Often the first item in the budget to be cut, street trees are key to pedestrian comfort and urban livability in so many ways. In addition to offering shade, they reduce ambient temperatures in hot weather, absorb rainwater and tailpipe emissions, provide UV protection, and limit the effects of wind. Trees also slow cars and improve the sense of enclosure by “necking down” the street space with their canopies. A consistent cover of trees can go a long way toward making up for an otherwise nasty walk. Because they have such a powerful impact on walkability, street trees have been associated
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