John,

Today is Arbor Day, when people across America and around the world are encouraged to plant trees.

Now, when you think of tree planting, you might picture a place like this…

Or this...

But what about somewhere like this?

The truth is, some of the most important places we can plant trees are in our cities. And we don't say that just because we love cities. We have the data to back it up.

This Arbor Day, we're sharing a video we produced last year for our Building the Future series, all about trees as critical urban infrastructure.

We looked at the numbers and saw the meaningful differences trees can make in urban neighborhoods. Along with cleaning the air, helping to manage stormwater, and cooling streets with shade, trees are also correlated with higher economic returns for businesses and increased property values on residential streets.

The data also show that tree planting in cities needs a stronger focus on equity. Lower-income communities often lack the tree canopy cover found in higher-income neighborhoods. Using that data, Bloomberg Philanthropies is supporting projects that plant trees where they're most needed.

Watch our quick video to learn more — then share it to let others know about the importance of trees in our cities:

https://www.bloomberg.org/videos/why-tree-planting-is-necessary-for-a-healthy-economy-and-environment/

Whether you're planting trees today, or just enjoying them, we wish you a happy Arbor Day!

Thanks,

Bloomberg Philanthropies