Shortly before Earth Day and Arbor Day, the Mamdani administration released a preliminary Urban Forest Plan that aims to expand New York City's tree canopy to 30 percent by 2040, with a focus on neighborhoods where temperatures are hotter than the city average (look up your neighborhood here). The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's strategy is to plant trees in every viable place within a zone, starting with the most vulnerable neighborhoods, while removing stumps and dying trees.
Some have raised questions about how the new trees' planting and maintenance is to be paid for. According to The City, the preliminary budget proposes cutting nearly $34 million from the parks department's budget, which could make it more difficult to hire people to plant and maintain the trees. But Simon Skinner, Chief of Programs and Operations for non-profit New York Restoration Project (which is holding tree giveaways until May 16), points out that the Bloomberg administration's successful MillionTreesNYC initiative shows that the Urban Forest Plan can be done, noting that several agencies came together to prioritize the goal.
In this article:
The announcement for the Urban Forest Plan came on the heels of the unveiling of a proposed redesign of Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza, which proposes to connect the Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch to Prospect Park with a new, car-free pedestrian space. It also proposes banning cars from Union Street to Eastern Parkway on the plaza's southern edge, creating new bike lanes, and bus priority upgrades. This is still in very early stages, with a public workshop scheduled for Wednesday, April 29 at 6:00 p.m.
Both initiatives nod to the success of trees in clearing the air, absorbing enormous amounts of carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Their environmental benefits also include controlling storm runoff, combating the "heat island effect" by shading paved streets, and, by reducing the demand for heating and air conditioning, decrease carbon emissions associated with power production.
Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated on the fourth Friday of every April, and observed by planting trees. However, NYC Parks' NYC Tree Map lets New Yorkers make it last all year. This interactive tool allows New Yorkers to track trees on the streets and in parks, share their favorites, and see the ecological benefits firsthand. But for some New Yorkers, their favorite tree is the one they see outside their window, like the ones in the listings below.
Select available listings with treetop views
35-11 85th Street, #5H (Compass)
Carlton House, #2R (Compass)
599 East 7th Street, #2B (Abacus Properties LLC)
55 Hicks Street, #34 (Sothebys International Realty)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Concord Village, #6E (Compass)
368 Saint Nicholas Avenue, #PH5B (Compass)
West Village Houses, #3A (R New York)
Walton Hall, #4D (Sothebys International Realty)
634 11th Street, #4F (Compass)
125 East 63rd Street, #4C (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
185 Prospect Park Southwest, #301
$1,250,000
Windsor Terrace | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,300 ft2
185 Prospect Park Southwest, #301 (Compass)
Opal 33, #PH4C
$1,361,360
South Slope - Greenwood Heights | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 836 ft2
Opal 33, #PH4C (Corcoran Group)
362 13th Street, #3 (Compass)
325 West 52nd Street, #PHD (Serhant)
21 Lefferts Place, #PH (Corcoran Group)
Little Gramercy, #23D (Corcoran Group)
Manhattan House, #D206 (Scrimale Realty LLC)
33 Frost Street, #3B (Nest Seekers LLC)
The Portsmouth, #4B (Sothebys International Realty)
Landmark Estates Condos, #4 (Compass)
84 Prospect Park West, #3L
$2,500,000
Windsor Terrace | Cooperative | 4 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths | 1,636 ft2
84 Prospect Park West, #3L (Serhant)
The Wellston, #4D (Digs Realty Group LLC)
222 Riverside Drive, #2B
$3,150,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,000 ft2
222 Riverside Drive, #2B (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Windsor Arms, #9DE (Corcoran Group)
The Rushmore, #5J
$4,300,000
Riverside Dr./West End Ave. | Condominium | 4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,489 ft2
The Rushmore, #5J (Compass)
The Orleans, #5B (Compass)
279 Central Park West, #8BC
$13,885,000
Central Park West | Condominium | 6+ Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 4,019 ft2
279 Central Park West, #8BC (Compass)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
6sqft delivers the latest on real estate, architecture, and design, straight from New York City.
