Last updated: November 2024
Minimizing heat stress is a top priority for Phoenix, the hottest major city in the U.S. In 2023, extreme heat contributed to at least 359 deaths across Maricopa County. Phoenix is particularly vulnerable to climate change, with extensive concrete and asphalt, increased pollution, higher population densities, and concentrated infrastructure that exacerbate the urban heat island effect, drought, and extreme weather. Moreover, the heat disproportionately impacts lower-income and Hispanic neighborhoods, which tend to have less tree canopy and fewer resources to cope with rising temperatures. To address these challenges and promote tree equity in underserved neighborhoods, the City of Phoenix, along with the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, launched the Community Canopy Grant Program in 2023. The concept of tree equity refers to identifying areas with low tree coverage and high social need, then prioritizing investments in these areas. By improving tree equity, the program aims to assist neighborhood associations and community members in areas that need it most. The Community Canopy Grant Program targets neighborhoods within Qualifying Census Tracts across Phoenix, and one of the first neighborhoods to benefit was Westwood. In early 2024, community members gathered to plant 200 box trees for residents who received grants, marking the largest City-sponsored neighborhood tree planting event of the season. These tree plantings aim to provide much-needed shade for homes while fostering community engagement, helping to mitigate heat stress and build stronger, more resilient neighborhoods. (1-5)
The City of Phoenix is planting approximately 200 24" box trees for grant recipients living in a Westwood neighborhood on Saturday, March 2, marking it as the biggest City-sponsored neighborhood tree planting event of the season.
City of Phoenix
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Grey infrastructure featuring greens
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving physical health
- Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
- Effective management
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
- Environmental education
- Environmental and climate justice
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Environmental Degradation
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Physical health harm (from pollution, wildfire, extreme temperature)
- Poor community engagement
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood green and blue infrastrcuture protection or enhancement strategies/plans, Community-based programs (e.g. "Green Your Laneway Program"), Improved governance of green or blue areas, Creation of new, innovative governance and management approaches
Project objectives
The goals of the Westwood Tree Planting Project were to:
To advance justice, equity, and fairness within the local urban forest.
To promote efforts to reduce the impact of urban heat island effect and extreme heat on our changing climate.
To enhance green spaces for community members to use comfortably throughout the year.
To increase community engagement through tree planting events.
To provide the community with the skills and tools necessary to care for trees and ensure their long-term success and involve them in management practices
To prioritize green investments in areas with low tree coverage and high social needs.
To assist communities in increasing their tree canopies to foster a more resilient, sustainable, equitable, healthy, and thriving environment.
To increase tree cover to improve air quality, provide shade, and create habitat for wildlife. (1, 3)
Implementation activities
The Westwood neighborhood is a Qualifying Census Tract neighborhood with low tree coverage and high social needs (1). To address this, the City of Phoenix and the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation engaged in the following activities:
1. Founded the Community Canopy Grant where neighborhood associations, community nonprofits, multi-family residential sites, non-residential sites and community members within the City’s Qualified Census Tracts can submit applications seeking trees, supplies and support for tree planting projects (1).
2. Received funding for the program through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (3).
3. Planted 200 24" box trees for grant recipients living in a Westwood neighborhood through an organized community event (3).
4. Provided residents with a supply bag equipped with an irrigation timer, a moisture meter, a 100-foot hose, two t-shirts as well as information on their trees and how to care for them (3).
5. Contracted West Coast Arborists to plant trees for grant recipients (3).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Urban heat islands, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
- Marginalized groups: Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Citizens or community group
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Government: The City of Phoenix and the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation is responsible for initiating the grant program, approving applicants and providing the resources for tree planting projects (1-4)
Citizens or community group: The residents of the Westwood Neighborhood applied for the grant to get funding for a tree planting project and are responsible for tree care after installation (1, 3).
National government: funding for the grant program comes from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The grant program is funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (3))
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project is part of the Community Canopy grant program which offers free trees and tree planting support for residents and neighborhoods (3). )
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
Less than €10,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Energy efficiency improvements
- Expected energy efficiency improvements
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Expected improved air quality
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Achieved increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Achieved increased support for education and scientific research
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
City of Phoenix (n.d.). City of Phoenix Community Canopy Grant. [Source link];
2.
City of Phoenix (2023). Phoenix Awarded $10 Million to Expand Tree Planting Efforts. [Source link];
3.
City of Phoenix (2024). City of Phoenix Hosts Its Largest Neighborhood Tree Planting Event of the Season. [Source link];
4.
Bradshaw, Z. (2023). Phoenix funding trees and shade structures for underserved communities. [Source link];
5.
Arizona Technology Council (n.d.). In low-income Phoenix neighborhoods, the lack of shade trees is a question of equity. [Source link];
6.
Maricopa Association of Governments (n.d.). Arizona Demographics . [Source link];
Westwood Neighborhood
https://x.com/CityofPhoenixAZ/status/1765853470727545161
Westwood Neighborhood
https://x.com/CityofPhoenixAZ/status/1765853470727545161
Westwood Neighborhood
https://x.com/CityofPhoenixAZ/status/1765853470727545161
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.