Community Trees
The Urban Forest

Watch our video (Windows Media Player format)
Watch our video (QuickTime format)

The Home Depot Foundation believes that trees aren't just "nice" things to have, but that they are essential to a supportive, healthy community. We often take for granted trees and their remarkable economic, social and environmental contributions to our communities. The role trees play in creating healthy, livable communities is invaluable. We believe that trees are an untapped resource that can be used to help cities deal with the pollution of our air and water, cool our city streets, reduce crime, reduce asthma and improve our overall health.

Why Trees?
When you think of a forest, do you think of a city? Most people, in fact 80% of our nation's population, live in urban areas. And a significant portion of our trees, 25% of our nation's tree canopy, are in parks, along streets and in our backyards. Protecting and planting trees are important ways to improve the quality of life for the majority of people who are residents of our cities.

The benefits of increasing the tree canopy are clear and well-documented:

  • Businesses on tree-lined streets experience increased sales
  • Property values of homes with trees are 5-20% higher than equivalent properties without trees
  • Shade from trees can cut utility costs in half
  • Areas with trees have lower rates of crime
  • Children perform better in school if they are able to spend time in green settings
  • Neighbors spend more time outside and have more opportunities to meet one another in areas with trees

Across the country, people are thinking much more about "green" issues — energy conservation, global warming and sprawl. Many exciting collaborations are being developed with the integration of "green technologies" into affordable housing developments. Cities like Chicago, Seattle and Austin, are starting to mandate the use of green systems into their public buildings and it is becoming part of their everyday code requirements. A key part of these efforts is planting and protecting the cities' trees.

Trees in the Community
Not only do we take the beauty and utility of trees for granted in our every day lives, but we also take for granted the power the simple act of planting a tree can have on the ability to transform a site, a person, a community.

Tree planting can be a catalyst to move people to action and to make their neighborhoods healthier, safer and more livable communities.

Accordingly, The Home Depot Foundation supports community programs that:

  • Incorporate trees and landscape into the community development plans of neighborhoods as part of the infrastructure to control stormwater runoff, create a sense of place, and provide shaded recreational opportunities
  • Incorporate the strategic use of trees and landscape to reduce utility bills, provide connectivity and reduce the "heat island" effect created by increased buildings and impervious surfaces
  • Educate and engage citizens about the important role trees play to our overall health, economic success and social wellbeing of our communities.

In particular, the Foundation encourages programs that create or expand partnerships between community tree organizations and those focused on other areas of community development, such as affordable housing and programs that provide volunteer opportunities.

The links between community development and trees are certain and The Home Depot Foundation is proud to be among the first major sponsor to support these causes together. We hope to bring people and trees together, transform neighborhoods and build healthy communities.

back to top