What have urban trees ever done for us?

Quite a bit, actually.

The Biden administration announced last week that it is releasing $1 billion in federal funds to help plant and maintain trees in cities and towns across the U.S.

A billion dollars is a lot of cash — but an investment in urban forests is an investment that will deliver major returns.

Urban trees cool our cities.

Cities are heating up. Roads, buildings, pavement and other hard surfaces absorb and retain heat, leading to the urban heat island effect, in which urban centers experience higher temperatures than surrounding areas. Tree-shade can reduce peak summer temperatures in urban areas by as much as 45°F, according to the EPA, making cities more comfortable places to live and work.

Heat islands aren’t just uncomfortable. Excessive heat is responsible for thousands of premature deaths worldwide every year. According to a 2023 study in The Lancet, more than a third of all heat-related deaths could be avoided by planting more trees in urban areas.

As well as saving lives, tree shade saves money. One study estimates that urban forests across the United States provide benefits in the form of reduced health impacts and lower energy consumption worth between $5.3 billion and $12.1 billion per year.