Growing Green Communities
Green Solutions for Population Growth
Urban Growth
During the last century, we have experienced rapid growth in urban sectors, increasing the need to develop to accommodate a growing population while also ensuring all people have access to the benefits of trees and green space.
Montgomery County
Urban areas in Montgomery County are also growing at a consistent rate.
Pros
Economic Development
Which brings more opportunity for economic development, and provides more services for the population.
Cons
Energy Consumption
However, more population also increase energy consumption.
Cons
Pollution
And increases pollution at different levels.
But how can we enjoy an increase in services and economic development without increasing pollution and energy consumption?
Urban Tree Benefits
Trees are complex organisms that have the capacity to address a wide range of issues communities currently face. Their presence provides many benefits to the environment, to human behavior and health, and even to economic development.
Urban Tree Benefits for the Environment
- Clean Air
- Carbon Sequestration
- Water quality
- Pollution reduction
- Reduction of Urban Heat Island Effect
Urban Tree Benefits on Health
- Air quality
- Noise reduction
- Community well-being
- Physical and Mental Health
- Protection from heat
- Protection from cars
Urban Tree Benefits on Human behavior
- Encouraging people to walk and play outside
- Create a sense of place
- Create a sense of protection
- Create a connection with identity and nature
Urban Tree Benefits on Economic Development
- Making places more attractive
- Increase the property value
- Attracting more pedestrians, increasing sales for businesses
- Cooling buildings, reducing energy cost
Urban Tree Canopy Definition
Urban Tree Canopy is a collection of trees that grow within cities, towns, or suburbs. They endure rough conditions and provide sustainable benefits.
Why Measure It?
Understanding the level of urban tree canopy will provide insight on how sustainable a city can be in the near future.
Tree Canopy in Urban Areas
Tree Canopy is defined as vegetation 8 feet tall or higher. Montgomery Planning regularly purchases LiDAR data to support various products, and the interactive tool you will see below is is one such product.
Four band infrared imagery is combined with LiDAR to extract our tree canopy layers. In the photos below you can see the imagery used to locate vegetation on the left, followed by an image rendition of our LiDAR data that shows elevations in the middle, and the photo on the right shows our canopy layer extraction which is the union of vegetation (from imagery) and elevation over 8 feet (from LiDAR).
The 2009, 2014, and 2018 tree canopy layers shown in the tool below used the "QL2" LiDAR standard, which captures only 4 samples per square meter. Starting with the department’s 2021 tree canopy layers, a higher quality LiDAR standard called "QL1" was used. This new technology captures 8 samples per square meter.
This means that the new QL1 technology is better able to capture smaller saplings that the QL2 technology could have have missed. QL1 also has the ability to better detect the fringes of tree canopy. Because of the higher resolution of QL1, the overall tree canopy capture for any given area is higher than it would be if it were measured by the older QL2 today.
Because the department will be using QL1 LiDAR from 2021 going forward, the canopy derived from this LiDAR cannot be compared to the older QL2 canopy captures. The trend for canopy percentages for 2009, 2014, and 2018 shall be considered one trend. And going forward from 2021, we shall establish a new trend with this and all future canopy captures.
How to use the Changes in Tree Canopy Tool
Changes in Tree Canopy Tool (QL2 and QL1 Data Trends)
ArcGIS Dashboards
How to use the Comparing Urban Tree Canopy Tool
Comparing Urban Tree Canopy Tool (QL2 Data Trend)
Urban Tree Canopy Change Over Time
How to use the Urban Tree Canopy Visual Comparison Tool
Urban Tree Canopy Visual Comparison Tool (QL2 Data Trend)
Story Map Swipe and Spyglass
Reaching the Full Potential of Our Cities
In order to reach maturity and provide maximum benefits, a tree must have access to at least 1000 cubic feet of soil.
Using soil cells for reduced spaces
Soil cells allow the roots of trees to grow underneath hardscape into adjacent green space.
Selecting the right tree
We have developed a list of trees that are suitable for Montgomery County. These are native, resilient shade trees with the ability to grow in urban spaces and adapt to climate change.
Reforest Montgomery
Reforest Montgomery offers property owners a variety of incentives to plant trees within the county. Select the link below to learn more:
Conclusions
Prepare for growth
In order to have resilient communities, there needs to be public space that encourages walking, exercising, and less dependence on cars.
Placing as many trees as possible in urban areas, will bring many benefits to the community, to the environment, and the economy.
Other Resources
To calculate the tree canopy for your community or any custom-draw area within any part of Montgomery County, click the button below:
For articles and research papers about of urban tree canopy, click on the buttons below:
Learn More
Want to know how much tree canopy shades your community? Contact us for a site-specific analysis.
