Mainstreaming the environmental benefits of street trees

Over the course of the last three decades the role of the street tree in planning and policy arenas has transitioned from one primarily of beautification and ornamentation to one more inclusive of environmental services provision in numerous U.S. cities. This phenomenon was examined in the northern California cities of Palo Alto, Sacramento, and San Francisco. Analysis of policy documents, non-profit newsletters, field work, and interviews revealed that claims about the environmental values of street trees have been championed by municipal and non-profit actors and have been legitimized by the production and dissemination of urban forest science.