Green Infrastructure Mapping

Trees & City

In 2005, the City drafted a comprehensive plan to make Radford a green city and one of the goals was the 40% tree canopy coverage as recommended by the Green Infrastructure Center. Today, we're proud to say Radford has almost 48% tree cover! This is a great start and something we should all be proud of.

There is still work to be done though. The city's next priority is to find ways to better connect the existing forest cores for the purposes of increasing recreation opportunities and increasing habitat for native species.

What is the Radford Green Infrastructure Project?
The Radford Green Infrastructure Project is an initiative co-sponsored by the City of Radford, Radford University, and the Green Infrastructure Center. The goal of the project is to quantify how much forest and tree cover there is in Radford and how well interconnected it is and to make recommendations on how to maintain and possibly grow Radford's urban tree canopy (UTC).

Why are trees important?

  • Trees improve health by removing air and water pollutants
  • Trees protect property by preventing soil erosion
  • Trees increase property value and decrease air conditioning bills
  • Trees provide a habitat for wildlife
  1. Tree Canopy
  2. Forest Cores
  3. How Green is Your Neighborhood?
  4. Connect the Cores

For a full-screen webmap please click here.

Above.Tree canopy coverage in the City of Radford, 2015. 

What is Urban Tree Canopy?
Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) is the part of a city covered by trees when viewed from above.

Why is the tree canopy important to Radford?

There are many reasons why we would want to preserve the trees we have here in Radford. Trees remove pollution from both the air and water around them. They increase property value and reduce heating and cooling costs for homes. 

Help Encourage Sustainability


Relevant Documents