We will beautify our public realm to improve the experience of every pedestrian
In 1902, the Municipal Art Society encouraged residents of Brooklyn Heights to beautify their neighborhood by planting sidewalk trees, installing flower-filled window boxes, and creating mini-gardens of potted plants on their stoops. Called Block Beautiful, this private initiative led to the adoption of the first sidewalk tree planting program.

In truth, we have always known that trees beautify neighborhoods; but in the late 1980s, scientists began to quantify the benefits of urban trees. Today, an impressive and growing body of knowledge recognizes trees as assets to a city's economic and environmental health. City trees cool summer air temperatures, reduce air pollution, conserve energy, and reduce storm water runoff.

We will fill every available street tree opportunity in New York City
In the past decade, the Department of Parks & Recreation has planted more than 122,000 curbside trees of more than 30 different varieties. Current plantings fill 74% of the existing space for street trees. We will undertake an aggressive campaign to plant trees wherever possible, in order to fully capitalize on tree opportunities across the city. Our goal is to raise the street stocking level from 74% to 100% as part of our overall goal of planting one million more trees by 2030. To achieve this, we will plant approximately 23,000 additional trees annually. (See map above: Street Tree Stocking Levels)

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
On October 9, the City launched the Million Trees Initiative in partnership with New York Restoration Project and planted "Tree One." As of April, 2008 the city has planted over 54,484 trees as part of our Million TreesNYC campaign, of which 11,548 are newly planted street trees. We have initiated an aggressive strategy of full block planting and are focusing our efforts on areas of highest need. These areas are defined as our "Trees for Public Health (TPH)" neighborhoods, which involve neighborhoods with a combination of low canopy cover and high rates of asthma-related childhood hospitalization. Along with our request-based system we are also automatically replacing street trees upon removal.

We will expand the Greenstreets program
In addition to tree planting, we will expand Greenstreets, a program that has successfully transformed thousands of acres of unused road space into green space since its inception in 1996. Over the next 10 years, we will undertake 40 new Greenstreets projects every planting season, bringing the total number of Greenstreets projects to 3,000 by 2017.

Progress (as of 4/22/08):
The Administration completed the design and construction of 52 new Greenstreet sites in the Fall 2007. The City has completed site surveys for the next group of Greenstreet locations and will construct 50 new Greenstreets in Spring 2008.