Trees are a huge asset to their communities, yet we frequently fail to plant them in viable conditions where they can grow to maturity. Credit: Edward Marritz

This post originally appeared in Next American City.

In February, the U.S. Forest Service published a report indicating that cities around the country are losing around 4 million trees per year. Of the 20 cities included in the study, 17 showed significant losses of canopy cover, and 16 showed significant increases in impervious hardscape (or paved surfaces that don’t absorb water). At the same time, cities like Los Angeles, New York, Salt Lake City and Philadelphia continue to announce “Million Tree” planting initiatives as part of citywide green infrastructure efforts.

But are these initiatives likely to result in long-term success for urban trees? I’m not optimistic. That’s because we can’t expect to increase canopy cover, environmental utility or tree mortality rates simply by increasing the number of trees we plant — we have to change how we plant them. Continue reading →