Urban Nature
Tree Canopy Analysis
To determine its exact amount of tree canopy coverage and to help the City in long-term planning regarding tree canopy improvements
The City of Pasadena prides its commitment to the vast canopy of trees within its jurisdiction; thus they have completed an extensive tree canopy coverage survey in order to identify how to better manage this canopy. The resulting data can be used to estimate energy savings from shade trees and baseline tree canopy growth. Completed by a geographic information system (GIS) survey as well as aerial Near Infra Red wavelength photography, the process follows two main steps:
• Capture the Near Infrared light (emitted from plants) to display locations of photosynthesizing plants
• Determine the exact amount of tree canopy in the City by how much of the Near Infrared light contains trees – objects 8 feet or more above the ground.
From the tree canopy coverage survey, Pasadena contains a total tree canopy area of 4,209 acres, or nearly a third of the City’s total land acreage, amounting to 28.6% of tree canopy within the City.
Due to its achievements in urban nature, Pasadena has been awarded the Tree City USA for 18 years, the Tree City USA Utility Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation five times, and the Tree City USA Growth Award eight times.
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Accumulation of trash, junk and debris on residential and commercial properties; Clotheslines hanging in front yards;Hazardous trees on private property; Illegal and unmaintained fences; Illegal and un-maintained signs; Illegal building additions (after the fact); Illegal business operating in single family homes, condos or apartment buildings ; Illegal conversions of garages and other structures into dwelling spaces; Illegal parked recreational vehicles; Mobile foodtrucks operating outside of permitted hours or zones; Noncompliance with conditions of conditional use permits, variances, and projects approved with mitigation measures; Overcrowded buildings and symptoms related to such buildings; Outdoors storage of inoperative vehicles; Odors and fumes-sewer and appliance gas odors ; Parking of commercial vehicles in residential zones; Rats and mice, roaches , fleas and flies (indoors); Termites, if there is weather proofing and/or potential structural problems; Unmaintained buildings; Buildings with structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and other code violations; Unmaintained and unsecured abandoned buildings and vacant lots; Unscreened trash cans stored in front yard ; Vehicles parked on the front or side yard