Concrete Jungle

Urban foresters admit that their name sounds like a contradiction. Our cities are harsh, unnatural environments for trees. The soil is high in salinity, limited, and compacted, conditions that have forced cities to plant species such as the red maple and London planetree, which do well in oxygen-poor soil. But even these species, easily susceptible to disease and infestation, can be poorly suited to urban living. Thankfully, that is about to change, at least in Los Angeles and New York, whose mayors have each launched programs to plant one million trees.

With more money and at­tention devoted to species selection, New York has signed its first-ever long-term contract with a grower. In the coming years, look for new street trees with names like Valley Forge, Princeton, and Jefferson, which have been cultivated to be hardy, low maintenance, and easily propagated. These trees will improve air quality, reduce street temperature, clean stormwater, provide wildlife habitat, and even raise property values by as much as 11.3 percent. In a city where space is tight and real estate rules, trees just might be the one new neighbor New Yorkers can live with.