What is tree equity?

Tree equity means that every community should have equal access to trees and the benefits they provide, from cleaner air and cooler streets to enhanced wildlife and improved wellbeing.

Sadly, while some neighbourhoods are home to lots of trees and green spaces, others - often with lower incomes or higher pollution - have very few.

We want to change this, to ensure everyone has access to urban trees and the heath and wellbeing benefits they provide.

Guiding our mission is the 3 + 30 + 300 rule of thumb from the Nature Based Solutions Institute:

• 3 trees visible from every home
• 30% tree canopy cover in every neighbourhood
• 300 meters from the nearest high-quality park or green space

How we measure tree equity

We measure tree equity through The Tree Equity Score UK which brings together data on tree canopy cover, income, health, employment, age, and heat and air pollution, to produce one score per neighbourhood.

The scores show not only where existing tree canopy cover is low, but where the communities are that would most benefit from increasing urban tree canopy cover. The lower a neighbourhood's tree equity score, the greater the need for trees.

Why tree equity matters

Urban trees do more than decorate our cities - they clean our air, cool our streets in summer and reduce flooding in winter, support wildlife, and boost wellbeing.

You may think that playing on grass, climbing trees and kicking fallen autumn leaves are common childhood experiences, but we know that this is not a reality for thousands of families living in urban areas. With extreme weather, heatwaves and local flooding on the rise, we've never needed urban trees more. 

How we are tackling tree inequity

Trees for Cities is leading the charge to close the nature gap and ensure urban trees can be accessed and enjoyed by all.

From transforming St George’s Estate in Tower Hamlets into a thriving urban oasis, to launching our Tree Equity for Hartlepool project earlier this year, we plant trees where they’ll make the biggest difference and drive tangible impact for nature-deprived urban communities.

How you can help

We want to ensure no community is left behind and everyone has equal access to trees as we work with our partners and volunteers to plant urban trees across the UK.

This planting season, we are asking thousands of people just like you to support our vision for a greener, healthier, more equitable future for all, whether it's in our neighbourhoods, our schools or on our streets.

Other ways to support us

• Set up a regular gift to support our work across all seasons
• Follow us on social media (@treesforcities)
• Get stuck in as a volunteer
• Sign up to our monthly newsletter to green up your inbox