Tree canopy provides countless benefits that promote environmental health and stormwater management, improve quality of life, and beautify spaces. Lack of shade contributes to the urban heat island effect, which can greatly increase ambient temperatures, especially at night. This summer alone set many record-high temperatures and excessive heat warnings. Unfortunately, certain areas of the City have low tree canopy coverage due to old planning and development approaches that include narrow or non-existent greenspaces in rights-of-way available for planting. Innovation is needed to introduce trees and their benefits to these older areas of Miami Beach.

To address this, Commissioner Rosen Gonzalez introduced a North Beach tree-planting pilot approved by the Mayor and City Commission. Located on the northern side of 78 Street, west of Byron Avenue, the pilot project included creating triangular tree pits within existing angled parking. This was a new way to introduce much-needed shade without losing parking spaces and maintaining required sidewalk access. Six Satin Leaf trees were planted in the triangular areas. The work was led and completed internally by the Public Works Department.

The Satin Leaf trees were planted in August of 2023 and are doing well. Staff is watering and monitoring these trees and hopeful that they will thrive so that consideration can be given to expanding to other areas that have similar characteristics. Many lessons were learned that will be valuable for future projects. The following learnings are noted: there were some delays making sure that American Disabilities Action (ADA) space requirements were met for the sidewalk, local residents remain committed to keeping parking spaces, and old underground infrastructure may cause space and repair delays. Ultimately, adding additional greenspace and canopy introduces a broader vision that may include a careful redesign of streets such as reducing lane widths, one-way conversions, or exchanging parking spots for plantable space.

The City’s Urban Forester conducted a recent inspection in January of 2024. Since the time of planting, the City has experienced strong storms which impacted our urban canopy. The Satin Leaf trees part of this project fared well considering how recently they were installed. The main issues resulting from the storm were the trees all had moderate to heavy leans toward the west, and moderate to severe defoliation. The trees have all been righted with new staking. Recovery from defoliation is a longer process than replacing staking unfortunately, especially in the winter months when growth is slowed. However, upon recent inspection, the trees were flowering, which is a very good sign. As flowering, and reproduction in general, is an energy-intensive process, trees will forgo the process when under heavy stress. Flowers indicate the tree is recovering well.  Other indicators of healthy trees are deadwood and die back, which the trees have very little to none of. There is also no bark peeling or falling, which again is a sign of good overall health. The City will continue to monitor the trees monthly until August of this year as that would mark the one-year mark from installation. Attachment A includes photos from January of 2024. 

General Obligation Bond (GOB) Reforestation Project
The referral memo also inquires as to the planting approach of the General Obligation Bond (GO Bond) Reforestation Project. In 2018 Miami Beach residents overwhelmingly approved the $439 million GO Bond program with an over 70% support rate. The GO Bond dedicated $5 million dollars to produce a street tree master plan and the planting of an estimated 3,500 to 5,000 canopy trees. The Urban Forestry Master Plan (UFMP) was adopted by the Mayor and City Commission in October 2020. The UFMP sets forth guidelines and goals regarding reforestation and establishes best management practices to adapt the tree canopy to be resilient to urban threats such as disease, tree abuse, and lack of space as well as climatic threats, including sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and rising temperatures. The main goal of the master plan is to grow from 17% to 22% canopy cover by the year 2040, with one of the tools being the GOB reforestation projects. To date, the City has planted 1,927 trees through GO Bond reforestation efforts, with an estimated 600 more trees to be planted along the Beachwalk. The tree planting projects are routinely presented to the GO Bond Committee for review.

Important factors guiding the general areas to install trees are the use of heat mapping and tree canopy percentage by neighborhood. These factors are highly indicative of the greatest need for additional trees throughout Miami Beach. By focusing on sections of the City that have a significant heat island effect, there is a simultaneous focus on areas with low canopy cover. Many additional considerations are taken into account such as tree size, ADA accessibility, transportation sight lines, underground and above-ground utilities, and the potential for future infrastructure damage. This is referred to as “right tree, right place” and is crucial for the long-term success of a project.

The GO Bond plantings have prioritized areas that exhibit high temperatures as a result of the heat island effect. There have been eight projects (approximately 770 trees) planted in North Beach. The typical layout for some areas of the City is street, sidewalk, and then private property; thus, leaving limited space for installing trees successfully unless through development or infrastructure improvements. The scope of the GO Bond reforestation project does not include expensive infrastructure such as Silva Cells to create the appropriate space and conditions for tree roots to grow.  The Environment and Sustainability Department is including a budget request for $200,000 annually to help fund additional pilot projects.