Shade Phoenix Plan_Draft_CouncilVersion_June11.pdf

SHADE PHOENIX 
An Action Plan for Trees and Built Shade 
Draft for City Council Review 
June 11, 2024 
ATTACHMENT A

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Acknowledgements 
The City of Phoenix 2024 Shade Phoenix Plan is an update and expansion of the City’s Tree 
and Shade Master Plan from 2010. The Plan reflects initiatives and perspectives from many 
local, regional, and national collaborators. It also draws content and direction from a network of 
related plans, including Phoenix’s PlanPHX General Plan, Climate Action Plan, the Maricopa 
County Hazard Mitigation Plan, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health Strategic 
Plan for Climate and Health, the Heat Action Planning Guide for Greater Phoenix, and the 
Arizona Department of Health Services Climate and Health Adaptation Plan.  
City of Phoenix Mayor and Council Offices 
Office of Mayor Kate Gallego, Office of Ann O’Brien - District 1, Office of Jim Waring - District 2, 
Office of Debra Stark - District 3, Office of Laura Pastor - District 4, Office of Betty Guardado - 
District 5, Office of Kevin Robinson - District 6, Office of Carlos Galindo-Elvira – District 7, Office 
of Kesha Hodge Washington - District 8  
City of Phoenix Departments and Functions 
Arts & Culture, City Manager’s Office, Communications, Office of Environmental Programs, Fire, 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency 
Management, Homeless Solutions, Housing, Human Services, Office of Innovation, Library, 
Valley Metro , Neighborhood Services, Parks and Recreation, Police, Office of Public Health, 
Public Transit, Public Works, Office of Sustainability, Volunteer Programs, Water Services, 
Planning and Development, Aviation, Streets, Community and Economic Development. 
Local, Regional, and National Partners
Organizations listed below are partners in the tree and shade programs that the City operates or 
supports, have provided input regarding the content of this plan, and/or are responsible for 
programs or plans referenced in this document, or components thereof. 
American Forests, American Society of Landscape Architecture Arizona Chapter, Arizona 
Community Tree Council, Arizona Conservation Corps, Arizona Cooperative Initiative, Arizona 
Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Arizona Landscape Contractors Association, 
Arizona Nursery Association, Arizona Public Service, Arizona State University, Arizona 
Sustainability Alliance, Artlink, Bartlett Tree Experts, Bloomberg Associates, Bloomberg 
Philanthropies, CHISPA AZ, Desert Tree Farm, Dusty Landscaping, Keep Phoenix Beautiful, 
Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County, Phoenix Metro Urban Forestry 
Roundtable, Resilient Cities Catalyst, Salt River Project, The Design Laboratory, The Nature 
Conservancy, Treeland Nurseries, Trees Matter, U.S. Forest Service, University of Arizona, 
University of California Los Angeles, Unlimited Potential, Venture Café Phoenix, Watershed 
Management Group, West Coast Arborist, Whitfill Nursery

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VISION 
A future where all residents and visitors to Phoenix 
experience the benefits of trees and built shade 
throughout the city.  
VALUES 
Shade Phoenix is anchored around a set of core values that 
shaped its development and will guide its implementation. 
1.
Focus on people first. Target actions to keep people safe
and focus on areas where shade can have the greatest
impact on human health and wellbeing, with a focus on
vulnerable populations
2.
Recognize that shade (built and natural) is a critical
infrastructure and a service provided to residents by public
and private assets
3.
Lead with an environmental justice/equity lens and
address historical inequities
4.
Respect the unique desert landscape and heritage of the
Sonoran Desert, one of the most special places in the world
5.
Collaborate within City government, between public and
private actors, and with the communities of Phoenix.
Increasing shade requires actions and support from all
Phoenicians and the City of Phoenix
6.
Go beyond the status quo. We cannot be afraid to innovate
and take risks to change the current trajectory and realize our
vision

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the hottest large city in the country, shade is critical infrastructure and a community resource. 
Extreme heat presents a significant risk to the public health of Phoenicians. The Shade Phoenix 
draft plan is an update to and expansion of the City’s 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan and 
outlines the actions the City and its partners will take over the next five years to accelerate the 
creation and maintenance of shade in Phoenix. These actions explicitly focus on the city’s most 
vulnerable residents and the places where people are outside the most. The plan will help us 
achieve our overarching vision to create a future where all residents and visitors to Phoenix 
experience the benefits of trees and built shade throughout the city.  
Shade Phoenix is a data-driven plan, leveraging detailed analysis of citywide tree and shade 
data across City-owned, public, and private properties. At the census tract scale, tree canopy 
cover varies from 2% to 28%. The median census tract has 10.9% tree canopy. The plan 
includes findings from the City’s first citywide shade analysis, which found 11% of the city is 
shaded at noon and 13% at 3pm on the summer solstice (the day with the most amount of 
sunshine). Sidewalks have 17% shade at noon and 20% at 3pm. Across Phoenix shade is not 
equally or equitably distributed. 
The plan includes 37 actions across four strategy areas, addressing 13 strategic priorities. 
Collectively, these actions represent more than $50 million in allocated funding over the next 
five years and will result in more than 25,000 new trees and 500 new shade structures. This 
represents an almost doubling of the number of trees planted annually in Phoenix. More than 
50% of the total investment will be made in low to moderate-income communities and 90% will 
be made in low, moderate, and middle-income communities. The four strategy areas are: 
1. Educate and Empower - create a citywide movement around shade and heat and
provide public education around sustainable and equitable shade practices.
2. Expand Shade - increase shade for children, increase shade on City-owned properties,
increase shade on public right-of-way, and increase shade on private properties.
3. Preserve and Maintain Existing Shade - care for and maintain trees and shade
structures on public property, strengthen code enforcement on private property, and
increase City capacity to maintain trees and shade.
4. Evaluate and Institutionalize - monitor and evaluate progress on the Shade Phoenix
Plan, strengthen organizational coordination and staff capacity, strengthen regulations,
design standards, and guidelines, and create and expand pathways for careers in urban
forestry.
Development of the draft Shade Phoenix plan was led by the City’s Office of Heat Response 
and Mitigation and reflects the collective efforts of 26 City departments and offices. The Plan 
was shaped by significant public engagement that involved more than 2,000 community 
members who contributed input via public meetings and presentations, an online survey, 
engagement with Village Planning Committees, community events, and at workshops on heat 
and mobility held in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability. This engagement will continue 
over the summer as the draft plan is revised and finalized.

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INTRODUCTION 
In the hottest large city in the country, shade is critical infrastructure and a community resource. 
Shade, through trees and built structures, creates cool spaces that protect public health, 
improve quality of life, and strengthen community resilience. Maintaining and expanding 
Phoenix’s shade will take proactive, coordinated action with residents, businesses, non-profit 
partners, and across City departments. This plan, an update to and expansion of the City’s 2010 
Tree and Shade Master Plan, outlines the concrete actions the City and its partners will take 
over the next five years to scale up and accelerate efforts to expand shade in Phoenix, with an 
explicit focus on the city’s most vulnerable residents. 
Extreme heat presents a significant risk to public health. Residents with underlying health issues 
are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of extreme heat (Harlan et al. 2006). Phoenix’s future 
quality of life depends partly on maintaining and expanding publicly available shade, with a 
focus on where people are most exposed to outdoor heat and where there are high 
concentrations of vulnerable populations. However, heat is not the only environmental challenge 
facing Phoenix, and careful attention to the region’s water resources, air quality, and ecology 
must be integral to planning efforts to increase shade from natural or engineered sources. New 
trees and shade structures must be resilient to many urban environmental challenges without 
making it harder for the region to thrive in the face of those challenges. Providing adequate 
shade is one of the most effective strategies to make hot outdoor urban environments safe and 
comfortable (Turner et al. 2023). Shade protects the human body from absorbing solar energy, 
which is the primary factor that determines outdoor thermal safety in hot weather. Shade also 
protects infrastructure from solar energy, which reduces the dangers of people interacting with 
hot surfaces and increases the life span of materials that degrade when exposed to the sun. 
Academic studies estimate that shade reduces the net heat burden on the human body by up to 
70 degrees Fahrenheit (Middel et al. 2021, Turner et al. 2023).   
Shade is not distributed equally or equitably across the city. As the city has developed, many 
communities have been built without adequate tree cover or shade structures at vital outdoor 
areas, such as transit stops, commercial corridors, or playgrounds. The City’s first-ever citywide 
shade analysis found that 11% of the city is shaded at noon and 13% at 3 pm on the summer 
solstice. This does not reflect the areas where people are commonly outside. Taking out 
agricultural areas, vacant land, and natural preserves, all remaining property types in Phoenix 
have more than 25% shade coverage at noon on the summer solstice, led by Private Public 
Spaces (more than 50% shade) and single-family homes (over 40% shade).  
Development of Shade Phoenix was led by the City of Phoenix Office of Heat Response and 
Mitigation and reflects the collective efforts of 26 City departments and offices. The Plan was 
shaped by more than 2,000 community members who contributed input via public meetings and 
presentations, an online survey, engagement with Village Planning Committees, community 
events, and at 16 workshops on heat and mobility held in collaboration with the Office of 
Sustainability. It was also shaped by the vision and content of the City of Phoenix 2010 Tree 
and Shade Master Plan. The Plan builds upon past work including the approval of the Walkable 
Urban Code in 2015, the adoption of a Memorandum of Understanding with American Forests 
on Tree Equity in 2021, the creation of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation in 2021, and 
the implementation of the first Cool Corridor in 2022, among other important advances.

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The 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan has served as a primary policy tool related to tree and 
shade initiatives since its adoption and laid an important foundation for efforts to improve and 
maintain tree canopy and shade coverage in the City. Many of the principles and priorities from 
the 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan remain relevant today and are reflected in the new 
Shade Phoenix Plan. The new plan also addresses community priorities that have emerged or 
become emphasized in the past 15 years, especially equity. In April 2021, a Memorandum of 
Understanding with American Forests was approved by City Council that augmented the vision 
of the 2010 Tree and Shade Plan with specific attention to equity.  
Uncertainty around financial resources was presented as a major challenge in the 2010 plan as 
the City had made significant cuts to tree and shade initiatives during the Great Recession. At 
the time of its adoption, City Council directed staff to begin implementing the plan as subject to 
available financial resources. Today, approximately 70% of the actions from the 2010 Plan have 
been completed or are ongoing (see Appendix). The new Shade Phoenix Plan more explicitly 
identifies financial resources that are available to support its vision, strategies, and actions, and 
more clearly communicates the community benefits that will be achieved with those resources.  
Shade Phoenix is a portfolio of community-inspired solutions to solve challenges at the 
intersection of extreme heat, public health, quality of life, and social justice. The Plan includes 
avenues for investments not only in the physical capital necessary to help Phoenix’s hottest, 
most heat vulnerable neighborhoods become cooler, greener, and healthier, but also in the 
human capital that is essential for realizing the full suite of environmental and social benefits 
that natural and built shade can provide. Implementation of the Plan will ensure: 
•
Phoenicians understand the importance and value of trees and shade and how they can
support them
•
We increase shade for people where they need it most
•
The community works together to support a thriving urban forest and well-maintained
built shade
•
Ongoing implementation and improvement of shade efforts to scale their impacts and
maximize benefits
The 13 strategic priorities and 37 actions in the Plan represent more than $50 million in 
public and private investments over the next five years and will result in more 25,000 new 
trees and 500 new shade structures in Phoenix. Reflecting the values of the Plan, more than 
50% of these will be planted or installed in low-income communities and more than 90% will be 
in low- to moderate-income communities. Together, these actions will help us achieve our 
overarching vision to create a future where all residents and visitors to Phoenix experience the 
benefits of trees and built shade throughout the city.  
Tree Equity Score 
One element central to shade cover, or the lack of it, is tree canopy cover. In 2021, American 
Forests developed the Tree Equity Score to address and identify environmental inequities in 
tree distribution common to cities across the United States. Tree Equity Score measures how 
well the critical benefits of urban tree canopy are reaching those who need them most. The 
score—which ranges from 0 to 100 and combines measures of tree canopy need and social, 
climate and health priority—establishes a democratized, equity-first standard to guide 
investment in communities living on low incomes, communities of color, and all those 
disproportionately affected by extreme heat, pollution and other environmental hazards.

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In November 2023, American Forests launched the Maricopa County Tree Equity Score 
Analyzer (TESA), providing high resolution coverage to the region. This tool was custom-built 
for Maricopa County with input from local stakeholders and includes specific place-based 
metrics such as heat disparity, qualified census tracts, bus stops, light rails, schools and cooling 
centers. (Qualified census tracts are defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development as those in which 50% or more of the households are income eligible and the 
population of all census tracts that satisfy this criterion does not exceed 20% of the total 
population of the respective area.) The TESA supports human-centered planning to improve low 
neighborhood Tree Equity Scores across Maricopa County. 
Users first prioritize areas where they can have the greatest impact to address tree inequity. 
Next, they customize Tree Equity Score targets and create detailed tree planting and protection 
plans at the property level, informed by high resolution land cover. Then, they can use TESA to 
track progress and forecast project impacts at maturity.  
This tool was custom-built for Maricopa County with input from a local stakeholder council and 
includes specific place-based metrics such as heat disparity, qualified census tracts, bus and 
light rail stops, schools and cooling centers. The TESA can help prioritize tree planting efforts, 
planting scenario capabilities, and impact reporting.   
 
 
Figure 1. American Forests’ Tree Equity Score Analyzer

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COMMUNITY INPUT AND 
PARTNERSHIPS 
A robust dialog around trees and shade has been ongoing since the City’s first Tree and Shade 
Master Plan was adopted 2010. Engagement began in 2022 for the Shade Phoenix Plan and 
includes engagement through multiple modes within the City departmental stakeholders and 
stakeholders outside of the City on tree and shade topics as well. The goals, strategies, and 
actions included in Shade Phoenix were informed through ongoing engagements with 
community leaders and stakeholders' recommendations since 2010. Key documents such as 
budget hearings, the Phoenix General Plan, and the Climate Action Plan assisted in guiding the 
engagement process. Community engagement spanned a range of opportunities for 
communities and stakeholders to provide feedback on the city's current and future tree and 
shade goals in both English and Spanish. Phoenix residents shared their concerns, ideas, 
stories, and expertise through in-person and virtual engagement sessions and a survey focused 
on community feedback. The resulting feedback created and shaped the goals strategies, and 
actions of this plan. The level of response, passion, and time Phoenix residents have dedicated 
to our ongoing engagement demonstrates the community's commitment to partnering with the 
City for trees and shade and the importance of increasing shade and canopy coverage in the 
city to improve overall quality of life.   
Modes of engagement included: 
•
Strategic engagement from the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
o
Village Planning Committees (VPC)
o
Tree and Shade Community Questionnaire
o
Community Sustainability workshops with the Office of Sustainability
o
Innovate PHX Challenge with the Office of Innovation and Venture Café Phoenix
•
Other community engagement forums and partner-led initiatives
o
Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission (EQSC)
o
Budget Hearings
o
Community Events
o
City Council Community Meetings
o
The Nature Conservancy Heat Action Planning Guide
More than 2,000 community members have contributed input on current and 
future tree and shade efforts.    
Village Planning Committee Meetings 
The City engaged all 15 Village Planning Committees beginning in 2022. The 2022 VPC 
meeting discussions with OHRM solicited high level heat-related priorities from the community 
including trees and shade. The 2023 VPC meetings considered potential solutions and provided 
feedback on tree and shade goals. The feedback from the VPC echoes previous feedback on 
the need for more shade, concerns about tree maintenance and replacement, and funding 
sources to support tree and shade investments.

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Community Sustainability Workshops  
The city held 16 workshops on heat and mobility in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, 
and two community-based organizations (Unlimited Potential and Resilient Cities Catalyst) in 
2023. The workshops were attended by over 600 community members. The workshops, set up 
as listening sessions, sought community perspectives in two phases. The first phase focused on 
identifying mobility solutions and heat mitigation strategy prioritization, like prioritizing the 
reliability of the transit system. The second phase established deeper engagement with the 
community on heat and mobility challenges where the input from Phase 1 was gathered and 
validated to offer open-ended queries on community needs on these challenges. Examples 
include questions about where they want more trees, shade, cooling centers, and drinking water 
stations along with transit and mobility-oriented questions. Community members provided 
specific places where they would like more trees and shade, like at bus stops, community 
centers, schools, parks, and relevant cross streets. 
Innovate PHX Challenge  
The Office of Innovation launched the Innovate PHX Challenge to engage diverse communities 
in creating solutions to the city’s most pressing challenges. In December 2023, Innovation 
partnered with the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation and Venture Café Phoenix to explore 
innovative manufactured shade solutions with more than 170 innovators, students, researchers, 
and residents from across the city. Five teams, with five participants each, refined their ideas for 
six hours and pitched solutions to a panel of judges, naming First Place, Second Place and 
Audience Choice winning teams. The City is currently working to prototype and test ideas from 
the Innovate Phoenix Challenge events.   
Tree and Shade Community Feedback Questionnaire  
The Tree and Shade Community Feedback Questionnaire is an ongoing questionnaire to 
understand Phoenix residents' perspectives on tree and shade efforts. The questionnaire, to 
date, has over 600 detailed responses from community members on the importance of trees 
and shade in their day-to-day life as well as where trees and shade should be prioritized in the 
city. Various newsletters, emails, and social media outlets pushed out the questionnaire to 
Phoenix Residents. Outreach is continuing, and the need for strategic outreach methods is 
recognized for multiple areas of the city. 
Preliminary questionnaire findings suggest that there is a lack of both built and tree shade 
citywide (Figures 2 and 3). More detailed feedback outlines support for city tree and shade 
efforts, the importance of using the right shade in the right place, concerns about tree 
maintenance, and ensuring the use of native trees in planting efforts (Figure 4).  
In the questionnaire, community members provided their thoughts in detail that reflect the deep 
care and concern residents have around trees and shade. Examples include:  
General support for tree and shade efforts  
“SHADE CAN BE LIFE SAVING; IMPORTANT WORK YOU ARE DOING!” 
“This should be a high priority for the city, not only as a matter of human rights, but as 
preparation for continued climate change…Trees will make it more habitable for future 
residents, which will in turn allow Phoenix to continue to be a place people want to move 
to, not just for work, but as a place to call home and raise children.”

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Right Shade, Right Place  
“Built shade needs to be oriented to the location. It cannot simply be artistic - it must be 
functional and provide shade onto the ground at the specific times of days. Otherwise 
why build it.” 
“In order for Phoenix to be a walkable city…we need to make all of the pathways leading 
to mass transit shaded. Same goes for walking to a store or other essential services - it 
doesn't matter if there is something within a mile if you can't safely walk to it in the heat.” 
“Right type tree in right spot. Low water use plants work, just need the right design and 
placement.” 
“Please PLEASE use native trees. They are uniquely able to thrive and provide shade to 
this specific area. PLEASE DO NOT use Palm trees. Palm trees are NOT shade trees.” 
“All city streets and sidewalks should have native trees like Mesquites and Palo Verdes 
that create a good canopy to help with the heat index while also being drought tolerant.” 
Maintenance  
“Hire enough city employees to take care of the dead trees or trees that need trimming 
before planting an overabundance” 
“Trees that are planted [need to] have a maintenance and irrigation plan that is 
sustainable and consulted on by certified arborists and skilled professionals.” 
 
 
Figure 2. Community Characterization of Built Shade Citywide

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Figure 3. Community Characterization of Trees Citywide 
 
Figure 4. Questionnaire Response on Future Tree and Shade Visions in Phoenix 
 
City Budget Hearings  
The City of Phoenix conducts a rigorous public engagement process each year to inform the 
adoption of the City budget. This process includes a series of public hearings in every City 
Council district, as well as opportunities for comment and input through an online tool and at 
multiple City Council meetings. Requests for more trees and shade in Phoenix have been 
consistently voiced by community members at budget hearings in recent years. Notably, in 
spring 2021, increased investment in tree and shade initiatives ranked as the second most-
requested action by the public in the hearings for the 2021-2022 City budget.  
Public Advisory Boards and Committees   
The City of Phoenix Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission (EQSC) identifies 
and advises the Phoenix City Council on environmental quality and sustainability issues 
affecting the city and recommends to the City Council policies, positions, and action the city 
might take to address those issues in a manner that protects, promotes, restores, or enhances

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the city’s natural and built environments. In 2018, the EQSC established an Urban Heat Island 
and Tree Shade (UHITS) Subcommittee to make recommendations related to urban heat, 
including recommendations related to the implementation of the 2010 Tree and Shade Master 
Plan. The Urban Heat Island and Tree Shade Subcommittee performed this role through the 
first full year of the formation of the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, at which time the 
subcommittee was sunset. Advisory functions related to urban heat and tree and shade 
programs remain within the purview of the full EQSC.  
During their five years of service, members of the UHITS Subcommittee generated several 
formal recommendations to the EQSC. Full copies of UHITS recommendation memos are 
available on the City’s webpage for EQSC. Key recommendations related to the Shade Phoenix 
Plan included:   
• 
Establishment of an Urban Forest Interdepartmental Team of city employees to 
coordinate implementation of tree and shade initiatives  
• 
Creation of a full-time Tree and Shade Administrator position  
• 
Prioritization of tree and shade programs to benefit public transit stops, areas of 
populations vulnerable to extreme heat, and highly used walking routes  
• 
Incorporation of Green Stormwater Infrastructure features designed to meet site-specific 
needs and characteristics 
• 
Definitions, prioritization factors, stakeholder engagement strategies, and evaluation and 
accountability methods for the Cool Corridors program  
• 
Development of a city-wide heat equity policy to serve as a framework for guiding future 
investments related to heat   
• 
Delivery of annual reports from city staff to the public on the state of the urban forest and 
related programs and initiatives   
UHITS members and community leaders also led and advanced other tree and shade-related 
initiatives in recent years, including landscape maintenance text amendments adopted by City 
Council in 2021.  
Other City of Phoenix advisory boards and committees whose purview overlaps with the vision 
and goals of the Plan include, but are not limited to, the Citizens Transportation Commission, 
the Parks and Recreation Board, the Phoenix Arts and Culture Commission, and the Vision 
Zero Community Advisory Committee.   
Partner-led Community Engagement and Research 
Numerous initiatives led by other local and regional institutions have informed the strategies and 
actions of the Shade Phoenix Plan. Among those initiatives is the Nature’s Cooling System 
project spearheaded by the Nature Conservancy and three community-based organizations, 
which produced the Heat Action Planning Guide for Greater Phoenix. The guide identifies 
mitigation and adaptation strategies to reduce heat directly and improve the ability of residents 
to live, work, and play in the heat. The guide was created through a participatory process. 
Workshops in the Edison-Eastlake Community and Lindo Park-Roesley Park area voiced the 
neighborhoods’ concern for lack of shade on walking routes, at bus stops, and vacant lots, and 
financial burden and lack of resources for tree planting and shade. Previous and ongoing 
academic studies have also informed the Shade Phoenix Plan and will continue to support its 
updates and evaluation.

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Partnerships: American Forests and Phoenix Metro Urban Forestry Roundtable 
The vision, strategies, and actions in the Shade Phoenix Plan are also informed by and will be 
implemented with valued partnerships with local, regional, and national organizations. In March 
2022, the Phoenix City Council adopted a resolution committing the City to a Tree Equity 
partnership agreement with American Forests, the nation’s oldest nonprofit organization. Tree 
Equity is climate justice and health justice, and achieving Tree Equity means investing in 
communities with the most need by growing trees, creating jobs and implementing just policies 
such as Shade Phoenix. In November 2019, the City of Phoenix, American Forests, and the 
Arizona Sustainability Alliance founded the Phoenix Metro Urban Forestry Roundtable, a civic-
led coalition that has grown to over 60 organizations with the goal of achieving Tree Equity in 
the Phoenix Metro area to help combat extreme heat and ensure historically disadvantaged 
community members have access to the benefits that trees provide. The Phoenix Metro Urban 
Forestry Roundtable consists of nonprofits, private sector entities, cities, county and state level 
representatives, and university stakeholder all focused on solving the underlying challenges 
needed to improve the tree canopy in the region.

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ASSESSMENT AND INVENTORY  
Strategic planning and implementation of Phoenix’s tree and shade programs is dependent 
upon accessible and actionable data. This section presents state-of-the-art analysis of tree and 
shade data available to support City decision-making and evaluation of progress. The section 
focuses both on community wide data as well as data specific to City-managed properties. All 
analysis is based on the most recently available, quality-controlled data products wherever 
possible. To understand Phoenician’s access to shade from all sources, this Plan includes an 
assessment of shade coverage from built and natural sources using the City's first citywide 
shade analysis. As described in the Values and Introduction, equity is a fundamental 
consideration for the tree and shade analysis included in this Plan. While future work is needed 
to formally quantify tree and shade targets for different properties, land use categories, and 
neighborhoods in Phoenix, this section provides a detailed analysis of contemporary conditions 
that will guide future efforts.    
Tree Canopy Analysis – Citywide  
Tree canopy cover is highly variable across the City of Phoenix (Figure 5). The census tracts 
with the most tree canopy coverage are located in central and eastern portions of the city 
including the Arcadia and Encanto neighborhoods. In these areas, tree canopy cover often 
exceeds 15%, and in some cases, 25%. Tree canopy coverage is lowest in Central City South, 
in much of West Phoenix, and in many neighborhoods along the Interstate 17 Corridor. In those 
communities, tree canopy cover is often less than 5%, and in some cases, lower than 3%. 
There is more than a 10-fold difference in tree canopy cover between the census tract with the 
least tree coverage and the one with the highest tree canopy cover. The median tree canopy 
coverage at the census tract scale for Phoenix is 10.9%, which means that half of the census 
tracts in Phoenix have less than 10.9% tree canopy coverage. At the Village scale, overall tree 
canopy coverage is highest in Camelback East (14.8%), Paradise Valley (13.2%), and 
Alhambra (13.2%), and lowest in Central City (4.9%), Rio Vista (5.0%), and Estrella 
(5.3%). American Forests recommends 15% tree canopy cover for most neighborhoods in 
Phoenix; neighborhood and site-specific goals should be further developed in collaboration with 
community members and with recognition for land use, topography, and other factors.  
Measuring tree canopy coverage on specific parcel and property types is important because 
there are different tree planting programs, funding sources, and policies that apply to different 
properties. Single-family residential property is one important parcel type to consider because 
single-family parcels account for a high percentage of the overall parcel land area of the City of 
Phoenix (39%), and people spend a high percentage of their time at home (U.S. Department of 
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics). The median single family residential property in Phoenix has 
11% tree canopy cover, excluding the building footprint. The likelihood of single-family 
residential parcels having more or less tree canopy than this citywide median is also highly 
variable across Phoenix (Figure 6). There are neighborhoods in Phoenix where more than 90% 
of the properties have 11% tree canopy coverage or more, especially in central and eastern 
parts of the city. In other areas, almost no properties meet this citywide median, with some 
highly populated census tracts with less than one-third of properties above 11% tree canopy.. 
Summary statistics for different property types across the city are shown in Figure 7.  Since 
2012, the City, led by the Planning and Development Department, has focused on increasing 
tree canopy coverage in Transit Oriented Communities.

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Figure 5. Tree Canopy by Census Tract  
Derived from Google Environmental Insights Explorer high resolution tree canopy data from 2022 with building 
footprints removed from analysis (building footprint data from Microsoft 2019-2020 data).  
  
 
Figure 6. Parcels Above Median Tree Canopy % Among Single-Family Residential Parcels  
Map shows the % of single-family residential parcels that exceed the median tree canopy of all single-family 
residential parcels (11%) in the city, aggregated to census tract. Tree canopy derived from Google Environmental 
Insights Explorer high resolution tree canopy data from 2022 with building footprints removed from analysis. 
Village
Tree Canopy*
Ahwatukee Foothills
7.7
Alhambra
13.2
Camelback East
14.8
Central City
4.9
Deer Valley
7.9
Desert View
10.9
Encanto
12.4
Estrella
5.3
Laveen
6.8
Maryvale
6.7
North Gateway
6.1
North Mountain
10.6
Paradise Valley
13.2
Rio Vista
5.0
South Mountain
9.5
*Building footprints are not included in percentage 
calculation.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 15 
Figure 7. Tree Canopy Percent by Property Type  
Average tree canopy % by parcel property type/groups. Using Google Tree canopy data (2022) with building 
footprints removed from analysis. Property types are groups of similar property use codes that we determined were 
sufficiently similar (not official groups). “Private public space” includes residential recreation centers/clubhouses, 
greenbelts/retention basins, open space and walkways owned by HOA/community, and golf courses.  
The inequitable distribution of tree canopy coverage throughout Phoenix is closely related to 
many social and economic variables. Overall, tree canopy coverage is lower in communities 
with lower incomes, a higher percentage of people of color, and more people who do not own a 
personal vehicle (see Figures 8-10, Figure 12). This pattern, which has been well-documented 
in academic literature for many communities across the United States (Harlan et al. 2013; 
Gronlund, 2014; Mitchell & Chakraborty 2015), indicates that many communities which 
experience the greatest hardships in coping with heat and are exposed to heat more often are 
those in which tree canopy coverage is most severely lacking. Increasing tree canopy coverage 
in the neighborhoods where it is most needed was formally adopted as a City priority in 2021 
with the adoption of the “Tree Equity Pledge” to American Forests. As a component of the City’s 
partnership with American Forests, City staff use the American Forests Tree Equity Score to 
help identify priority communities for tree and shade initiatives. The Tree Equity Score (Figure
11) combines multiple indicators of social, economic, and environmental conditions into one
index on a 0-100 scale.

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Figures 8-11. Per Capita Income; Percent of Population Identifying as Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, People of Color; 
Percent of Population with No Vehicle (U.S. Census Bureau 2022 5-year American Community Survey); Tree Equity 
Score (American Forests, 2017-2022).

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Figure 12. Average Tree Canopy Percent in Low, Middle, and High-Income Neighborhoods. Using Google Tree 
canopy data (2022) with building footprints removed from analysis. 
 
Tree Canopy Analysis and Inventory – City of Phoenix Property   
Shade Phoenix places a special emphasis on tree and shade actions for properties owned and 
managed by the City of Phoenix. Many City properties are highly used and valued public 
resources where people need and seek shade—especially the City’s flatland parks and the 
areas of the streetscape right-of-way that are owned and managed by the City. The City of 
Phoenix owns approximately 8% of the total parcel area within city boundaries, excluding 
preserves (Figure 13). While this is a relatively small percentage of the total area of interest for 
tree and shade actions, it is a priority area because of its public purpose as well as for the 
imperative for the City to lead by example in providing effective shade in places where it is 
needed.   
  
Figure 13. Private vs. Public Property in Phoenix 
Based on parcel data property use codes from Maricopa County Tax Assessor database. Mountain preserves 
removed from analysis. Current version does not include any right of way, landscape maintenance areas, or any data 
that is not within parcel boundaries.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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The City’s most recent comprehensive tree inventory, which involves a professional 
measurement and assessment of every physical tree on City property (excluding mountain 
preserves), was completed in 2014. Portions of the inventory have been updated intermittently 
since that time. As of the most recent update, the City inventory included approximately 106,000 
trees. However, as the previous inventory is now more than a decade old, an updated inventory 
is necessary to guide tree planting and maintenance efforts on City property. Completion of a 
new inventory is a proposed action item in this plan.   
Over the past 14 years, the City has tracked and reported the number of trees planted and 
removed by the Street Transportation Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and 
Aviation Department, as part of the City’s engagement with the Arbor Day Foundation for the 
Tree City USA Program. That reporting shows a total of 32,968 trees planted on City property 
since 2010 by those three departments. Tree removal due to damage from accidents, storms, or 
ageing tree, an important investment to protect public safety and promote a healthy urban 
forest, has resulted 21,222 trees lost on City property over the same time period (Figure 14). 
Modernizing reporting and tracking systems to more comprehensively understand and reduce 
preventable tree mortality is a proposed action item in this plan.   
  
Figure 14. Tree Planted and Removed by the Parks and Recreation, Street Transportation, and Aviation 
Departments, 2010–2023.   
 
Analysis of tree canopy coverage on City property provides a useful complement to the physical 
inventory to guide future City investment. Staff are completing a detailed analysis of tree and 
shade coverage and opportunities on all relevant City properties as a proposed action in this 
plan. One example of analysis of tree canopy coverage on City property is shown below.   
The City manages approximately 55,293,336 square feet of public streetscape area as part of 
the Landscape Maintenance Area program. There are 13,700 unique Landscape Maintenance 
Areas across the city, which largely fall on the sides and medians of major arterial streets. 
Example overhead images with landscape maintenance areas highlighted are shown in Figure 
15. Across the entire city, Landscape Maintenance Areas tend to be highly fragmented, 
interrupted by private property and infrastructure conflicts. The majority of Landscape 
Maintenance Areas are found along major arterial streetscapes in Phoenix; there is minimal 
Landscape Maintenance Area along collector and neighborhood streets.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Figure 15. Overhead imagery of arterial streets in Phoenix with Landscape Maintenance Areas highlighted in green.  
 
As is the case for citywide tree canopy coverage, the percentage of tree canopy on the City-
managed Landscape Maintenance Areas is highly variable (Figure 16). Tree canopy coverage 
is highest on all Landscape Maintenance Areas in the Camelback East and Encanto Villages, 
exceeding 15%. It is lowest in the Estrella Village (5.2%) and in Maryvale Village (8.2%).  These 
tree canopy values include all landscape maintenance area types: Streetscape, Freeways, 
Canalscape, Other, and Roundabout.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
20 
  
 
 
Figure 16. Landscape Maintenance Areas Tree Canopy by Village.  
Tree canopy values in Landscape Maintenance Areas shown here include all landscape types: Streetscape, 
Freeways, Canalscape, Other, and Roundabout. Rio Vista does not encompass any Landscape Maintenance Areas, 
so it does not appear on the figure.  Google Tree canopy data (2022) with building footprints removed from analysis. 
 
Shade Analysis – Citywide  
In the urban setting, shade is provided by a combination of natural and engineered sources. 
Advances in environmental monitoring systems and computational resources are enabling the 
generation of maps of shade coverage for entire metropolitan areas. In this plan, shade 
estimates for Phoenix are derived from a joint research project between the Luskin Center for 
Innovation at University of California Los Angeles and Arizona State University that models how 
sunlight is obstructed by the three-dimensional structure of the city (Buo et al. 2023). The shade 
estimates are based on sun angles on June 21 at noon, 3pm, and 6pm (see Figure 17 for an 
example).

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Figure 17. Shade estimates for an area of downtown Phoenix at noon, 3pm, and 6pm on June 21.   
 
Approximately 11% of the City of Phoenix land area is estimated to be shaded at noon on the 
summer solstice; this fraction increases to 13% at 3pm and 28% at 6pm. Shade coverage, like 
tree canopy coverage, is highly variable throughout Phoenix. Shade coverage is highest in the 
Encanto, Camelback East, and Alhambra Villages (all exceeding 19% at 3pm), and lowest in the 
Rio Vista (3.5%), North Gateway (8.1%), and Laveen Villages (10.4%).   
Shade estimates for particular land use types, such as residential, commercial, or City-owned 
can be used for policy guidance and program implementation. Pedestrian areas are identified by 
stakeholders as a high priority for shade, and the Maricopa Association of Governments has 
established recommendations for sidewalk shade coverage in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. 
Current estimates for shade coverage on all sidewalks in the City of Phoenix is 17.4% at noon 
on the summer solstice, 19.7% at 3pm, and 31.2% at 6pm, based on data from the joint UCLA-
ASU study referenced above (Buo et al. 2023). Shade estimates for different property types 
throughout Phoenix are shown in Figure 18.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Figure 18. Tree and Shade Coverage by Property Type  
Estimates are based on averages of parcels within each category of parcel types. Using Google Tree canopy data 
(2022) with building footprints removed from analysis and shade data from UCLA-ASU model (Buo et al. 2023). 
  
 
Built Shade Analysis and Inventory – City of Phoenix Property   
The City of Phoenix builds and maintains a wide variety of shade structures on its properties to 
help protect the public from heat and sunlight. A recommended action in this plan is the 
development of a comprehensive shade structure inventory for all City property. As of the 
publication of this plan, a preliminary inventory has been compiled with the shade structures 
available at City parks and the structures managed by the Public Transit Department at public 
bus stops.   
There are currently 3,054 bus stops with shade shelters throughout the City of Phoenix, 
representing 75% of all city bus stops. The Villages with the highest percentage of shaded bus 
stops are those with higher transit ridership, including South Mountain, Encanto, and Alhambra 
(Figure 19). In those villages, nearly 80% of bus stops have shade structures. At City of Phoenix 
parks, there are 639 shade structures, including 530 ramadas and 109 shade canopies (see 
Figure 20).

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Figure 19. Bus Stops with Shelter Percent by Village.  
Note: Rio Vista and North Gateway do not have any Valley Metro bus stops.  
 
 
 
Figure 20.  Shade structures at Margaret T. Hance Park 
 
Shade availability on City Landscape Maintenance Areas in the public streetscape exceeds 
25% at all hours of the day on the summer solstice and is greater than 35% at 6pm. At all hours 
of the day, shade coverage on City Landscape Maintenance Areas exceeds shade coverage on 
non-City managed sidewalk areas in Phoenix (Figure 21).

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Figure 21. Tree and shade coverage on City-maintained Landscape Maintenance Areas compared to tree and shade 
on all sidewalks City-wide. Using Google Tree canopy data (2022) with building footprints removed from analysis and 
shade data from UCLA-ASU model (Buo et al. 2023).

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
25 
ACHIEVING THE VISION: 
STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS 
 re all r 
Increasing and caring for shade in the city is a long-term effort that will require all parts of our 
community/city. The City is committed to leading this effort to ensure Phoenix remains the most 
sustainable desert city in the U.S. and achieves the vision set forth in this plan. Shade Phoenix 
contains 13 strategic priorities and 37 actions the City and its partners will take across four key 
strategies: educate and empower residents and businesses, expand shade on public and 
private properties, maintain the built and natural shade we have, and evaluate and 
institutionalize these efforts. Collectively, these actions represent more than $50 million in 
investments over five years and will result in more than 25,000 new trees and 500 new 
shade structures across the city. More than 50% of these will be planted or installed in low-
to-moderate income communities and more than 90% will be planted or installed in low, 
moderate, and medium-income communities.  
 
STRATEGY 1: EDUCATE AND EMPOWER 
Phoenicians understand and support the importance and value of trees and 
shade  
 
 
 
Create a citywide movement around shade and heat  
1. Launch Shade Phoenix public communications campaign  
Create and launch, in consultation with community stakeholders, a citywide communications 
campaign to engage residents and businesses about the importance of shade and how it can be 
incorporated into the city, and to maximize awareness of public resources available to support 
trees and shade. The campaign will create multi-media content for diverse stakeholders, with 
emphasis on low tree and shade parts of the city. Content will be distributed using all available 
channels such as social media.  
Funding 
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Urban and Community Forestry program 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Communications, Departmental Public Information Officers

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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2. Create shade award and recognition opportunities for innovative projects adding 
shade in Phoenix 
Clearly identifiable designation of well-designed shaded spaces will help residents recognize 
where they can find relief from heat. Award programs that recognize and celebrate innovation 
will help drive new approaches to shading spaces and promote the importance of shade as a 
design criterion for outdoor spaces.  This effort could include certification for outdoor spaces, 
annual awards for good shade projects, businesses, municipal workers, and good actors around 
our community. OHRM will work with partners to establish certification criteria that corresponds 
to different typologies of outdoor spaces. 
Funding 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation General Fund 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Planning and Development, Arizona State Department of Forestry and Fire Management, 
Parks and Recreation, Street Transportation 
 
3. Commission local artists to design and deploy public art shade installations in public 
spaces 
Public art can be a powerful tool to raise awareness about extreme heat in our city as well as 
celebrate the identity and history of a neighborhood or community.  In 2023, the City of Phoenix 
was one of 8 U.S. cities selected as a winner of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge, 
which invites mayors and artists to submit proposals to receive up to $1 million in funding for 
innovative public art projects designed to address local challenges.  Phoenix’s submission, 
‘!Sombra! - The Celebration of Shade’, commissioned nine local artists to create shading and 
cooling installations in neighborhood parks across Phoenix. The temporary structures will be 
installed in 2025 and be accompanied by community engagement activities and a one-day 
festival celebrating the city’s resilience to heat and the importance of shade in Phoenix. 
Funding 
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge 
Lead Department 
Arts and Culture 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Parks and Recreation, Office of Innovation, Artlink, 
Arizona State University 
 
4. Develop neighborhood tree plans in partnership with local communities 
The City will partner with ASU Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solution Service and local 
organizations to facilitate neighborhood-scale urban forestry planning workshops in 1-2 Phoenix 
neighborhoods. These workshops will be based on and draw from The Nature Conservancy’s 
‘Urban Heat Leadership Academy’ and the Greater Phoenix Heat Action Planning Guide. These 
plans will catalyze additional investments in urban forestry in underserved areas.   
Funding 
IRA to Arizona State University 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
ASU Rob and Melani Walton Sustainability Solution Service and partners

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 27 
Provide public education around sustainable and equitable shade 
practices   
5. Create and distribute materials for a variety of audiences on natural and built shade
The City will utilize new and existing resources created by public and private partners to engage 
and activate a variety of audiences to support the goals of expanding and maintaining natural 
and built shade in Phoenix. Topics may include 'Right Tree, Right Place' and ‘Right Shade, 
Right Place’ campaigns, proper tree maintenance practices (e.g. trimming and watering), 
designs for typical green stormwater infrastructure installations, tree and heat equity, and heat 
science. All resources will be aligned with the values of this plan and be provided in Spanish 
and English. 
One example of these types of efforts are training and demonstrations on how to properly plant 
and maintain a tree provided by Parks and Recreation tree experts at volunteer events hosted 
at City of Phoenix parks. The City has published a new website with resources to provide 
information and guidance on green stormwater infrastructure – what it is, how it can be 
designed, and how to navigate permitting and plan review processes.  The City will continue to 
explore other partnership opportunities to educate the public about trees and shade. 
Funding 
Citywide General Fund and Parks and Recreation Capital Improvement Program 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Street Transportation, Planning and Development, Water, Office of Environmental 
Programs, Office of Innovation, Parks and Recreation, Communications, Trees Matter, 
Maricopa County, American Forests, Arizona Sustainability Alliance, U.S. Forest Service, 
Watershed Management Group 
STRATEGY 2: EXPAND SHADE 
Increase shade for people where they need it most 
Increase shade for children 
6. Implement Shade for Students program
In 2023, the City launched the Shade for Students grant program to construct built shade at 
public and private nonprofit schools and nonprofits who use their sites to serve youth. Through 
this program, schools could apply for up to $75,000 per site to install shade structures. Projects 
were selected by a panel of internal and external partners and must be located within Qualified 
Census Tracts or areas highlighted as being disadvantaged in the Federal Climate and 
Economic Justice Screening Tool.  To-date, 47 structures have been funded serving 26 
organizations. 
Funding 
American Rescue Plan Act - ARPA ($1.5M) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Arts and Culture – Youth and Education, The Design Laboratory

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7. Complete implementation of Canopy for Kids program  
In 2023, the City utilized $2 million from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act to launch the 
Canopy for Kids grant program to plant trees at public and private nonprofit schools and 
nonprofits who use their sites to serve youth. All projects must be located within Qualified 
Census Tracts or areas highlighted as being disadvantaged by the Department of Housing and 
Urban Development. If they are not located within these areas, but 80% or more of the students 
at a school receive free or reduced lunch they can also receive funding. 
The first planting through this program took place in March 2024 in west Phoenix, where 
volunteers and students helped plant 80 drought-tolerant trees at two schools. Five additional 
schools were planted by the end of the spring planting season and almost 200 trees have been 
planted since the program began. The ARPA funding will result in over 1,000 trees planted.   
Unlike many other tree planting funding sources, this funding can also be spent to install new 
irrigation systems or adjust old systems to ensure the trees are sufficiently watered. To continue 
the program beyond this year, the City will allocate an additional $2 million from the Inflation 
Reduction Act. Schools are encouraged to collaborate with local nonprofits and funding can be 
used to pay nonprofits to provide educational components and curriculum to the schools to 
enhance tree knowledge for students.  
Funding 
ARPA ($2M), IRA ($2M) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
ARPA: various school partners, Youth and Education Department, Arizona Public Service, 
Trees Matter, AZ Sustainability Alliance, Keep Phoenix Beautiful; IRA: Watershed 
Management Group, Arizona State University 
 
8. Integrate shade in new construction and renovation at municipal playgrounds  
Children are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of extreme heat. Playgrounds can provide 
outdoor spaces for children and their families to recreate and cool off during hot days. Parks 
and Recreation will work with designers, engineers, and relevant City departments to review 
new and substantial renovations for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) to ensure that shade is 
provided at playgrounds as feasible and share significant milestones. OHRM will work to identify 
funding opportunities to increase shading at existing playgrounds.   
Funding 
Parks Capital Improvement Program 
Lead Department 
Parks and Recreation 
Partners 
Street Transportation, Planning and Development, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, 
Finance

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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Increase shade on City-owned properties 
9. Plant trees in City parks   
Phoenix’s City-run parks are home to an urban forest that provides significant benefits to 
resident’s quality of life by improving air quality, stormwater management, energy savings, and 
shade.  The Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department has planted nearly 17,000 trees in city 
parks since 2010 and manages a large portion of the City’s total tree inventory. This work has 
continued since the 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan and the City will continue to explore 
opportunities to partner and build upon this work to enhance and maintain natural shade within 
parks.   
Funding 
Parks and Recreation 
Lead Department 
Parks and Recreation 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
 
 
10. Expand shade on City-owned property and right-of-way  
The City is allocating IRA and other funding sources to accelerate tree planting on public 
property, including on City-managed landscape maintenance areas in the public right of way 
along streets. The City has identified neighborhoods in the priority areas that have wide right of 
way that are good candidates for trees supported with green stormwater infrastructure (GSI, 
curb cuts and bioswales) to supplement irrigation wherever possible. The IRA funds will also 
cover water and maintenance of the trees for the establishment period of three years. After 
three years the trees will become part of the Street Transportation Department landscape 
maintenance areas and be maintained in perpetuity using City funds.  
City staff will work to more broadly assess needs for shade on City-owned property (e.g., by 
using satellite imagery, conducting walking audits of parks) and identify additional sources of 
funding to add shade and cover other critical installation and maintenance costs including 
irrigation, archeological surveying and preservation, and utility deconfliction. Relevant 
departments will help to review all planning, renovation, and construction projects to maximize 
opportunity for shade and GSI, especially in areas covered by the Walkable Urban Code.  
Funding for public property projects will support tree planting and built shade at selected City-
owned facilities in priority areas where there are unique opportunities to make a transformative 
impact that fall outside the scope of regular operating budgets. 
Funding 
IRA ($1.35M), GO Bond (portion of $7.7M) 
Lead Department 
Street Transportation, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Aviation, Convention Center, Fire, Housing, Human Services, Library, Parks and 
Recreation, Police, Public Transit, Public Works, Water, Office of Environmental Programs 
 
11. Pilot a Public Shade Fund 
Several property types and developments are required by City code to include trees. The City is 
exploring the creation of a Public Shade Fund that can be used in instances where these 
projects cannot include the required number of trees. OHRM will work with other Departments to 
design and launch a pilot fund and ensure that in lieu funds are used in proximate impact areas.   
Funding 
Private developers 
Lead Department 
Planning and Development 
Partners 
Private developers, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 30 
Increase shade on public right-of-way 
12. Expand Cool Corridors network
In 2022, Phoenix’s Street Transportation Department launched the Cool Corridors program to 
plant trees in targeted transportation corridors to keep pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users 
safe and provide relief from high temperatures. Corridors were envisioned as one-quarter to 
half-mile walkways or trails adjacent to an arterial street and were selected using four key 
criteria: neighborhood heat vulnerability, transit dependency, pedestrian use, and shade 
coverage and temperature.  Cool Corridors can also include engineered shade and other design 
features and amenities to promote thermal safety and comfort, and should be implemented 
through a combination of public and private partnerships and resources. 
The added focus on equity in the Shade Phoenix Plan requires a reconsideration of the goals 
and investment plan for the Cool Corridor program, which originally called for 1,800 trees to be 
planted per year. The focus of the program will continue to be to increase shade coverage on 
highly used walking routes in communities disproportionately impacted by summer heat. 
However, construction and maintenance of successful Cool Corridor projects in the places with 
the greatest need requires a more comprehensive implementation strategy with higher per-unit 
costs. OHRM will work with Streets to identify additional critical community destinations, such as 
schools and community centers, in priority areas to be incorporated into the program. The City 
will also work with community and private property owners to understand how people walk to 
and want to walk to priority destinations and focus investments on those preferred routes. The 
Cool Corridor program will focus on construction and maintenance of exemplar projects in 
priority communities that comprehensively address infrastructure deficiencies and conflicts to 
provide robust shade. When feasible, Cool Corridor investments will align with major 
construction and capital improvement programs to maximize impact and efficiency. 
Funding 
General Fund ($1.4M) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Street Transportation, Parks and Recreation, Office of Innovation 
13. Add shade structures at bus stops
Phoenix has 4,080 designated public bus stops supporting 15.6 million annual riders. 
Approximately 75%, or 3,054, have shelters, which can provide some shade and thermal relief 
for riders. 1,869 of these have been added since the 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan was 
released, representing an investment of more than $18 million in new and replacement bus 
shelters. Stops were prioritized based on ridership to maximize program impact. 
The Public Transit Department will install at least 80 shade structures at bus stops each year as 
it works to ensure there are shade structures at all public bus stops in the City of Phoenix within 
the next 10 years. The City currently estimates that it will be able to provide bus shelters at most 
stops with the exception of 300 that were determined to have infrastructural limitations including 
the need for right-of-way, streets projects, or historic area protections. As part of this effort, the 
Public Transit Department will continue to explore innovative design strategies to maximize 
shade provision at bus stops. 
Funding 
T2050, General Fund  
Lead Department 
Public Transit 
Partners 
Street Transportation, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation

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14. Construct Phoenix Sidewalk Shade installations in high-traffic public right-of-way 
Providing shade for pedestrian and bicycle riders can improve public health and the economic 
vitality of communities. The City will construct 25 built shade structures to provide shade for 
heavily-trafficked public rights of way, with input from local artists on the designs from the 
Innovate PHX Challenge. The ideas include shaded bike lanes, artistic concepts, and direction 
shade with around 170 participants contributing to the challenge. Construction is expected to 
begin in 2025 and conclude in 2026. Locations were selected based on bicycle and pedestrian 
volumes and other variables, such as heat vulnerability index, surface temperature, and access 
to vehicles. Due to funding requirements, all of the locations are in or near Qualified Census 
Tracts. To date, 3-4 standard designs have been developed for use in this work.      
Funding 
ARPA ($3M) 
Lead Department 
Street Transportation 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Office of Innovation 
 
15. Pilot a shade structure right-of-way revocable permit   
Currently, if a property owner wants to construct a shade structure in the public right-of-way 
within the Downtown area and areas covered by the Walkable Urban Code, they must obtain a 
revocable permit. This revocability, and the lack of permanence, can discourage property 
owners from making investments in shade in the public right of way. Models exist in other cities 
for tiers of revocable permits, where ‘revocability’ is limited based upon the type of structure and 
permit. The City will explore the feasibility of piloting a citywide permit for shade structures, 
canopies, and building overhangs, that would limit the City’s revocability. This may require 
changes to City ordinance and/or variances to be obtained to allow for revocable permits 
outside high density urban development.  
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Planning and Development 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Street Transportation  
 
Increase shade on private properties 
16. Execute Community Canopy Grant Program   
Launched in 2023, the Community Canopy Grant program aims to improve tree canopy 
coverage in Qualifying Census Tracts (as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development) throughout Phoenix.  Through this program, neighborhood associations, 
community nonprofits, multi-family residential sites, and individual community members can 
submit applications requesting trees, supplies and support for tree planting projects designed to 
assist communities in increasing their tree canopies.  
To date, approximately 800 trees have been planted through this program on approximately 400 
residential properties. The goal for the Fall 2024 planting season is to plant an additional 1,500 
trees. A portion of the IRA funding will be allocated to extend this program and allow more 
residents to benefit. The goal for the IRA funding is to plant 6,000 trees over the next five years   
Funding 
ARPA ($2M), IRA ($2.5M) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Neighborhood Services, Nature Conservancy, CHISPA AZ, West Coast Arborists, Dusty 
Landscaping, Treeland Nurseries, Whitfill Nursery, Desert Tree Farm

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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17. Develop a permit for small tree planting projects   
Planting a tree on a private multi-family residential or non-residential property in the City of 
Phoenix requires a permit from the Planning and Development Department. Replacements of 
pre-existing permitted trees do not require a new permit, but must adhere to similar tree species 
and size standards. This process takes a minimum of three months, which can be a burden for 
small tree planting projects.   
To help support small tree planting projects, the City is exploring options for a streamlined 
permitting and approvals process. OHRM is working with the Planning and Development 
Department to develop simpler processes for projects that would plant 1-5 trees.   
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Planning and Development 
 
18. Develop sample shade stipulations for Village Planning Committees and Planning 
Commission 
Phoenix is divided into 15 urban Villages, each with a Village Planning Committee (VPC) 
appointed by the Mayor and City Council. The VPCs provide guidance on a range of citywide 
and local issues, and they hear and discuss re-zoning cases, general plan amendments, and 
text amendments and provide recommendations to the Planning Commission.   
One tool utilized by the VPCs are stipulations, which can take the form of legal, enforceable 
rezoning stipulations drafted together with the village planners. Planning and OHRM will work 
together to refine existing and develop new sample stipulations for use by Village Planning 
Committees and the Planning Commission to support the goals of this plan and expand shade.    
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Planning and Development 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 33 
STRATEGY 3: PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN 
EXISTING SHADE  
The community works together to support a thriving urban forest and well-
maintained built shade 
Care for and maintain trees and shade structures on public property 
19. Implement street tree placement program using ‘right tree, right place’ and ‘no-net-
loss’ approaches
Expand the Tree Replacement Program to include all departments that manage City property. 
New species will be chosen using recommendations from the species list developed by Phoenix 
Metro Urban Tree Roundtable and to comply with all regulatory requirements with the Phoenix 
Active Management Area as defined by the Arizona Department of Water Resources. 
Funding 
~$390k funding allocated in Street Maintenance Operation budget 
Lead Department 
Street Transportation 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Landscape maintenance contractors 
20. Work with Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service on tree replacements due to
utility conflicts
When there is a utility conflict on city-managed property that requires tree removal, SRP will 
identify, remove at their cost and provide three replacement trees in no conflict areas at their 
expense (APS provides a 1:1 ratio of replacement trees). OHRM will work with SRP and APS to 
identify removal needs and new planting sites, using the ‘right tree, right place’ approach. 
Funding 
Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service  
Lead Department 
Street Transportation, Parks and Recreation 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Finance, Landscape maintenance contractors 
21. Utilize GSI to reduce potable watering needs for trees and other vegetation
GSI can support vegetation while providing many co-benefits, including heat reduction, 
stormwater improvements, reductions in localized flooding, and reductions in potable water 
irrigation needs. The City will find opportunities to use GSI in capital improvement projects and 
in landscape improvement projects on existing city property and right-of-way. For private 
development projects, the City will inform and encourage the use of GSI, including the use of 
stipulations for re-zoning requests, as appropriate. 
Funding 
Capital Improvement Projects, maintenance budgets 
Lead Department 
Street Transportation – Office of City Engineer, Planning and Development 
Partners 
Planning and Development, GSI Working Group, Office of Environmental Programs, Office 
of Heat Response and Mitigation, Finance, private contractors

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
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22. Maintain City-managed trees and shade structures  
Caring for and maintaining the City’s existing tree canopy is critical to ensuring a healthy and 
thriving city. The City will continue to perform regular maintenance work, including trimming, 
pruning, and removal of dead limbs and seek additional resources as available to expand this 
vital work.   
The City will also work to ensure that shade structures remain in good working condition. 
Routine maintenance will include actions such as: graffiti removal, tightening bolts, and re-
attaching and repairing shade sails. As the number and types of shade structures in the city 
increases, the City will evaluate its maintenance practices and identify any necessary changes 
and best management practices, including enhance existing structures with new technologies to 
mitigate heat.   
Funding 
General Fund, $3.5M in 2023 (Parks and Recreation + private contracts) 
Lead Department 
Parks and Recreation 
Partners 
Street Transportation, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
 
23. Improve management of trees in the public right-of-way   
Budget and Research will analyze the City’s current landscape maintenance efforts, compare to 
peer city best practices and identify potential areas of improvement. This could include 
enhancements to contract management, oversight of challenges with vendors, departmental 
responsibilities, balanced insourced versus outsourced tasks, and how landscape maintenance 
ties into water resource management and heat mitigation efforts.     
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Budget and Research 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Street Transportation, Parks and Recreation 
 
Strengthen code enforcement on private property  
24. Strengthen enforcement of tree code    
The City will review and update its codes as necessary and strengthen mechanisms for tree and 
plant violation enforcement on private property. This includes exploring the designation of a site 
inspector as a dedicated tree and plant violation inspector. OHRM will work with NSD to 
determine which properties are eligible for increased enforcement. 
The City will explore more proactive identification of at-risk properties, including possible 
development of screenings to identify properties that are out of compliance with enforceable site 
plans. 
Funding 
N/A 
Lead Department 
Neighborhood Services 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Planning and Development

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 
 
35 
Increase City capacity to maintain trees and shade 
25. Increase the number of Certified Arborists within the City and expand training 
opportunities for staff 
Caring for and maintaining trees requires specific knowledge and expertise. To enhance and 
expand capacity to care for the City’s tree canopy, the City will seek to increase the number of 
certified arborists on staff and provide continuing education for currently certified arborists. The 
City partners with the Arizona Community Tree Council to offer space in Parks and Recreation 
facilities to host Certified Arborist Training and Review courses. These courses are designed to 
prepare tree care industry workers for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified 
Arborist Exam, the industry standard certification. The City will continue to explore other training 
opportunities to expand staff expertise and capacity related to both trees and built shade. 
Funding 
Varies by department 
Lead Department 
Parks and Recreation 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Street Transportation 
 
 
 
STRATEGY 4: EVALUATE AND INSTITUTIONALIZE 
Ongoing implementation and improvement of shade efforts to scale their 
impacts and maximize benefits 
 
Monitor and evaluate progress on Shade Phoenix plan  
26. Complete citywide tree and shade assessments 
The City will assess both tree canopy and shade coverage to better understand the existing 
coverages and identify opportunities for expansion and areas of greatest need. While many 
cities have conducted tree assessments, few have assessed shade. The City will conduct a 
citywide assessment of where shade exists at different times of day and different times of the 
year. This first-of-its kind assessment for Phoenix will use 3D building and landscape data, run 
through a model with sun analysis. OHRM will work with experts at UCLA and ASU to create a 
best management reporting practice for the built shade components of this assessment. For 
tree assessment, the City will use Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to assess progress 
on expanding the tree canopy and identify areas of need. 
Funding 
N/A 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Arizona State University (ASU)

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 36 
27. Conduct and maintain an inventory of trees and shade structures on city property
To help complement the shade assessment and to identify opportunities for new shade 
structures in areas of high need, the City will conduct a citywide inventory of shade structures 
on publicly-managed property. This will include, but not be limited to, bus shelters and park 
spaces. For trees, the City will complete a citywide inventory of trees on publicly managed 
property, using asset management software. Once completed, the tree inventory will be 
managed by the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation in coordination with all relevant City 
departments. 
Funding 
Parks and Recreation (tree inventory), N/A (shade structure inventory) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Parks and Recreation, Street Transportation 
28. Provide an annual progress report on Shade Phoenix
Shade Phoenix outlines actions the City and its partners will take over the next five years. To 
track progress toward our goals, OHRM will produce an annual report tracking the City’s 
progress on each of the actions in the Plan. This public-facing document will ensure our efforts 
are transparent and stakeholders can hold the City accountable for implementation. 
Funding 
General Fund 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Arizona State University (ASU), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) 
29. Update the Shade Phoenix Plan every 5 years
Achieving the City’s long-term goals and expanding and maintaining shade in Phoenix will take 
time and continued effort and investments. The City and its partners will also continue to learn 
about the most effective ways to deliver this work and better understand the unique needs of 
Phoenix’s diverse communities as it implements Shade Phoenix. To ensure that Phoenix’s 
shade efforts remain current and focused on the city’s most pressing needs, OHRM will work 
with all of the City departments and partners to update Shade Phoenix every 5 years. 
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Mayor’s Office, City Manager’s Office

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 37 
Strengthen organizational coordination and staff capacity 
30. Build institutional capacity for green stormwater infrastructure
The city is working to expand the use of green stormwater infrastructure across the city.  A new 
cross-departmental working group on GSI serves as a resource to City departments and forum 
for learning. The City will identify opportunities to provide specific training to city project 
managers on incorporating GSI into design, construction, and maintenance practices. The City 
will include GSI expertise in future engineering on-call contract requests for proposals. Staff 
capacity is an ongoing concern so the City will also explore opportunities to fund a new position 
to lead and coordinate work on GSI across City departments. Private property owners and 
developers are critical in expanding the use of GSI. With this in mind, the City will provide 
educational resources for private parties to feel informed about implementing GSI on their 
property/development, including resources on the City’s GSI website. The City will also 
investigate opportunities to streamline permitting processes and expand resident and 
professional familiarity with GSI installation and maintenance.     
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Planning and Development 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Office of Environmental Programs, Street 
Transportation, Parks and Recreation 
31. Re-establish cross-departmental working group on urban forestry and establish a
new built shade working group
Implementation of this Plan requires a whole of government approach and coordination across a 
number of City departments and offices. It also depends upon a whole community-driven 
approach and coordination between the City and community members and partners. To better 
align City staff across Departments, the City has re-established a cross-departmental working 
group on urban forestry comprised of all Departments that manage trees on their properties. For 
the newer approaches to built and engineered shade, the City will establish a new working 
group to coordinate this work across Departments. These working groups will also help to align 
City Departments in their engagement with community stakeholders and external partners. 
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Aviation, Convention Center, Fire, Housing, Human Services, Library, Parks and 
Recreation, Police, Public Transit, Public Works, Street Transportation, Water

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 38 
Strengthen regulations, design standards and guidelines 
32. Update City of Phoenix plant species guidance
Planting the right tree in the right place is critically important to expanding natural shade in 
Phoenix. The desert setting requires special attention to detail when selecting which tree 
species may thrive into the future. Trees mature over a long time horizon, during which our local 
climate will continue to change, and we are thinking ahead to which trees will be best adapted to 
local conditions. OHRM will continue to work with Planning and other City Departments to 
evaluate species guidance and regulatory plant lists against the tree list developed by the Urban 
Forestry Roundtable. The City will explore any necessary updates to codes on species 
requirements and guidance. 
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Planning and Development 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, Office of Environmental Programs, Parks and 
Recreation 
33. Embed shade recommendations into City-owned building design standards and
facility review
The City is updating its standards for new City building construction projects and substantial 
renovations to shape the General Obligation Bond-funded projects. In addition, to ensure these 
standards are followed consistently, the City re-established the Facility Review Committee. The 
Committee will provide recommendations on all new construction and substantial renovation 
projects for compliance with the new building standards. OHRM provided recommendations for 
the building standards related to shade and will serve on the Facility Review Committee to 
ensure alignment with the vision and goals of this Plan. 
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Public Works 
Partners 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation, City Engineer 
34. Integrate tree and shade goals in all relevant City plans
The City has several plans to guide efforts to ensure Phoenix becomes the most sustainable 
desert city on the planet. This includes documents and planning processes like the General 
Plan – PlanPHX 2025, as well as topic-specific plans like the Climate Action Plan, and 
Departmental strategies such as the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. OHRM will work with 
colleagues across the City to ensure that all plans and planning processes are aligned with the 
vision and goals presented in this Plan. 
Funding 
n/a 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Parks and Recreation, Planning and Development, Office of Environmental Programs

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 39 
Create and expand pathways for careers in urban forestry 
35. Create a Tree Steward Program
The City recognizes the importance of planting trees in high need areas, but also considers 
educating the public on how to plant and care for trees just as critical. With funding from the 
IRA, the City will partner with a community organization focused on workforce development to 
hire and train 10 community members as Community Tree Stewards. The Tree Stewards will 
work in conjunction with the City to organize and lead neighborhood tree plantings, inventory 
and monitor neighborhood trees, coordinate tree maintenance, and help educate and inspire 
other residents about the importance and value of trees. 
OHRM has been working with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management on the 
development of a training manual to train community members. Community Tree Stewards will 
be trained in the following subjects: tree biology, soil, water and fertilizer, tree identification, tree 
selection and planting, tree maintenance and on-going care, biotic and abiotic tree threats, and 
the benefits of trees and environmental justice. 
Funding 
IRA ($2M) 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Parks and Recreation, Community-based organizations, Arizona State Department of 
Forestry and Fire Management 
36. Support youth workforce development for urban forestry career pathways
An ASU team is working with state apprenticeship offices, local and national urban forestry 
industry leaders, professional organizations, and community colleges to document and design 
urban forestry workforce and entrepreneurial pathways with a focus on addressing barriers to 
access and points of disconnection.  With funding from the IRA, the ASU team will create an 
urban forestry vocational program that includes experiential courses, internships and 
apprenticeships. The aim is to create pre-professional on-ramps for underserved CEJST 
communities, with a focus on opportunity youth (ages 16–24). The City will support this project 
by exploring opportunities to pilot contracting and hiring of program participants. 
Funding 
IRA via Arizona State University 
Lead Department 
Office of Heat Response and Mitigation
Partners 
Arizona State University, Arizona Conservation Corps, Arizona Landscape Contractors 
Association, Bartlett Tree Experts, Arizona Community Tree Council, Arizona Nursery 
Association, Arizona Cooperative Initiative 
37. Provide Certified Arborist Training for residents and professionals
Proper tree care and maintenance requires specialized knowledge and expertise. The City 
partners with the Arizona Community Tree Council to offer space in Parks and Recreation 
facilities to host Certified Arborist Training and Review courses. These courses are designed to 
prepare tree care industry workers for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified 
Arborist Exam, the industry standard certification. The City will work with partners to promote 
this course, as well as other training opportunities, to a wide audience to expand the trained 
workforce to help care for trees in the city. 
Funding 
N/A
Lead Department 
Parks and Recreation, Office of Heat Response and Mitigation 
Partners 
Arizona Community Tree Council

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 40 
REFERENCES & RESOURCES 
Andrade, R., K. L. Larson, D. M. Hondula and J. Franklin. 2019. Social-spatial analyses of 
attitudes toward the desert in a southwestern U.S. city. Annals of the American 
Association of Geographers 109(6):1845-1864. DOI: 10.1080 /24694452.2019.1580498. 
Berbés-Blázquez, M., Cook, E. M., Grimm, N. B., Iwaniec, D. M., Mannetti, L. M., Muñoz-
Erickson, T. A., & Wahl, D. (2023). Assessing resilience, equity, and sustainability of 
future visions across two urban scales. Sustainability Science, 18(6), 2549-2566. 
Gronlund, C. J. (2014). Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Heat-Related Health Effects 
and Their Mechanisms: A Review. Current Epidemiology Reports, 1(3), 165–173. 
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40471-014-0014-4 
Harlan, S. L., Declet-Barreto, J. H., Stefanov, W. L., & Petitti, D. B. (2013). Neighborhood 
Effects on Heat Deaths: Social and Environmental Predictors of Vulnerability in Maricopa 
County, Arizona. Environmental Health Perspectives, 121(2), 197–204. 
https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104625' 
Harlan, S. L., Brazel, A. J., Prashad, L., Stefanov, W. L., & Larsen, L. (2006). Neighborhood 
microclimates and vulnerability to heat stress. Social Science & Medicine, 63(11), 2847–
2863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.07.030 
Iwaniec, D. M., Cook, E. M., Davidson, M. J., Berbés-Blázquez, M., Georgescu, M., Krayenhoff, 
E. S., ... & Grimm, N. B. (2020). The co-production of sustainable future scenarios.
Landscape and Urban Planning, 197, 103744.
Larson, K. L., J. Hoffmann and J. Ripplinger. 2017. Legacy effects and landscape choices in a 
desert city. Landscape and Urban Planning 165:22-29. DOI: 
10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.04.014.  
Meerow, S., Helmrich, A. M., Andrade, R., & Larson, K. L. (2021). How do heat and flood risk 
drive residential green infrastructure implementation in Phoenix, Arizona?. Urban 
Ecosystems, 1-12. 
Middel, A., AlKhaled, S., Schneider, F. A., Hagen, B., & Coseo, P. (2021). 50 grades of shade. 
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 102(9), E1805-E1820.
Mitchell, B. C., & Chakraborty, J. (2015). Landscapes of thermal inequity: Disproportionate 
exposure to urban heat in the three largest US cities. Environmental Research Letters, 
10(11), 115005. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/11/115005 
Turner, V. K., Middel, A., & Vanos, J. K. (2023). Shade is an essential solution for hotter cities. 
Nature, 619(7971), 694-697.

Shade Phoenix Plan Draft – June 2024 41 
APPENDIX 
Implementation Status of Actions from 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan 
A.1. Create a council-approved Citizen Tree and Shade Committee to oversee Urban Forest issues.
Completed
A.2 Provide information to the public about on-going efforts and long-term strategies.
Ongoing 
A.3 Develop and Establish Education and Outreach Programs
Ongoing
A.4 Create Channel 11 Programs, Streaming Web Videos and DVDs
Redirected1
A.5 Hold Urban Forest and Shade Symposium
Redirected2
A.6 Develop Shade and Urban Forest Excellence Award
Incomplete
A.7 Research grant opportunities
Ongoing
A.8 Establish and Maintain Partnerships
Ongoing
A.9 Develop and Complete Shade Demonstration Projects
Ongoing
B.1 Conduct a baseline tree inventory that will assess canopy coverage for the entire city
In process3
B.2 Develop a Tree and Shade Management Plan
Incomplete
B.3
Research and develop additional sources of revenue for the care and maintaince of our urban 
forest 
Ongoing 
B.4
Incrementally restore budget for street trees, landscape and park maintenance as well as 
community tree outreach programs. 
Ongoing 
B.5
Establish Best Management Practices (BMP) based upon national arboriculture specifications, and 
adopt them into the Parks and Recreation Department’s Field Operation Procedures.
Completed4
B.6 Establish an Urban Forest Infrastructure Team to oversee implementation of the Master Plan
Completed
B.7 Update Tree and Shade Master Plan biannually to ensure action items are being completed.
Incomplete
C.1 Integrate goals of the Tree and Shade Master Plan into the General Plan
Completed
C.2 Develop and establish a comprehensive tree, shade and landscape ordinance
Incomplete
C.3 Further develop a green waste program, and look for ways to improve efficiencies
Ongoing
C.4 Research and complete shade demonstration projects
Ongoing
1 Focus has shifted away from videos to broader online materials
2 PDD held an Urban Tree workshop as part of the ReinventPHX initiative and an annual Shade Conference is now hosted by regional partners. 
3 A tree inventory was conducted in 2014 of City of Phoenix owned property
4 The Parks and Recreation Department has adopted the American Natioanl Standards Institute Tree Care standards for field operations. 
Completed: Action was completed
In process: Action is in process of being completed
Ongoing: Action does not have a finite milestone or state of completion and represents ongoing activities
Redirected: Action was redirected to other activities, reflecting a change in focus or understanding of need
Incomplete: Action has a finite milestone that has not been completed
Treat the urban forest as infrastructure to ensure that trees and engineered shade are an integral part of the 
city’s planning and development process 
Preserve, protect and increase the quality and quantity of trees and vegetation, especially large shade trees in 
appropriate areas.  
Raise awareness about the condition and benefits of the urban forest by educating staff and the public. Build 
demonstration projects. Establish partnerships that promote stewardship and investment in trees.

Action
#
Sub-Action
Lead
Partners
Funding 
1 Launch Shade Phoenix public communications campaign 
OHRM
Communications, Departmental PIOs
IRA 
2 Create shade award and recognition opportunities for innovative projects adding shade in Phoenix
OHRM
PDD, AZ DFFM, PRD, STD
OHRM General Fund
3 Commission local artists to design and deploy public art shade installations in public spaces
Arts
OHRM, PRD, Innovation, Artlink, ASU
Bloomberg Philanthropies
4 Develop neighborhood tree plans in partnership with local communities
OHRM
ASU
IRA (ASU)
Provide public education 
around sustainable and 
equitable shade practices
5 Create and distribute materials for a variety of audiences on natural and built shade
OHRM
STD, PDD, WSD, OEP, Innovation, PRD, 
Communications, Trees Matter, Maricopa County, 
American Forests, AZ Sustainability Alliance, 
U.S.F.S., Watershed Mgmt. Group
Citywide General Fund and Parks and 
Recreation CIP
6 Implement Shade for Students program
OHRM
YED, The Design Laboratory
ARPA ($1.5M)
7 Complete implementation of Canopy for Kids program
OHRM
ARPA: various school partners, YED, APS, Trees 
Matter, AZSA, KPB; IRA: Watershed Mgmt. Group, 
ASU
ARPA ($2M), IRA ($2M)
8 Integrate shade in new construction and renovation at municipal playgrounds
PRD
OHRM, Finance, STD, PDD
Parks Capital Improvement Program
9 Plant trees in City parks
PRD
OHRM
PRD
10 Expand shade on City-owned property and right-of-way
STD/ OHRM
Aviation, Convention, Fire, Housing, HSD, Library, 
OEP, PRD, Police, PT, PWD, WSD
IRA ($1.35M), GO Bond ($7.7M)
11 Pilot a Shade Mitigation Fund
PDD
Private developers, OHRM
Private developers
12 Expand Cool Corridors network
OHRM
STD, PRD, Innovation
General Fund ($1.4M)
13 Provide shade structures at all bus stops
PT
STD, OHRM
T2050, General Fund
14 Construct Phoenix Sidewalk Shade insallations in high-traffic public right-of-way
STD
OHRM, Innovation
ARPA ($3M)
15 Pilot a shade structure right-of-way revocable permit
PDD
OHRM, STD
n/a
16 Execute Community Canopy Grant Program
OHRM
NSD, The Nature Conservancy, CHISPA AZ, West 
Coast Arborist, Dusty Landscaping, Treeland 
Nurseries, Whitfill Nursery, Desert Tree Farm
ARPA ($2M), IRA ($2.5M)
17 Develop a permit for small tree planting projects
OHRM
PDD
n/a
18 Develop sample shade stipulations for Village Planning Committees and Planning Commission
PDD
OHRM
n/a
19 Implement street tree replacement program using 'right tree, right place' and 'no-net-loss' approaches 
STD
OHRM, Landscape maintenance contractors
Street Maintenance Operations
20 Work with Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service on tree replacements due to utility conflicts
STD/PRD
OHRM, Finance, Landscape maintenance 
contractors, SRP, APS
SRP and APS
21 Utilize GSI to reduce potable watering needs for trees and other vegetation
STD/PDD 
GSI Working Group, OEP, OHRM, Finance, private 
contractors
CIP, maintenance budgets
22 Maintain City-managed trees and shade structures
PRD
STD, OHRM
General Fund ($3.5M in 2023)
23 Improve management of trees in the public right-of-way
Budget
OHRM, STD, PRD
n/a
Strengthen code enforcement 
on private property
24 Stengthen enforcement of tree code
NSD
OHRM, PDD 
n/a
Increase City capacity to 
maintain trees and shade
25 Increase the number of Certified Arborists within the City and expand training opportunities for staff
PRD
OHRM, STD
varies by department
26 Complete citywide tree and shade assessments
OHRM
UCLA, ASU
n/a
27 Conduct and maintain an inventory of trees and shade structures on city property
OHRM
PRD, STD
Parks and Recreation (tree inventory), 
n/a (shade inventory)
28 Provide an annual progress report on Shade Phoenix
OHRM
ASU, UCLA
General Fund
29 Update the Shade Phoenix Plan every 5 years
OHRM
Mayor's Office, City Manager's Office
n/a
30 Build institutional capacity for green stormwater infrastructure
PDD
OHRM, OEP, STD, PRD
n/a
31 Re-establish cross-departmental working group on urban forestry and establish a new built shade working 
group
OHRM
Aviation, Convention, Fire, Housing, HSD, Library, 
PRD, Police, PTD, PWD, WSD
n/a
32 Update City of Phoenix plant species guidance
PDD
OHRM, OEP, PRD
n/a
33 Embed shade recommendations into City-owned building design standards and facility review
PWD
OHRM, City Engineer
n/a
34 Integrate tree and shade goals in all relevant City plans
OHRM
PRD, PDD, OEP
n/a
35 Create a Tree Steward Program
OHRM
PRD, CBOs, AZ DFFM
IRA ($2M)
36 Support youth workforce development for urban forestry career pathways
OHRM
ASU, AZ Conservation Corps, AZ Landscape 
Contractors Association, Bartlett Tree Experts, AZ 
Community Tree Council, AZ Nursery Association, 
AZ Cooperative Initiative
IRA (ASU)
37 Provide Certified Arborist training for residents and professionals
PRD, OHRM
AZ Community Tree Council
n/a
Shade Phoenix Plan - Implementation Table 
STRATEGY 4: EVALUATE AND INSTITUTIONALIZE - Ongoing implementation and improvement of shade efforts to scale their impacts and maximize benefits
Monitor and evaluate progress 
on Shade Phoenix Plan
Strengthen organizational 
coordination and staff capacity
Strengthen regulations, design 
standards and guidelines
STRATEGY 1: EDUCATE AND EMPOWER - All Phoenicians understand the importance and value of trees and shade
Create a citywide movement 
arround shade and heat 
STRATEGY 2: EXPAND SHADE - Increase shade for people outdoors where they need it most 
Increase shade for children
Create and expand pathways 
for careers in urban forestry
Increase shade on City-owned 
properties
Increase shade on public right-
of-way
Increase shade on private 
properties
STRATEGY 3: PRESERVE AND MAINTAIN EXISTING SHADE - The community works together to support a thriving urban forest and well-maintained built shade 
Care for and maintain trees and 
shade structures on public 
property