From the end of the 19th century until the 1950s, Detroit was known as “the city of trees,” with more per capita than any industrialized city in the world. Ms. Westbrook noted that the city hasn’t addressed several dead trees on her block. The city’s TreePhilly program, which helps residents plant and care for trees, offers up to a dozen types of trees as options and explains which trees are safe to plant around pipes, sidewalks and wires. Agencies should shift their metrics of success to include not just the number of trees planted, but also how engaged residents are in the process. The trees planted in 2014 by the Greening of Detroit “are well-rooted and they are growing,” said Mellow Jean Dixon, Ms. Westbrook’s neighbor, who has one next to her house.

Source: New York Times January 07, 2019 15:45 UTC