CHICAGO — A new report reveals the city's most tree-shaded community areas and the ones with almost no tree cover.
The Nature Conservancy and Morton Arboretum teamed to create a report and map that shows the "percent canopy" in every Chicago community area. The report notes Chicago contains about 3.5 millions trees, which cover about 17 percent of the city.
Forest Glen, which includes Sauganash, ranks No. 1 on the list with 48.72 percent canopy cover from trees. Second is Beverly (44.36 percent), and third is North Park (34.61 percent).
The city's community area with the least tree canopy cover is the Lower West Side, which has 6.91 percent canopy. The Loop (10 percent), Near South Side (8.29 percent) and Near North Side (9.05) rank near the bottom as well.
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The map is part of the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, which quests to have a healthier urban forest in the Chicago Region by 2040. The report states investment in tree planting would lead to temperature reduction and improved air quality.
Community areas that could benefit most from the planting of trees include Armour Square, Burnside, Fuller Park, West Garfield Park and Englewood, according to the report.
Areas with a relatively strong tree population include Lincoln Park, Edison Park, Mount Greenwood, Beverly and Forest Glen.
“There is a need for more new trees, stronger tree management for existing trees, and collaboration among agencies, scholars, NGO’s, etc. to help educate communities about the benefits of trees," said Rachel Holmes, an urban forester with the Conservancy and co-chair of the education and outreach committee with CRTI.
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