Nashville Tree Mapping

Policy, Planning, and Systemic Change

This level addresses the "root causes" of urban environmental issues through structural and legislative action.

• Sustainability and Forestry Guidance: Serves as a primary tool for guiding future efforts in urban forestry and green infrastructure development to meet city-wide sustainability goals.

• Climate Resilience Strategy: Provides the data needed for city planners to develop strategies that reduce the "heat island effect," which is critical for long-term climate adaptation in high-density urban areas.

• Equitable Infrastructure Investment: Helps policymakers identify neighborhoods that are "tree-poor," allowing them to prioritize the planting of new trees as a form of equitable urban infrastructure that improves neighborhood health.

• Zoning and Land Use Support: Offers an essential record for planners to protect existing green spaces during the development process, ensuring that the "vital urban forest" is preserved as the city grows.

Assessment and Strategic Research

This phase uses the map as a diagnostic tool to understand the environmental health of specific areas.

• Geographic Record Maintenance: Provides a detailed geographic record of trees and green spaces, allowing researchers to track the health and growth of the canopy over time.

• Environmental Impact Analysis: Allows for the quantitative assessment of how trees contribute to air quality and temperature regulation in specific Nashville neighborhoods.

• Gap Identification: Pinpoints areas where the tree canopy is fragmented or absent, identifying specific "canopy deserts" that require immediate intervention to improve resident well-being.

Community Engagement and Collaboration

This level focuses on building awareness and consensus between the city and its residents.

• Environmental Awareness Education: Supports greater awareness of the city's urban forest by visualizing the location and characteristics of local trees for the general public.

• Advocacy Bridge: Serves as a shared, data-driven platform where community advocates and planners can collaborate on greening initiatives based on objective environmental data.

• Setting Local Priorities: Enables neighborhood groups to use the map as a reference point for defining their own greening priorities and requesting specific types of urban forestry support.

Empowerment and Individual Well-being

This level focuses on the "end-user" and the direct health benefits provided by the urban forest.

• Neighborhood Health Advocacy: Empowers residents to advocate for more trees in their specific streets by clearly showing a lack of existing canopy compared to other parts of the city.

• Personal Health Awareness: Encourages residents to appreciate and protect the green spaces that contribute to their overall neighborhood health and daily well-being.

Property and Environmental Stewardship: Helps individual property owners understand the characteristics of the trees in their area, encouraging more informed stewardship of the city's vital urban forest.