SHADE PHOENIX

A future in which all community members and visitors experience the benefits of trees and built shade throughout Phoenix.

In the hottest large city in the United States, shade is a critical community resource. Shade, provided by trees and built structures, creates cooler, comfortable spaces that protect public health, improve quality of life, and strengthen community resilience. Maintaining and expanding Phoenix’s shade will take proactive, coordinated action with residents, businesses, non-profit partners, and across City departments.

In 2024, the City of Phoenix created an action plan focusing on shade as an update to, and expansion of, the City’s 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan. The Shade Phoenix Plan outlines the concrete actions the City and its partners will take over the next five years to scale up and accelerate efforts to expand shade in Phoenix, with an explicit focus on the city’s most vulnerable residents. 

Dialogue around trees and shade has been ongoing since before the City’s first Tree and Shade Master Plan was adopted 2010. Community engagement to inform the Shade Phoenix Plan formally began in 2022 with the creation of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, which was delegated the responsibility for the Tree and Shade Master Plan. The Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, in collaboration with other departments, strived to center community voices in the creation of this plan. Engagement included  presentations to community groups, seeking input at community events and budget hearings, facilitating a bi-language dialogue at community charettes, and soliciting input from an online questionnaire in English and Spanish.  

Feedback provided through an online questionnaire, and other engagement activities, provides a clear message that the City should invest in more trees and shade structures, particularly in areas where people spend time outdoors, commute, or gather for recreation. Respondents pointed to a serious deficiency of natural and built shade, provided general support for tree and shade efforts, voiced concerns for right shade in the right place, and pressed for a better maintenance plan.

“This should be a high priority for the city, not only as a matter of human rights, but as preparation for continued climate change…Trees will make it more habitable for future residents, which will in turn allow Phoenix to continue to be a place people want to move to, not just for work, but as a place to call home and raise children.”

Extreme heat is a public health challenge for the City of Phoenix, especially for community members with higher physical sensitivity, more exposure, and fewer coping resources. Over the past ten years, Phoenix has averaged more than 115 days each year with daytime temperatures exceeding 100°F, and more than 45 days each year when the overnight low temperature does not fall below 85°F. Hot days and nights are becoming more common and are projected to increase in frequency and intensity in the coming decades.

People’s experiences in the Phoenix of the future will be influenced by how successfully our community maintains and expands publicly available shade, because shade is one of the most effective strategies to make hot outdoor urban environments safe and comfortable. Expanding shade coverage throughout the city will improve people’s experiences better than strategies that prioritize reductions in air or surface temperature.  

Shade Phoenix is a data-driven plan, leveraging detailed analysis of citywide tree and shade data across City-owned, public, and private properties. At the census tract scale, tree canopy cover varies from 2% to 30%. The median census tract has 11% tree canopy. The plan also includes findings from the City’s first total shade analysis, which maps the combined impact of shade from both built and natural sources.

The plan includes 36 actions across four strategy areas, addressing 11 strategic priorities. Collectively, these actions represent more than $60 million in allocated funding over the next five years and will result in more than 27,000 new trees and 550 new shade structures. This represents an almost doubling of the number of trees planted annually in Phoenix. More than 50% of the total investment will be made in low to moderate-income communities and 85% will be made in low, moderate, and middle-income communities. The four strategy areas are:

Expand Shade - increase shade for children and on City-owned properties, the public right-of-way, and private properties.  

Preserve and Maintain Existing Shade - care for and maintain trees and shade structures on public property, strengthen code enforcement on private property, and increase City capacity to maintain trees and shade.

Evaluate and Institutionalize - monitor and evaluate progress on the Shade Phoenix Plan; strengthen organizational coordination and staff capacity; strengthen regulations, design standards, and guidelines; and create and expand pathways for careers in urban forestry.  

Educate and Empower - create a citywide movement around shade and heat and provide public education on sustainable and equitable shade practices. 

City of Phoenix -  Shade Grant Programs  The City of Phoenix works on many programs to increase natural and built shade within city boundaries. This page offers information on City programs such as the Community Canopy grants, Canopy for Kids grants, Cool Corridors, Sidewalk Shade projects, Sombra, the Walkable Urban Code.

City of Phoenix -  Love Your Block Program  The Love Your Block (LYB) program is for listed neighborhood groups who are interested in making a difference in their community. The program is designed to develop and build neighborhood capacity. Participants will discover the unique traits of leadership and find a place to learn, study and grow into that leader. LYB has an exciting instructor-led, highly participatory workshop designed to increase resident knowledge and equip them to make a dynamic impact in their community. Neighborhood groups can apply for a grant for up to $5,000 to implement a​ project in their community

The Nature Conservancy -  Urban Heat Leadership Academy  The Urban Heat Leadership Academy equips residents from the Phoenix Metro Area with the knowledge, resources and skills to advocate for more trees, cool walkable corridors and the use of rainwater for trees and vegetation in their communities. The Academy is offered in Spanish and English, is free of charge and is open to Maricopa County residents. 

SRP -  Free Shade Trees and Workshop  SRP customers can get two free desert-friendly, fast-growing trees by attending a workshop. Hosted by Trees Matter, the workshop covers how to select, plant and care for your trees. After attending, you can claim your two new tree saplings.

APS -  Community Tree Program   APS offers grant funding to qualified organizations for community-based tree planting projects in high need areas within the APS service territory. Through an open and competitive cycle, APS will accept one proposal from a qualified organization per year. Proposals may be submitted for a minimum of $1,000 and a maximum of $10,000, and APS funding may only be used to purchase trees, tree stakes and ties. Funding priority will be given to projects in vulnerable communities that have low tree equity and high tree prioritization map scores.

Smartscape Program -  Maricopa County Courses   Smartscape is a comprehensive, research-based training program that instructs landscape and irrigation professionals in the fundamentals of design, installation, and maintenance of sustainable, desert-adapted landscapes and irrigation systems. Classes are taught by local industry experts, academics, and practitioners.

• Department of Forestry and Fire Management -  Urban and Community Forestry 
• International Society of Arboriculture -  ISA 
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension -  Maricopa County Master Gardeners 
• University of Arizona Cooperative Extension -  Tree Reference Guide for Maricopa County 
• City of Phoenix Planning and Development-  Green Stormwater Infrastructure 

 Volunteer Phoenix: Park Stewards  The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is seeking volunteers who can help monitor, protect, and maintain over 35,000 acres of preserve lands. With a limited number of Park Rangers on hand to manage these public lands, becoming a Park Steward is a way to "give back" to these beautiful areas that so many enjoy. Park Stewards are a valuable part of our conservation team.

 Keep Phoenix Beautiful  Keep Phoenix Beautiful is an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Keep Phoenix Beautiful provides tools to empower our diverse communities to improve overall quality of life. The vision is a vibrant Phoenix where each neighborhood is a healthy, beautiful place to live. To achieve that vision, KPB aims to inspire individuals and organizations through leadership, active partnerships, and meaningful volunteer experiences.

 Trees Matter  Trees Matter is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) environmental education nonprofit. They see a need to provide important resources to the general public so they can properly choose trees, plant trees, care for trees, and of course advocate for trees. They hope to encourage a culture of tree advocates and stewards.

 Arizona Sustainability Alliance  Arizona Sustainability Alliance (AZSA) is a non-partisan group committed to protecting the environment and promoting sustainable living through action and advocacy. Through civic engagement, collaboration, and education, AZSA empowers Arizona citizens to work together toward more verdant, equitable, and sustainable communities. They share a deep concern about catastrophic climate change, the future of the planet, and the health and well-being of generations to come.