Canopy Change Assessment
Building on the Urban Forest Plan, the Parks Department is committed to regularly analyzing changes to tree canopy cover. Currently, we anticipate collecting data every 5 years. The data is used for tree canopy planning citywide. We are currently analyzing the data collected in 2024 and will release results soon.
This analysis looks at the gain and loss of canopy citywide. Using both satellite imagery and leaf-on LiDAR, the assessment highlighted areas with robust tree cover. It measures canopy by land use type, neighborhoods, census blocks, and more. We encourage you to read more and to use the various datasets published by this effort.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Parks and Recreation
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1010 Massachusetts Avenue
3rd FloorBoston, MA 02118
Terms you may need to know
Common Terms"Greenness" is a measure of how much land is covered by vegetation (tree canopy, shrubs, and grass) compared to other land cover classes, excluding water. Greenness is associated with reduced stormwater runoff, reduced surface temperatures, an improved sense of well-being, and other environmental benefits.
The urban heat island effect is the increased temperature in places with impervious surfaces due to the increased absorption and retention of heat. This is often more significant in areas with wide roads, limited vegetation, and dense development.
Read more about urban heat
This is the layer of leaves, branches, and stems that provide tree coverage of the ground when viewed from above.
2014 - 2019 Canopy Change Assessment
Boston's tree canopy remained relatively stable from 2014 to 2019, with losses slightly outpacing gains. While tree canopy is relatively stable overall, the story is more nuanced. There were 909 acres of tree canopy gained, and 920 acres of tree canopy lost from 2014 to 2019. Relative tree canopy percent loss was widespread in the southern and eastern neighborhoods. More tree canopy was lost on Residential land than any other land use type.
Related tree work at Boston Parks & Recreation
Other tree work-
Still have questions? Contact:
Parks and Recreation
-
1010 Massachusetts Avenue
3rd FloorBoston, MA 02118
