The Chicago Region Trees Initiative Homepage

Maps

Using data to target priority areas

Trees improve quality of life. To identify which areas have the most needs, we combined canopy cover, surface temperature, air quality, flood risk, health, and social vulnerability data into maps. See your community’s canopy cover and how it impacts your neighborhood.

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Tree Canopy

Trees in the Chicago region are not distributed evenly or equitably. The Chicago region has 23% canopy cover, far below the national average.

This map shows the percentage of canopy for each census tract. Tree canopy data comes from a LiDAR-based analysis that can identify trees with less than a four-square-foot canopy.

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Surface Temperature
Canopy cover
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Surface Temperature
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Surface Temperature

Trees keep our neighborhoods cool.

Urban areas tend to be hotter because concrete and other built surfaces absorb the sun’s energy and release it as heat, raising temperatures to dangerously high levels that make cities less livable and require more energy for cooling.

This map shows the average temperature for each community. There is a direct correlation between canopy cover and excessive heat; areas with more trees tend to be much cooler. Temperature data were derived from a satellite image that was taken in September of 2014.

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Flood Risk
Surface temperature
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Flood Risk
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Flood Risk

Trees intercept stormwater and reduce stormwater runoff.

Their leaves hold rainwater, preventing it from entering the sewage system. Trees also remove water from the ground in a process known as evapotranspiration.

This map shows how susceptible each community is to flooding. Higher values indicate more susceptible areas.

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Air Pollutants
Flood risk
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Air Pollutants
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Air Pollutants

Urban areas have a lot of factories and cars that cause air pollution. But trees help keep our air clean and breathable.

Their leaves intercept airborne pollutants and store carbon. Trees that are planted in areas that have poor air quality can improve the health of residents.

This map shows the abundance of small particulate matter (PM2.5) as modeled by the Environmental Protection Agency’s EJScreen tool. Higher numbers indicate areas with more PM2.5.

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Asthma Rates
Air pollutants
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Asthma Rates
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Asthma Rates

People who live in areas with lots of trees tend to have lower rates of asthma—in part because of trees’ ability to improve air quality.

Data from the CDC Places dataset was used to map adult asthma rates across the region. The numbers are the percentage of people 18 years and older who are affected by asthma.

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Vulnerable Populations
Asthma rates
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Vulnerable Populations
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Vulnerable Populations

Trees can also improve people’s quality of life.

They increase property values, and people who live around trees are healthier and happier. The benefits that trees provide are especially needed in underserved, vulnerable communities. This data set identifies which tree census block groups are the most vulnerable by distinguishing those with low incomes, non-English-speaking, and a high proportion of minority populations.

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Priority Areas
Vulnerability rank
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Priority Areas
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Priority Areas

To identify areas that have the highest need for improved tree canopy and its related benefits, we combined all of the above variables.

Equipped with this knowledge, CRTI can tailor programs, events, and training programs to improve the urban forest where it is needed the most.

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Tree Canopy
Priority level
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Tree Canopy
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Content Detail

Oak Connectivity Map

Where are our remnant oaks? Oaks are a critical part of the Chicago region’s ecology. However, the region is down to 17% of the oak ecosystems that were here prior to European settlement in the early 1800s. The remaining oak ecosystems are often fragmented, which makes them more likely to be invaded by non-native species. This map provides a guide for where oak ecosystems still exist and where buffers and corridors to improve ecological function can be formed to connect these fragments.

Explore the oak connectivity map

Municipal Canopy Summaries

How much canopy cover is benefiting your neighborhood? The regionwide data of the urban tree canopy analysis allows stakeholders across all seven counties to understand their forest and make detailed goals for future forest structure and composition across different land uses.

View the Canopy Summary Report for your community

Canopy Counts

Canopy Counts is a web app that helps residents track trees and plantable spaces across the Chicago region. In the process, you’ll learn more about the benefits provided by those trees. Add trees from your neighborhood or adopt a few trees and create updates every year to watch the trees grow. You can upload pictures of plantable spaces in your community to advocate for more trees and share photos and stories of meaningful trees in your community.

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