Why is New York City planting a million trees?
Street trees are a key element of Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC—a citywide initiative to make New York City greener and more sustainable as our population grows. As part of PlaNYC and MillionTreesNYC, the Mayor has pledged to fill all available sidewalk spaces with trees over the next ten years. This means that Parks & Recreation will be transforming entire blocks and neighborhoods across the city, turning them from gray to green as we plant new trees. Just as residents do not determine the placement of city infrastructure such as traffic lights, bus stops, or fire hydrants, they will not be able to refuse the planting of a city tree in the public right–of–way. Trees are shared assets that benefit everybody. Street trees make the city more livable, improve the environment, and enhance public health. They beautify blocks, increase property values, and cool and clean the air. By shading hot surfaces, trees reduce the formation of ozone, which can trigger respiratory problems in children and t
