Ideally, street tree planting is done as part of a main street renovation that achieves cost efficiencies by including road and utility and business facade improvements.
Street trees are provided on both sides of at least 60% of the main downtown street at intervals averaging no more than about 40 feet, excluding driveways and utility vaults.
Major effort providing or offering residents / businesses trees to plant on private property.
Maximize tree planting/landscaping on the entire blocks along mainstreet by, for example, funneling money from a business improvement district to alley plantings, pocket/corner parks, parking lot plantings behind buildings, a community depaving party, and the like.
Implementation details: The Local Lions Club, ordered 672 trees (one for each resident) and gave to each resident to plant. These were paid for by the Hoffman Lions Club.
Implementation details: The city recently adapted a very comprehensive tree ordinace including requirements of street trees. The city also has a very strong tree rebate program where they will cover 50% or $100 of any street shade tree purchased by residence.
Implementation details: Since the year 2000, the City of Oakdale's Tree Board has sponsored a tree planting project along the city's main north/south thoroughfare, Hadley Avenue. The Hadley Avenue Streetscape Project has added hundreds of trees, bushes and wildflowers along the entire six miles of roadway, focusing on a different stretch of roadway each year.
Also, for the past 37 years the city has hosted the Peter Graske Tree Giveaway each spring, in celebration of Arbor Day. A variety of different trees are provided to Oakdale residents free of charge to plant in their own yards. As a result of this event there are thousands of new trees growing throughout the city.
Implementation details: This list is for 2012 only...we create this type of list every year with a minimum of 225 trees planted throughout boulevards and parks.
Outcome measures/metrics: -number of trees planted
-diversity of trees planted
-number of trees planted/ward
-number of different streets and parks where
trees are planted
Implementation details: The City's downtown Ring Route is approximately 2.75 miles long and contains 417 established trees. Trees are planted in 4' by 4' opening in decorative concrete boulevard surface and are spaced approximately 25' apart.
Implementation details: Burnsville's Heart of the City (downtown) has trees on both sides of the street at intervals of 30 feet. Beginning in 2012, Burnsville has a Boulevard Tree Planting Permit program for residents and businesses.
Implementation details: The City has adopted a plan to maximize plantings in the Town Center Area within the Major Center Area Street Scape Master Plan.
Implementation details: Complete: Trees were planted along the 50th and France shopping district sidewalks on both sides of the street. The tree wells are approximately 40 ft or less apart excluding dirveways and utility vaults. In 2011 the city also planted 21 trees in Creek Valley Park.
For more information contact: Tom Horwath (City staff) | THorwath@CI.Edina.MN.US | 952-826-0308
Implementation details: The City’s downtown redevelopment plan identifies street embellishments, including planting containers, trees, benches, lights and banners along its main street and major downtown corridors.
The City has developed a plan to improve the major boulevards throughout the city with the introduction of trees. The first of these improvements was completed in 2012, with the planting of Orono Parkway, in front of the civic campus, where over story and ornamental trees were added to the existing prairie grasses, and wildflowers. Groupings of 2-3 trees linearly spaced were planted approximately 50 feet apart along the median totaling around 40 trees.
The City has developed a plan to improve the appearance of major intersections throughout the community. The first intersection was completed in 2012, with the improvements to the Highway 169 and Main Street intersection.
For more information contact: Rebecca Haug (City staff) | rhaug@ElkRiverMN.gov | 763-635-1068
Implementation details: In 2010 the City of Falcon Heights completed a major streetscaping project along our major thoroughfare, Larpenteur Avenue. The nearly two mile stretch of county road is the second most heavily traveled raodway in the city (behind Snelling Avenue, a state highway). In addition, Larpenteur is a major gateway for the over one million visitors to the Minnesota State Fair. The project added 116 trees in the boulevards and medians where only concrete was present before.
Outcome measures/metrics: The project has beautified our main street and created a "sense of place" as people commute through our community.
Implementation details:
60% of Mainstreet planted on both sides but theyre not at 40 or less tree planting interval.
The City currently has 4 trees per block on each side of the street. This density is maximized as there are signs, refuse containers, lights, etc that must also share space along the sidewalks downtown.
Page 14 of the document from the provided link provides more detail.
Implementation details: The City of Red Wing has a distinct downtown district and a main throughfare with tree planting efforts in each. We do maximize tree planting throught the city, however, we're selective on some of the major roads because they are actually state controled roads. We could put more shade trees along major roads but it's not necessarily in our best interest because we do not want to interfere with the state in any way. On our downtown main street, however, we do try to maximize the tree planting.
Outcome measures/metrics: In 2008 the City had a sustainability report with mapped out 5,690 trees planted in streets and boulevards. This would serve a base line. The City is also replacing ash trees in parks and open spaces as a separate effort.
Implementation details: The City is commmitted to improving the downtown streetscape with quality design. The direction set in the Streetscape Guidelines and Urban Design Plan is reinforced in the Downtown Framework Plan of the Comprehensive Plan. A number of trees are planted in Downtown following the recommendations of primary, secondary or local street streetscape treatments stated in the Downtown Framework Plan.
Implementation details: Getting started. The Pine River GreenStep Task Force has done some initial research on our tree-planting options and is developing a plan for how to move forward with this action.
Implementation details: The City encourages tree plantings on boulevards in new residential subdivisions, and requires three trees per lot. In addition, Section 24-248 of the Zoning Ordinance requires that enough trees be planted in commercial areas such that at maturity the tree canopy will equal 25% of the site area. Tree species are categorized as small, medium, and large tree canopy trees, and credit is given based on the anticipated size of the trees’ canopy at maturity.
In addition planting plans were in place for Lake Road, Valley Creek Road, Radio Drive and Settlers Ridge Parkway. According to the plans, trees were planted at a distance of 30 feet between trees where possible.
i-Tree tools are state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software from the USDA Forest Service that help communities measure tree canopy cover and the value of community trees for energy savings, stormwater management, carbon sequestration, air pollution reductions, and property value enhancement.
Among 2005 U.S. Forest Service studies are data showing that single trees in southern or central Minnesota can generate a net benefit (total benefits minus initial and annual maintenance costs) of $160 - $3,040 during a 40-year period. The nearly 200,000 public trees in Minneapolis alone provide a total gross annual benefit of $24.9 million. Benefits analyzed are:
Energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. Shading/wind breaks reduce residential energy used in air conditioning and heating (25% in summer and 20% in winter).
Increased property values and rents. Humans are hard-wired to value the natural world and will pay 9% more for a house with a tree within 50 feet. Properly placed trees can increase property values from 7-21% and buildings in wooded areas rent more quickly and tenants stay longer.
Improved retail sales in tree-rich commercial districts. People have been found to spend up to 12% more on products if they are shopping in a district with mature trees.
Increased life of asphalt. Shading reduces degradation of paved road surfaces.
Reduced stormwater runoff and improved water quality. Old growth trees can decrease runoff by 59%.
Improved air quality. Trees filter pollutants: 90 lbs. of CO2, 3 lbs. of particulates and 4 lbs. of ozone per large tree per year.
Improved wildlife habitat. Trees provide nesting places and food for birds and other animals that make up a well-functioning ecosystem.
Reduced crime. One study demonstrated that apartment buildings with high levels of greenery had 52% fewer crimes than those without greenery.
Noise reduction. Trees absorb sound.
Required for Category A and B cities
Category A cities must implement this best practice by completing at least two actions.
Category B cities must implement this best practice by completing at least one action.
Category C cities that choose to implement this best practice must complete at least one action.
summary
Investments that protect and enhance a city's green infrastructure, which includes trees, living snow fences and other plant cover, deliver many financial, energy, quality of life and carbon sequestration benefits, just as do investments in a city's traditional grey infrastructure of roads and utilities (sewer, gas, electric and telecommunication lines). People love and gravitate toward tree-lined streets. Given a limited city budget, which always includes money for streets, the most effective expenditure of funds to improve a street would probably be on trees.
Use of trees is an optional measure in the Minnesota Green Communities criteria, used by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency in awarding funding for building affordable green multi-family housing.
no. 16 
Best Practice Action 4
