Planning Context
Planning context is understanding how to incorporate your local cultural, community and policy frameworks into your urban forest management plan.
Examples
- Tree Equity Score: Assess the equitable distribution of trees across neighborhoods, identifying areas in need of increased canopy.
- Canopy changes over time: Analyze how tree canopy coverage has shifted historically to inform future plans.
- Root causes of inequitable distribution: Understand the systemic or historic factors that have contributed to unequal tree canopy coverage.
- Demography and social, economic conditions: Incorporate local cultural norms, lanuages, population trends, income levels, and other socio-economic factors into urban forestry planning.
- Anticipated future conditions: Consider factors such as population growth, demographic shifts, and business development when planning for urban forestry.
- Workforce needs and career development opportunities: Identify the staffing and skill development necessary for urban forestry initiatives.
- Potential climate impacts: Include general and neighborhood-level projections of climate change effects on urban forests and communities.
Goals
Goals address the conditions that sparked development of the plan and what general steps will be taken to improve them.
- Racial and social equity:More citiy resources are directed to under-canopied neighborhoods, community trust is built and decisions are guided by diverse perspectives, including those of priority environmental justice communities.
- Ecosystems and human health: The urban forest improves air quality, human well-being, public health, and water quality; provides beauty, environmental and economic benefits, fish and wildlife habitat, food and shade.
- Human safety and property protection: Urban forestry teams use up-to-date practices to protect the safety of the public and staff.
- Climate change: Urban forestry work helps people, and urban trees and vegetation adapt to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
- Community care: The community works together to appreciate and care for the urban forest and to understand tree protection regulations.
Vision
Vision explains what future the community anticipates if the plan is fully implemented.
Principles
Principles articulate values important to the community and how they will be applied in developing the plan.
- Natural ecosystems support human health and vibrant communities: Trees, native plants, and natural spaces provide measurable benefits, improving air and water quality, human well-being, and public health while providing environmental and economic benefits.
- Nature is valuable in and of itself: Nature provides priceless ecological services, many of which we imperfectly understand. It is a source of aesthetic gratification, spiritual inspiration, and the deep wellspring of genetic diversity that guarantees future evolution and adaptation.
- The benefits of Arlington’s natural assets should be shared fairly across neighborhoods: Decisions should be guided by diverse perspectives based on mutual trust, including those of communities poorly served by past policies, as well as residents with language or income barriers to participation. Renters and property owners all have a voice. All residents and visitors, wherever they live, should have direct access to the benefits of our community’s natural assets.
- The impacts of climate change must be addressed: Urban forestry and stewardship of natural resources help communities adapt to and soften the impacts of climate change and other stressors on our natural resources.
- The County should invest wisely to achieve maximum returns: The County is the steward of both its natural capital and financial resources. Both must be managed prudently and in tandem to maximize the impact of its investments.
- An engaged community drives positive action: The Arlington community, including all people, organizations, institutions, and businesses, can work together to sustain the urban forest and the community’s natural resources. We strive to help all understand and support initiatives to sustain our community’s natural assets.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking means reviewing how other cities and towns have addressed comparable challenges. Examine communities all types of communities, population sizes, budgets and demographics. New ideas and strategies can flow from any community.
Objectives
Objectives are the measurable outcomes are expected by pursuing each goal.
Examples
- Grow the urban forest equitably across the city: Increase tree planting during development, care for newly planted trees, and prioritize large, impactful street tree plantings.
- Coordinate support for trees: Prioritize working with communities that will benefit the most, improve coordination among public agencies, and create a new City Forester position.
- Celebrate and support the ways communities are engaging with trees: Engage cultural, spiritual, and arts institutions, support access to food-producing trees, and support diverse communities in sharing their stories.
- Protect the existing and future urban forest: Protect trees during development, safeguard public forests and natural lands, and help residents care for mature trees on their property.
- Reduce the burden of trees on residents: Improve maintenance of public trees, hire a sidewalk coordinator, and support hazardous tree removal on private property.
- Invest in people and communities: Improve pathways to careers in urban forestry and expand career opportunities.
- Advocate for communities to benefit from the urban forest: Establish an Urban Forestry Advisory Committee, hire urban forestry community organizers, and connect nearby neighbors to natural lands.
Strategies
Strategies are based on agreement among stakeholders, agencies and residents about how to address your community needs.
Action Steps
Action steps are specific activities by overseen by certain stakeholders to achieve objectives.
Implementation Framework
The implementation framework outlines the timeframe for action steps, resources needed, and agency roles and responsibilities.
Assessment and Adaptation
Assessment describes when, how, and with what metrics plan progress will be measured. Adaptation sets a period after plan release which the governing body will review and consider plan updates.
- Metrics for success: Define clear metrics to measure progress toward goals, such as increases in tree canopy coverage in priority neighborhoods, improved tree health, or community engagement.
- Periodic reviews: Establish regular intervals for reviewing progress and updating the plan based on performance and changing needs.
- Adaptive strategies: Create flexible strategies to address unforeseen challenges or opportunities, ensuring the plan remains relevant and effective.