The North Beach neighborhood has some of the lowest percentages of canopy cover within the City of Miami Beach. Tree canopy provides countless benefits which promote environmental health, improve quality of life, and beautify spaces. Lack of shade can lead to many issues, namely the urban heat island effect, which can greatly increase ambient temperatures, especially at night. A lack of urban canopy can also cause stormwater and flooding issues, lower property values, lower quality of life, lower learning capacity, and increase air pollution.
North Beach is a dense, urban community with minimal readily available planting locations due to the minimal green space. There are few suitable planting locations in North Beach not encumbered with trees; not including availability on private property. To remedy the lack of available greenspace, the pilot project would plant trees along sidewalks utilizing tree-friendly technologies to take advantage of the space available. Benefits of the pilot project include providing shade to pedestrians and eventually, the street and private property.
To carry out this program, a phased approach will be used with the purchase four trees with the best chance of survival, with concrete work and installation along 78th Street. If the initial four trees are successful, 78th Street can accommodate an additional 20 trees with continued monitoring to evaluate success. Should the entire pilot project be deemed effective, the data gathered can be utilized in planning future North Beach reforestation projects, including the General Obligation Bond tree reforestation program, to support a higher likelihood of successful tree plantings.