Downtown Atlanta Tree Planting Plan

The Situation

Although lovingly nicknamed the “City in the Forest,” Atlanta’s Downtown area has only a 3% tree canopy coverage compared to the overall City tree coverage of 47.9%. The lack of canopy coverage, combined with the significant number of paved surfaces in Downtown, create an urban heat island in the center of the city. Some streets in Downtown are completely lacking tree coverage, resulting in hot and uncomfortable spaces and barren landscapes. 

The Vision 

The Downtown Atlanta Tree Planting Plan aims to double tree coverage by planting upwards of 8,000 trees phased over ten years. This goal simultaneously cools our streets , reduces the urban heat island effect, mitigates greenhouse gas emissions at the ground level, traps airborne particulate matter, and increases natural carbon sequestration. 

Trees will be planted along Downtown’s streets, as well as on underutilized land. By enhancing the user experience at a human-scale, these catalytic efforts will create a healthy, comfortable, and safe urban environment for both residents and visitors alike. The Downtown Atlanta Urban Tree Planting Plan is the blueprint for action and implementation for the next decade.

The Process

Implementing the Downtown Atlanta Tree Planting Plan will take place over the next 10 years. Phase 1 of planting kicked off in 2021 and will take approximately three years to plant nearly 2,000 trees. As Phase 1 is being implemented, we will be laying the groundwork future phases.  

Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (CAP/ADID) and Trees Atlanta created the Downtown Atlanta Tree Planting Plan as a joint effort with support from City of Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Transportation. CAP/ADID and Trees Atlanta will continue partnering to advance the Plan into implementation, alongside many other Downtown partners.  

Learn More

The final report is available online (the full plan set showing proposed planting locations is a very large file but is available upon request). For questions, please contact aleous (at) atlantadowntown.com