questions. Here's when each one works for a planting-target program.
- Street trees vs. park trees: two different lines in your canopy count
Why lumping right-of-way canopy with park canopy hides the real progress of a street tree planting program, and how to split the two.
- Canopy cover vs. tree cover: what's the difference, and why planners keep mixing them up
Canopy cover and tree cover sound interchangeable but measure different things. Here's the distinction and why it matters for planting-target tracking.