Concrete jungle or urban forest? New York City is trying to transform the former into the latter, but it won’t be easy.
The city’s tree canopy — defined as the layer of leaves, branches and stems from trees that cover and shade the ground at the height of summer — comprises around seven million trees spread out over 42,656 acres. As of 2021, citywide canopy coverage was around 23 percent, according to the nonprofit Nature Conservancy, as cited in a recent report from the comptroller’s office. An earlier goal to expand that coverage to 30 percent by 2030 was deemed too ambitious. The city’s new 2026 plan pushed the date to 2040, but set no guarantees on how it would be accomplished.
The rationale goes far beyond beautifying the city. “Healthy trees deliver measurable benefits for New Yorkers,” said Comptroller Mark Levine. “They help lower energy costs, reduce extreme heat, improve air quality and protect communities from flooding.” The report notes that neighborhoods with the lowest canopy coverage face the highest levels of heat vulnerability and associated health risks.
Because canopy growth has been driven primarily by existing trees, caring for them — pruning, watering and soil management — is essential, “particularly in the first years after planting,” the report stated.
All that costs money — planting a sapling can run $3,000 — and New York’s Department of Parks and Recreation, which manages most public trees, receives a much smaller share of the city budget than is allotted to parks in other major cities. On top of all this, about a third of the city’s trees are on private or institutional property and largely out of the city’s control.
New Yorkers can avoid harming the trees we have. Trash or dog waste can impair the health of a tree bed and kill a sapling. But the biggest threat to trees is heavy storms that can cause uprooting.
“As climate risks intensify, investing in our urban forests is not optional,” said Mr. Levine. “It is a necessary investment in the health, equity and future of our city.”
