Urban Forest
Why do trees matter?
The urban forest is made up of all the trees in Cambridge. It is a living system that makes up part of our urban infrastructure. Trees take a long time to grow, sometimes it can be up to 30 years to develop a mature canopy. As time goes on, all the trees in our city will eventually start to decline and need to be replaced. The nurturing and care of our shared urban forest will require an all-hands-on-deck strategy for maintaining our environment. If we plant more trees today it means that we'll have more trees tomorrow, and well into the future.
However, since 2009, Cambridge has lost about 86 soccer fields, or 150 acres, worth of trees. Cambridge currently has a goal for each neighborhood to have a minimum of 25% canopy cover to help mitigate heat, provide shade, and improve air quality.
In 2020, the City adopted the Urban Forest Master Plan to layout goals, targets, and strategies for improving the urban forest. Learn more about Cambridge Urban Forestry.
UNIT | The City tracks the number of net new City trees added to the City's tree inventory each year. The total number of net new trees is equal to the number of new trees planted minus the number of trees lost annually. Tree removal is avoided whenever possible; however, tree removal may be necessary when a tree cannot recover from disease or poses a risk to public safety. | Net Trees Net Number of Trees |
| The City tracks the number of net new City trees added to the City's tree inventory each year. The total number of net new trees is equal to the number of new trees planted minus the number of trees lost annually. Tree removal is avoided whenever possible; however, tree removal may be necessary when a tree cannot recover from disease or poses a risk to public safety. | Net Trees Net Number of Trees |
Trees in Cambridge provide cleaner air, noise and thermal regulation.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Klein.
Tree Planting
Upcoming Tree Planting Locations
Tree planting locations are identified based on public requests and surveys by Forestry staff. Tree planting locations must meet ADA and City planting standards. You can request a tree planting, a tree pruning, or make a general inquiry about trees to the DPW.
New trees are planted in the spring and fall and are watered by the City for at least 2 years after planting. For a list of tree species the City plants, please visit the Urban Forestry Webpage. A map of proposed tree planting locations is below.
Please note that these locations are subject to change.
How You Can Help
How You Can Help
We need your help to help maintain a healthy, vibrant urban forest!
