To paraphrase a beloved children's book, trees are nice—they give us oxygen, filter air pollutants, and absorb rainwater. Plus, research shows that trees in urban areas slow down traffic, foster civic pride and identity, and improve property values.
These perks haven't been lost on officials in Culver City, a neighborhood in ever-greenifying Los Angeles whose picturesque tree-lined streets are among the most coveted and expensive places to live in the area. Like a growing (sorry) number of American cities, Culver City is developing an urban forest master plan to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of its tree canopy.
Because of Los Angeles's size and diverse geography, not to mention a stripped-to-the-bones tree maintenance budget, the city would have a tough time ginning up a unified plan. But incorporated areas of L.A. County like Culver City, a town of roughly five square miles and 40,000 residents, have the freedom to act more nimbly.
[For more of this story, written by Deborah Snoonian Glenn, go to http://www.citylab.com/weather...to-its-trees/385455/]
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