Trees cover less than a quarter of Dayton. The city hopes to change that.

Trees combat pollution and lower air temperatures, reducing energy bills and the potential health risks of extreme heat, which is the leading weather-related cause of death.

Street and shade trees also can improve neighborhood aesthetics, increase property values and be beneficial for health and wellness.

“The city (wants) to more efficiently manage the urban forest and think of additional next steps on how to maintain and expand tree canopy,” said Tom Ritchie Jr., Dayton’s deputy director of public works.

Dayton has about 65 neighborhoods.

Tree canopies cover less than a quarter of 43 of those neighborhoods, says data collected and analyzed several years ago by Katie Wosyk, who was a GIS student at Sinclair Community College.

Some city neighborhoods have very small urban forests.

Trees cover less than 8% of the Carillon neighborhood; less than 7% of the McCook Field and Five Points neighborhoods; less than 6% of downtown and Midtown; and less than 5% of Webster Station.

However, other neighborhoods have considerably more greenery.

Trees cover more than a third of University Row, Stoney Ridge, Santa Clara, Shroyer Park, Little Richmond and Northridge Estates. Tree coverage exceeds 40% in Germantown Meadows, Greenwich Village, Cornell Heights and Highview Hills.

Over the years, Dayton has lost some of its urban forest because of the emerald ash borer, which is an invasive beetle that feeds on the inner bark of ash trees, sometimes killing the plants.

The 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes also knocked down and destroyed many trees. The city, citing budget constraints, said it has struggled to adequately manage its urban tree canopy.

The city likely has lost many thousands of street trees since the 1980s.

But Dayton currently is seeking a firm to complete an urban tree inventory, a tree canopy assessment and an urban forest master plan. The city will use a $2 million federal grant from the Forest Service to pay for this work.

The city wants an inventory of all the trees in the public right of way, said Ritchie.

He said the assessment will gather information about the locations, species, sizes, conditions and maintenance needs of the trees, plus identify potential planting sites.

The assessment also will provide a recommendation for a multi-year budget to mange and expand the urban forest.

“This inventory is crucial in helping us identify areas that require additional maintenance to sustain our existing tree canopy while also guiding our efforts to expand it, ultimately strengthening Dayton’s urban forest,” Ritchie said.

The inventory is expected to take about a year to complete. The master plan could be completed within two years.

Dayton has been planting trees every year but wants to do more.

Last fall, the city planted 86 trees, with an average cost of $450. The city has 300 additional trees on order for planting in the spring.

Dayton planted about 960 trees between 2017 and 2023, said Meg Maloney, Dayton’s sustainability manager.

Researchers and advocates say trees and greenspaces have mental and physical health benefits. Urban trees improve air quality, provide wildlife habitats and reduce stormwater runoff.

Many people think they beautify streetscapes and neighborhoods.

“Trees have numerous benefits including keeping homes cooler, combating urban heat island effect and helping to increase property values,” Maloney said.

The most affluent Census blocks in the Dayton region have a median tree cover of about 33%, compared to about 18% for the lowest income census block, says a study published in 2021 in the journal PLOS ONE.

About seven in 10 Dayton residents believe it’s important for the city to address environmental and sustainability issues, including planting trees, says the 2023 citywide Dayton survey.

Some residents, however, have complained about the conditions of the trees in their neighborhoods. They feel that trees can invite crime, cause damage and sometimes can be eyesores.

Tree canopy coverage by Dayton neighborhood

Arlington Heights: 16%

Belmont: 21%

Burkhardt: 15%

Carillon: 8%

College Hill: 29%

Cornell Height: 43%

Dayton View Triangle: 33%

DeWeese: 29%

Downtown: 6%

Eastern Hills: 24%

Eastmont: 19%

Edgemont: 12%

Fairlane: 22%

Fairview: 17%

Five Oaks: 30%

Five Points: 7%

Forest Ridge-Quail Hollow: 30%

Gateway: 21%

Germantown: 40%

Grafton Hill: 19%

Greenwich Village: 43%

Hearthstone: 19%

Highview Hills: 46%

Hillcrest: 31%

Historic Inner East: 15%

Kittyhawk: 23%

Lakeview: 24%

Linden Heights: 17%

Little Richmond: 37%

MacFarlane: 19%

Madden Hills: 15%

McCook Field: 6%

McPherson: 12%

Miami Chapel: 19%

Midtown: 5%

Mount Vernon: 33%

North Riverdale: 25%

Northern Hills: 27%

Northridge Estates: 40%

Old Dayton View: 20%

Old North Dayton: 17%

Oregon: 15%

Patterson Park: 20%

Pheasant Hill: 20%

Philadelphia Woods: 30%

Pineview: 22%

Princeton Heights: 25%

Residence Park: 33%

Riverdale: 14%

Roosevelt: 15%

Santa Clara: 34%

Shroyer Park: 34%

South Park: 14%

Southern Dayton View: 26%

Springfield: 17%

Stoney Ridge: 34%

Twin Towers: 14%

University Park: 20%

University Row: 33%

Walnut Hills: 18%

Webster Station: 5%

Wesleyan Hill: 25%

Westwood: 22%

Wolf Creek: 17%

Wright View: 27%

SOURCE: An analysis by Katie Wosyk as part of GIS class at Sinclair College in 2021.