City Wide Tree Master Plan

Description

The City of Reading is seeking a qualified consulting team to deliver a Comprehensive Trees Master Plan that addresses equity, sustainability and resilience.The City of Reading recognizes the vital role trees play in enhancing quality of life, environmental health, and climate resilience. As one of Pennsylvania's largest urban centers, Reading faces challenges from extreme weather, aging infrastructure, and historic environmental injustice. Significant disparities exist in canopy coverage across the city's neighborhoods, particularly in lower-income and historically marginalized communities.Reading's 2021 Climate Action Plan and 2023 Comprehensive Plan highlight the importance of expanding the city’s urban tree canopy as a strategy for reducing urban heat island effects, improving public health, managing stormwater, enhancing biodiversity, and sequestering carbon. The development of a citywide Trees Master Plan represents a key step in delivering on these priorities.The plan will seek to: Inventory and evaluate the current urban forest, including street trees and trees located in actively used park areas such as playgrounds, athletic fields, picnic groves, tennis courts, and similar recreational zonesPrioritize equitable canopy expansionIntegrate community input and partnershipsRecommend strategies for sustainable planting and long-term maintenance