MAYOR MICHELLE WU AND PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT RELEASE TREE CANOPY ASSESSMENT REPORT
Boston’s tree canopy showed net increases from 2019 to 2024; investments in trees on City property contributed significantly to canopy gain over the assessment period.
BOSTON — Thursday, March 5, 2026 – Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department today announced the release of the 2019-2024 Tree Canopy Assessment, a comprehensive analysis of tree canopy change across Boston. The analysis shows a net increase of 151 acres of canopy, resulting in Boston’s tree canopy coverage increasing by an absolute 0.5% to 28.5% (excluding the airport) during the five-year period, driven by gains on public land such as parks and rights-of-way. This is meaningful progress versus the previous five-year period, which showed no net change in canopy coverage.
The assessment was completed by the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab and is based on a year-long analysis of high-quality, high-resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery captured during airplane flyovers of the City. Following the release of the 2022 Urban Forestry Plan, Boston’s Urban Forestry Division continues to use regular canopy assessments to track progress, guide investments, and support equitable access to trees citywide.
“Growing our tree canopy not only improves climate resiliency – it expands access to green spaces that enhance the quality of life of all our residents," said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This thorough assessment highlights how we can continue to strengthen our environment. By shading our streets, reducing heat and energy stresses, investing in cleaner, cooler air, we protect our city for generations to come. We are excited to continue our work towards building a greener and healthier city for residents across every neighborhood.”
From 2019 to 2024, Boston’s citywide canopy increased by 151 acres, with increases on public lands like rights-of-way and parks. Over the last 5 years, due to increased investment and efforts on street tree planting and maintenance, Boston saw a relative change of 8.8% or 67 acres of canopy to our rights-of-way, nearly triple the amount from 2014 to 2019. Open space also saw a large increase in canopy, with a net increase of 104 acres of cover in parks, a relative change of 3.9%.
Tree Canopy Assessment Report key findings include:
- Boston’s overall tree canopy increased with a relative change of 1.8% from 2019 to 2024, with gains on public land more than offsetting losses on private property. That’s 151 acres citywide, the equivalent of 114 football fields.
- Although the Urban Forestry Plan was adopted in 2022, priority planting zones already saw a 0.4% increase in canopy coverage since 2019.
- The largest net gains of tree canopy were seen in East Boston, Jamaica Plain, South Boston, and West Roxbury, while net losses were seen in Hyde Park and Mattapan. 116 acres of canopy were lost on the 35% of Boston’s tree canopy that exists on residential land.
- Boston is dominated by small forest patches (representing 50% of the area of canopy), and there is a large distribution of tree heights across Boston. Age diversity and breakup of the canopy support a more resilient canopy over time.
- To enhance urban resilience, Boston can improve access to trees and the benefits that they provide, as well as prioritize tree plantings in neighborhoods most susceptible to environmental risk.
The assessment highlights how land use history, natural tree growth and loss, urban forestry initiatives, and the division between public and private land ownership all influence canopy trends across Boston. The findings underscore the importance of continued investment in public land, as well as continued engagement with community members and private landowners to protect and expand Boston’s urban forest.
The Tree Canopy Assessment supports Boston’s broader climate and equity goals and aligns with Climate Ready Boston, Imagine Boston 2030, and Resilient Boston. The findings will inform neighborhood-specific planting and maintenance strategies outlined in the Urban Forestry Plan, helping guide future investments across Boston’s neighborhoods.
“This analysis gives us the clearest picture yet of how Boston’s urban forest is changing and where our efforts are making the biggest difference,” said Cathy Baker-Eclipse, Interim Commissioner of Boston Parks and Recreation. “Since 2019, our Urban Forestry Division has expanded, increased tree planting in priority neighborhoods, and expanded proactive canopy management. Canopy gains on public land across the city reflect that work and reinforce the importance of data-driven stewardship. “
“Our tree canopy is a key tool to protect Boston from extreme weather, particularly extreme heat and flooding,” said Chief Climate Officer Brian Swett. “As climate change increases our communities’ exposure to these threats, it is critical that we continue increasing and protecting our tree canopy, particularly in our environmental justice communities.”
“Boston’s Urban Forest Plan (UFP) provides a roadmap for how the City and community members can work together to prioritize, protect, and expand Boston’s tree canopy. Regular tree canopy assessments help the City and community partners, such as Tree Eastie, track progress and identify opportunities on both public and private land,” said Bill Masterson, Executive Director of Tree Eastie. Through this collaboration, the work of Tree Eastie has evolved to include bilingual community outreach, tree planting in private yards, fruit tree maintenance, increased tree planting in public parks, and targeted maintenance for young trees. Publishing this analysis reinforces the City's commitment to transparency and providing data-based information about the value of trees in the community."
The City of Boston is taking action to continue expanding the tree canopy both on public and private land. On March 3, the City of Boston and Mass Audubon announced the 2026 awardees of the Boston Tree Alliance Program Tree Planting and Care Grant, awarding a total of $519,750 to support six community-based tree planting and care projects. To expand the urban forest beyond public land, the Boston Tree Alliance program provides grants, technical support, and public education for tree planting on private property. The program specifically targets urban heat islands and areas with limited canopy, supporting the expansion of the 60% of Boston’s trees located on privately owned land. By empowering community-based organizations with forestry expertise and funding, the Alliance advances the strategies of the Urban Forest Plan to enhance equitable canopy growth across every neighborhood.
The full 2019–2024 Tree Canopy Assessment is available at boston.gov, along with an interactive map that allows users to explore canopy data broken down by neighborhood. With this updated dataset now publicly available, the Urban Forestry Division will use the analysis to drive strategic planting recommendations on a more detailed level and will also serve as a foundation for growing community engagement, empowering residents with transparent data and opportunities to help shape the future of Boston’s urban canopy on public and private land.
To learn more about improvements to the Urban Forestry Division, visit boston.gov/trees. Residents can request tree maintenance, report fallen limbs or branches, or request a new street tree outside their property through Boston 311. To stay up to date with news, events, and improvements in Boston parks, visit boston.gov/parks, call (617)-635-4505, join our email list, and follow our social channels at @parks.boston.gov on Bluesky and @bostonparksdept on Facebook and Instagram.
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