Skip to main content
Oct 10, 2024
Forestry

City’s Urban Forest Master Plan wins APA Award

Horizontal web graphic for Urban Forest Master Plan.

Mayor Malik D. Evans today announced that the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan has been awarded the Public Outreach Award by the New York Upstate Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA).

“This recognition highlights the exceptional commitment our residents and City staff have to transform our environment for the better,” said Mayor Evans. “We plant trees for the benefit of future generations and I am very proud of our groundbreaking Urban Forest Master Plan, which reflects our intent to preserve and enhance Rochester’s green spaces so that everyone can enjoy the beauty and benefits of a thriving urban forest.”

The City’s Forestry Division staff worked closely with its consultant, Highland Planning, an advisory committee, and members of the City’s Community Tree Ambassador program to update the plan. This collaboration ensured that the final plan was grounded in sound planning principles and responsive to community input.

“The 2024 Rochester Urban Forest Master Plan showcases the power of innovative community engagement, celebrating and reimagining our urban forest,” said Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Highland Planning LLC, Tanya Mooza Zwahlen, AICP. “The excitement for this process was palpable, and the city’s beautiful trees are more visible as a result. If you have never written a love letter to a tree, I cannot recommend it enough.”

The outreach for the 2024 Rochester Urban Forest Master Plan engaged more than 1,200 residents through a myriad of traditional and innovative outreach strategies, including door-to-door visits, public meetings and pop-up events. Notably, the plan’s outreach efforts featured:

  • The hiring of community tree ambassadors in each city quadrant who went door-to-door, planned community meetings and lead events such as tree plantings and walking tours. 
  • Public meetings were attended by more than 150 participants, employing interactive activities like writing love letters to trees.
  • An online survey that garnered 425 responses, which provided valuable insights on community perceptions of the city’s urban forest.
  • Dozens of pop-up events held at local libraries, recreation centers and markets, engaging hundreds of participants.

The City last updated its Urban Forest Master Plan in 2012. The plan is a comprehensive document that establishes the City’s policies for managing the care and maintenance of approximately 67,000 trees that are located along city streets, and in city parks and cemeteries.

For more information about the Urban Forest Master Plan, visit www.cityofrochester.gov/UrbanForestMasterPlan.