City of Cambridge Participatory Budgeting

Committee: Environment

Cost: $200,000 for 100 Trees

Location: Urban heat islands, especially East Cambridge

Short Description: Plant 100 trees in the areas of Cambridge with the lowest canopy cover, making our most vulnerable neighborhoods healthier, cooler, and more beautiful places to live and visit.

Long Description:

Trees are among the best ways to combat climate change and reduce the urban heat island effect, in which areas with less tree canopy have high ambient air temperature, which can be especially uncomfortable. However, while some Cambridge neighborhoods have a dense tree canopy, others do not, and thus have a high concentration of heat islands.

Planting trees in East Cambridge and around other heat islands will mitigate high temperatures and low canopy cover where the need is highest while contributing to a more equal distribution of trees across city neighborhoods. The results will benefit all of Cambridge: cleaner air, cooler summer temperatures, and less CO2 escaping to the atmosphere.