Substantial research supports the following benefits that trees bring to urban areas.
Environmental:
- Produce oxygen for us to breath.
- Sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, locking away the harmful 'greenhouse' gas.
- Reduce localised temperature extremes (the Urban Heat Island).
- Provide shade, reducing the harmful effects of ultra violet radiation and making streets and buildings cooler in summer.
- Help to improve air quality by reducing dust and particulates.
- Improve environmental performance of buildings.
- Help to reduce traffic noise, absorbing and deflecting sound.
- Help to reduce local wind speeds.
- Increase biodiversity and provide food and shelter for wildlife.
- Assist in land remediation.
- Reduce the effects of flash flooding by rainfall interception.
Social:
- Improve the quality and perception of the urban environment.
- Create community focal points and landmark links.
- Create sense of place and local identity.
- Benefit communities socially be instilling higher public esteem and pride for an area.
- Positive impact on both physical and mental health and well being.
- Positive impact on crime reduction.
- Improve health in the urban population.
Economic:
- Have the potential to increase residential and commercial property values by between 7% to 15%.
- Improve the environmental performance of buildings and therefore the economic performance through reducing heating and cooling costs.
- Can provide mature landscapes that confer a premium for development sites.
- Assist the appreciation of property values proportionate to their scale as they grow larger.
- Creating a positive perception for prospective purchasers of property.
- Enhance the prospects of securing planning permission.
- Improve health in the urban population, thus reducing healthcare costs.
- Provide a potential long term renewable energy resource.