Street Trees &

Economic
Development
A Proposal for Targeted, Commercial Corridor Expansion
of the City of Dallas’ Urban Reforestation Program
Shoppers are willing to spend 23%
more when living “within 1/4 mile of
"excellent" commercial corridors
(those with a high quality urban
forest canopy, as compared to a
similar place that is kept up well but
contains no trees.)

-
Public Investment Strategies: How Th
ey Matter for Neighborhoods in Phila
delphia
.
“Homes with "street trees," those
planted between the sidewalk
and street, sold for $7,130 more,
on average, than homes without
street trees.”
- Wall Street Journal, October 201
3
 Street Trees In Dallas

Bishop Arts District Greenville Avenue Harwood Street

Street trees represent an important incremental piece of economic

development, a pivotal function in our complete streets initiative (adopted
in 2011), and expanding multi-modal transportation efforts.

Street trees represent a tangible win for Grow South, and for future
economic development.
 The Market Demand for Tree-Lined Streets

“68 percent of Dallas residents believe being able to walk or bike to destinations would
be good for the local economy.” - City of Dallas’ Complete Streets Design Manual survey

Uptown
 The Role of Street Trees in Urban Design

Street trees contribute greatly to what author and city planner Jeff Speck calls the “4 walks”:

1. A useful walk
2. A safe walk
3. A comfortable walk
4. An Interesting walk

Klyde Warren Park

All aiding in grassroots economic development, at very limited investment from the city.
 One Neighborhood’s Participation

Winnetka Avenue

The Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association has been participating in street tree
planting projects for many years. Not coincidently, property values have risen steadily
during those years.
 What is the Urban Reforestation Fund?

• The Urban Reforestation Fund is the repository of developer tree mitigation

fees for the City of Dallas.
• Those fees are currently made available to neighborhoods and community
groups to plant trees in parkways (the grass between the street and the
sidewalk) and medians.
• The Fund is administered under the supervision and direction of the City of
Dallas Arborist, Phil Erwin (dallastrees.org).
• It currently holds over $4M in available funds.
The Urban Forest Advisory Committee and the Urban Reforestation Fund
are positioned to play a key role in targeted neighborhood investment.

Sunnyvale Street Tyler Street

Street trees represent a tangible win for Grow South, and for future
economic development in Southern Dallas.
 Proposal

• Plant 2,000 street trees in targeted commercial corridors.*

Proposal for Ewing Ave. at Vermont Avenue

*2,000 x $250 (cost to Reforestation Fund for a 30 gallon tree) = $500,000, representing
approximately 10% of the current money available in the Urban Reforestation Fund
 Proposal: Added Tax Value
2,000 (30 gallon, 15’ tall; Chinkapin Oak, or similar)
Trees (cost to Reforestation Fund) = $500k (already in Reforestation Fund)

At 2 trees/property = 1,000 properties

x $7,130 increase in sale price
= $7,130,000
$800,000 (immediate additional value of planted trees)**
= $7,930,000
+ 9-12%*
= $8,723,000 in added tax value***

*increase in consumer spending in forested business districts

** Cost-to-commercial value ratio ($250 vs. $600), without maintenance
***By trees alone, above and beyond any improvement to adjacent real estate, private or
public investment.
 Proposal: Investment
Total Costs, including maintenance (over 3 year watering period)

Trees = $500k*

Plantings: project management, staff with auger= $20k

Parkway cut/infill/repair = $100k**
Watering: 1 team of 3 (vendor), 8 hrs/week = $80k
Water wagon, wagon maintenance (split by UFAC)= $4k
City Water (from hydrant) = $30k
Total = $234k (+$500k*)

$734k vs. $8,723,000 in added tax value = 1188% Return on Investment***

*Already in Reforestation Funds

**Will vary pending existing parkway condition evaluation
***By trees alone, above and beyond any improvement to adjacent real estate, private or public investment.
 What is meant by parkway cut, infill and repair?

• There will be places where saw-cutting concrete is needed to create or extend the
parkway area
 What is meant by parkway cut, infill and repair?

• There will be places where dirt and grass infill is needed to repair the parkway
 Proposal: Plantings

• Plantings done by corporate and neighborhood volunteer efforts, organization

assisted by Grow South VISTA team
• Pilot holes with mechanical auger
• Watering done by water wagon, coalition of neighbors, or landscape vendor
• In this proposal trees are viewed as soft infrastructure, like curbs and
sidewalks. - via Daniel Woodruffe, Landscape Architect, Austin, Texas
 Proposal

Target 2-4 lane commercial corridors with adjacent retail and commercial space:

1. District 6: Bernal, Bataan, Singleton

2. District 1: Clarendon, Edgefield
3. District 4: Beckley, Ewing
4. District 3: Redbird/Laureland
5. District 8: Simpson Stuart/Camp Wisdom
6. District 7: MLK, Elsie Faye Heggins
7. District 5: Military, Buckner
District 6: Bernal, Bataan, Singleton - 300 trees
 Targeted boulevard 1 – Beckley
Est. # of trees

District 1: Clarendon, Edgefield - 250 trees

 Targeted boulevard 1 – Beckley
Est. # of trees

District 4: Beckley, Ewing - 300 trees

District 3: Redbird/Laureland - 250 trees
District 8: Simpson Stuart/Camp Wisdom - 250 trees
District 7: MLK, Elsie Faye Heggins - 350 trees
District 5: Military, Buckner - 300 trees
 Additional benefits of urban street trees

• Numerous health and environmental benefits including:

• Cleaning the air
• Reducing health risks: Low air quality disproportionally affects
lower-income communities, and many children suffer from
asthma and other air-borne related illnesses, due to lack of clean
air.
• 22 Benefits of Urban Trees (University of Michigan study)
 Additional benefits of planting projects

• Planting projects bring neighborhoods together for service and community

building, and a sense of pride in the neighborhood
 Additional benefits of planting projects

• Knowing ones neighbors is a form of passive-policing, reinforcing ties in a neighborhood

 Additional benefits of planting projects

• Projects fulfill service hours for high school students

Prospective 2016-2017 Planting Schedule

Plantings - 200 each Schedule A (1st & 3rd Saturday) Schedule B (2nd & 4th Saturday)
Planting 1 October 15, 2016 October 22, 2016
Planting 2 November 5, 2016 November 12, 2016
Planting 3 November 19, 2016 December 10, 2016
Planting 4 December 3, 2016 January 14, 2017
Planting 5 January 7, 2017 January 28, 2017
Planting 6 January 21, 2017 February 11, 2017
Planting 7 February 4, 2017 February 25, 2017
Planting 8 February 18, 2017 March 11, 2017
Planting 9 March 4, 2017 March 25, 2017
Planting 10 March 18, 2017 April 8, 2017
 Support of Texas Trees Foundation

After meeting in March, and again in May, TTF is positioning themselves to

support this initiative. They have some ideas and are working towards
the following:

• Workforce program that will help support your projects.

• 2 Intern’s from the Mayors Intern program.
• Hire a forester that will focus on our work with the City of Dallas
Current supporters:
Mayor’s Office
Urban Forest Advisory Committee
City of Dallas Citizen Foresters
Texas Trees Foundation
Questions?