Urban Forests in Dallas: How Arborists are Shaping the City’s Green Future
Date June 01, 2023
In 2019, the city of Dallas partnered with the Texas Trees Foundation to establish a plan for planting more trees and preserving existing ones. It’s just one of several initiatives the city has implemented over the past decade to create beneficial urban forests. Key to the success of these programs are the arborists who help cultivate and maintain the trees. In this article, we’ll highlight just how important these professionals are for the community, environment, and property values.
Environmental Impacts
Image via Flickr by rjhuttondfw
In cities like Dallas, urban forests help combat the heat that vehicles, people, infrastructure, and energy use create, which is known as the heat island effect. This energy conservation can effectively save the city millions of dollars. The trees also help collect water runoff, further saving millions in stormwater management and infrastructure repairs. And, of course, the trees help improve air quality by absorbing pollutants through their leaves.
The experts who advise on the goals and vision for the urban forest and the planting of trees are certified arborists. These professionals are vital to creating the framework for planting trees throughout Dallas — where to put them, how many to plant, and which species to use.
Community Well-Being
Urban forests can help boost Dallas residents’ mental health, lower their stress levels, and encourage them to spend more time outdoors. These green spaces give city dwellers areas for recreation as well as relaxation. As a result, you might see more Dallas citizens walking and exercising outside under the shade of the trees, particularly during hot Texas summers. Trees can also directly affect the community’s well-being by offsetting the negative health impacts of smog and air pollution and shielding residents from the sun’s skin cancer-causing ultraviolet rays.
City leaders have identified that many of Dallas’ underserved communities have the least tree cover and are vulnerable to associated health risks. In response, the Texas Trees Foundation has launched the Tree Equity Planting Map 2022 to determine where tree-planting priorities lie and to create a strategy for investing in more trees and urban forests in Dallas. Arborists are pivotal to shaping this strategy.
Property Values
Trees benefit communities, businesses, and homeowners economically by improving aesthetics that raise property values. Urban forests can make cities more appealing, drawing more businesses, jobs, and skilled professionals to those areas.
Arborists play critical roles in educating citizens and local organizations about the economic benefits of urban forests. They oversee tree maintenance and monitor tree health along streets and in public areas. They then pass that information along to Dallas residents, teaching them how to care for trees through educational programs and events.
The urban forests in Dallas are helping the city become healthier, more eco-friendly, and more desirable as a place to live and work. Arborists are the experts behind the scenes cultivating and maintaining these spaces. To learn more about tree care or to get help maintaining the trees around your home or business, contact our team of certified arborists at TreeNewal.