Income Equality As Seen From Above
Tim de Chant wrote previously at Per Square Mile that urban tree cover was one of the most sure-fire indicators of income inequality around the world. As income goes up, demand for urban forest cover goes up (although it’s funny to think of something so natural being a “luxury”).
He went a step further and actually compared neighborhoods in major metro areas using Google Earth. Above, you see West Oakland, CA on top, and Piedmont on the bottom.
So it’s clear that a lack of urban trees correlates with low income neighborhoods. Could planting them be a stimulus for change? Could sparking urban renewal be as simple as planting a few hundred trees?
Crazy to think about.
I like the idea.
old questions: define “urban renewal” and “change” … because yes, planting trees and generally making a neighborhood...