“Neighborhood Level Planning for Urban Forestry Initiatives,” Tree Pittsburgh
1. A plan and program to increase tree canopy cover and engagement in the Lawrenceville neighborhood
2. Why Lawrenceville?
• Engaged group of Tree Tenders
• Diverse land uses
• Lower canopy cover
• Compromised air quality
• Urban Heat Island
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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 24
Bare soil 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.0 0
Water 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 5
Building 25.5 14.0 26.9 21.0 12
Road 19.4 9.7 19.0 15.8 13
Paved 19.4 11.5 18.7 31.1 23
Pervious 35.7 64.7 35.4 32.1 62
Impervious
64.3 35.5 64.6 67.9 38
6. 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 24
Bare soil 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.0 0
Water 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 5
Building 25.5 14.0 26.9 21.0 12
Road 19.4 9.7 19.0 15.8 13
Paved 19.4 11.5 18.7 31.1 23
Pervious 35.7 64.7 35.4 32.1 62
Impervious
64.3 35.5 64.6 67.9 38
10. Honey Locust
Gleditsia triacanthos
141 trees (10%)
Callery Pear
Pyrus calleryana
223 trees (16%)
Norway Maple
Acer platanoides
99 trees (7%)
Red Maple
Acer rubrum
130 trees (9%)
Hedge Maple
Acer campestre
104 trees (7%)
Japanese Tree Lilac
Syringa reticulata
92 trees (6%)
12. 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
13. 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.
Program Goals
1) 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.
14. Trees Mean
Business
Cemetery
Residential
Tree Planting
Program
Community
Spaces
Trees for
Industrial
Property
Maintenance
Outreach
16. 450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Increase
property
value
Improve air
quality
Increase
business
sales
Provide
shade
during hot
summer
months
Reduce
utility bills
Reduce
stormwater
runoff
Reduce
crime rates
None of the
above
Other
(please
specify)
Residents - Trees provide benefits to a neighborhood. What
benefits do you think are important to your neighborhood?
17. 250
200
150
100
50
0
If you have room to plant a tree in your
backyard, what type of tree would you like to
Fruit Evergreen Small flowering
tree
Large shade tree None/No room
plant?
21. 45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Give an annual
donation
towards a
neighborhood
tree fund to
care for trees in
my business
district if the
fee is
reasonable.
Offer a
donation of
food, water, gift
card, or some
other business
item for the
local Tree
Tenders at a
Tree Care event
Offer discounts
to Tree Tenders
Take a Tree
Tender class
geared
specifically
toward
business
owners
Take part in a
volunteer tree
planting event
in my business
district
None of the
above
Other (please
specify)
Business owners - How would you help to
protect, maintain, and plant trees in the
business district?
24. Evaluation and Monitoring
• 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
Goals:
Increase tree canopy and improve existing canopy’s health
Improve the condition of existing trees and remove hazardous trees in public spaces
Increase awareness about the benefits of trees among residents
Demonstrate the efficiencies and impact that can result from working at the neighborhood scale and create a model for replication
80+ tree tenders
Commercial, industrial, residential, parks, hillsides, riverfront
Census block break down – point out cemetery
Census block break down – point out opportunties along the riverfront
95% of possible canopy cover falls on private property
-The survey focused on maintained areas of the cemetery and yielded 1,966 trees.
-A total of 90 tree species were counted.
-Total annual benefits from trees in maintained areas in Allegheny Cemetery - $477,916
5 steering committee meetings
April – community survey
3 community meetings
326 students
588 residents
123 business owners/managers
59 none of the above (disqualified on survey)
ReLeaf Lawrenceville is the overarching program recommendation with many subprograms
Private property subsidized tree planting program
Advanced tree tender training course
Outreach to recent homeowners
Expand existing street tree pits
Host monthly pruning workshops
4% existing, 18% possible
Trees mean business
Greening parking lots with stormwater focus
Mulching and maintenance events with store owners and residents
In addition to asking greatest challenges and biggest concerns, we asked what they can do to help
Many can help by offering a donation or taking part in a volunteer event
300 acres, faced with declining canopy
Dedicated maintenance fund
Increase diversity
Encourage replacement tree planting program due to declining canopy
Designate as an official arboretum
Volunteer tree plantings
Wood reuse opportunities
Provide a junior tree tender course for school student
Plant trees in community spaces – Arsenal and Leslie park redesign
Riverfront and trail plantings
Plant for replacement in parks – 250 + trees in arsenal park
Celebrate arbor day
Seedling nursery in schools