Shade is a critical community resource, and at its Nov. 13 meeting, the Phoenix City Council unanimously adopted the Shade Phoenix Plan for 2024-28.
Addressing the need for shade in Phoenix, the council report said, “Providing adequate shade is one of the most effective strategies to make outdoor urban environments safe and comfortable. Shade protects the human body from direct sun exposure, which is the primary factor that determines outdoor thermal safety in hot weather. Shade also protects infrastructure from sun exposure, which reduces the dangers of people interacting with hot surfaces and increases the life span of materials. Studies estimate that shade reduces the net heat burden on the human body by up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.”
Of high concern, the report continued is inadequate shade in certain neighborhoods and vital outdoor areas like transit stops and commercial corridors, and “Maintaining and expanding publicly available shade, with a focus on where people are most exposed to outdoor heat and where there are high concentrations of vulnerable populations, is critical to our future.”
There are 11 strategic priorities and 36 actions in the Shade Phoenix Plan that, collectively, represent at least $60,000,000 in allocated and planned funding that will be directed toward tree and shade initiatives in the next five years, from a combination of local, federal, and private sources. This will result in more than 27,000 new trees and 550 new shade structures.
More than half of the funding has been committed in the past two years, the city said. Of the total investment, 50 percent is anticipated to be made in low- to moderate-income communities in the City of Phoenix and 85 percent is anticipated to be made in low-, moderate-, and middle-income communities.
In the nearly 15 years since the 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan was adopted, at least 32,968 trees have been planted by the Street Transportation Department, Parks and Recreation Department, and Aviation Department.
Residents can read the full updated plan and learn more about the city’s shade initiatives online at www.phoenix.gov/heat/shade.
