June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 78

PHOENIX PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT

OPERATIONS

Strategically planted trees and vegetation reduce surface and air temperatures
through evapotranspiration and shading.

oped and driven by the Phoenix
Parks and Recreation Department.
Using existing staff and resources,
the department developed and implemented the Tree and Shade Master Plan in-house. The department
also created the Tree and Shade
Task Force and mobilized community members, businesses and

As communities across the
country grapple with rising
temperatures and worsening UVR
exposure, trees are a relatively
simple, high-impact solution to
promote community health and
offer protection from the sun.
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Parks & Recreation

volunteers to support implementation and tree planting. Through
a combination of educational
programming in the community,
videos, informational brochures,
presentations and workshops, the
city found it easy to garner community support for this long-term
and large-scope investment. The
city also developed an online treeinventory application for residents
to increase community engagement.
While notable progress has been
made, there is growing awareness
in Phoenix that a substantial increase is needed in the number of
trees planted annually to reach the
citywide goal. And, not just by the
city's Parks and Recreation Department; participation is needed
from all city departments, and the
broader community, to cool the
city. This is particularly true in
the city's most transit-dependent
neighborhoods, where the current
tree canopy is limited. Neighborhoods with vulnerable populations are in need of additional
trees to mitigate the effects of the
urban heat island (www.epa.gov/
heat-islands/using-trees-and-vege
tation-reduce-heat-islands).
Replication
While much work remains to be
done, the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department and the city of
Phoenix have enjoyed success with
this internationally recognized initiative - and the great news is that
your department can enjoy this
too. With an understanding of environmental awareness and design
and a commitment to sustainable
development, Phoenix Parks and
Recreation Department believes
this framework is replicable and
sustainable.

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As with any new initiative, the
department encountered challenges to implementation, including limited staff resources,
burdensome procurement procedures and collaboration with
the various stakeholders. While
urban forests and shade canopies
have a strong return on investment, these initiatives do come
with added expenses. To finance
the initiative, it added a new budget line item for the purchase of
trees and notes that replication
of this model requires a commitment to both best maintenance
practices and allocation of budgetary resources. The EPA's studies of urban forestry programs
suggest that pruning is often the
greatest expenditure, followed
by administration and inspection
expenses. Tree planting is one of
the lowest costs, accounting for
only 2-15 percent of total annual
urban forestry expenditures.
As communities across the country grapple with rising temperatures and worsening UVR exposure, trees are a relatively simple,
high-impact solution to promote
community health and offer protection from the sun. As Phoenix
Parks and Recreation Department
points out, " a little care and maintenance can last a lifetime. "
To learn more about the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department's Tree and Shade Master
Plan, go to www.phoenix.gov/
parks/parks/urban-forest.
Do you have other examples
of natural and/or creative shade
structures to share? Please contact
Cassie Pais at cpais@nrpa.org.
Cassie Pais is NRPA's Development Officer
(cpais@nrpa.org).

June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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