Trees bring a fresh breath of air, bring people together and even discourage "shady" behavior.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, certain types of city trees may help lower crime rates.
"Tree canopy and increase [in] tree cover, actually reduces crime, “said Richard Adkins the City Arborist for Phoenix.
Two studies were conducted about the effect of trees on crime in Portland, Oregon. In 2010 the USDA Forest Service said, large trees were associated with a reduction in crime.
Another study done by SAGE Journals says, that trees in Portland may reduce crime by signaling to potential criminals that a house is better cared for and, therefore, subject to more effective authority than a comparable house with fewer trees.
Richard says trees make people happier.
"Our parks [in Phoenix] have quite a number of trees," Richard said. "The average shade-canopy is anywhere from 15 to the low 20 percent."
What is shade-canopy?
"[It's] the shade footprint of a tree, when you go out to a park or sitting in your yard, where's the first place you want go"? Richard said. "So, it's the footprint of the canopy of the tree."
Richard says that the City of Phoenix has a tree inventory. They know when a tree is a loss or when trees need to be re-planted in some parks.
"We have storms every year and we have trees that die of natural causes or there's accident," Richard said.
Recently, SRP and the City of Phoenix joined forces to help promote urban shade-tree canopy.
"In exchange for removing 400 trees, we've planted nearly 1,400 trees," said Kelly Barr the chief sustainability and compliance executive for SRP. "That's going to expand the urban shade tree canopy, it’s going to reduce the heat island affect, it's going to sequester a lot of carbon."
These trees will be planted in parks, schools or other neighborhood amenities.
Richard said the City of Phoenix is constantly planting trees.
"We plant 1,500 trees a year, last year we planted 1,550," he said.
He says that people enjoy going out to have a walk in nature. He added, trees make you happier if you're feeling down in the dumps.
To get more information about the trees in Phoenix, click here.
