One of the first things you notice in any beautiful, old neighborhood is the variety of trees that line the streets. They are towering giants, adding a quiet grandeur and shade on summer days. They set the tone of seasons, ushering in spring with their new green growth and fall with shades of orange and crimson. They soften the straight lines of roads and concrete.
There are many such trees on North Bradford Street in Dover, where I grew up, yet the city council of Dover may still decide to cut down 75 of these trees in the name of straighter sidewalks. That there are nowhere near 75 bent sidewalks seems beside the point. That the largest, most attractive trees will take 50-100 years to return is no matter. The council believes trees are in the way and must go.
Trees do more than add beauty to where we live. As a biologist, I can point to a variety of studies that measure their value. Urban trees provide food and habitat for wildlife like songbirds. Their natural beauty increases a home’s market value by approximately 10%. On hot days, the dappled shade trees cast lower home temperatures and reduce electric bills. This free service helps counter the “heat island effect” of paved surfaces that trap heat and warm urban areas, making hot summers even hotter. There’s even evidence that city trees lower driving speeds and crime rates. Trees are part of what makes a neighborhood worth living in.
Officially, the city would appear to recognize this. Dover is a member of Tree City USA, a national group dedicated to planting and protecting city trees. The city’s own ordinance (Section 114-2) reads: “No trees shall be removed from public places unless they constitute a hazard to life or property, a public nuisance, or because a revision of planting plans necessitates.”
Of course, not every tree can be preserved, but such decisions should be carefully thought out, not rammed through without local input. There are ways to protect sidewalks without cutting down every tree in sight, as evidenced by the many neighborhoods that still keep them. Trees add measurable and immeasurable value to our homes and streets. The city should listen to its citizens asking to protect them.
John Grady, Ph.D.
National Great Rivers Research and Education Center
East Alton, Illinois
Editor’s note: Councilwoman Tricia Arndt made a motion May 25 to return the tree-removal project “back to staff for recommendations on public engagement and design improvements in line with the South Bradford project,” a 2018 streetscape initiative in Dover that was “well-received.”
