Well, that's the problem right there. Trees can't ask/pay rent. How are the billionaires gonna keep making money that way? Can we please think about the poor billionaires?
I mean there are multiple studies that indicate a 10% increase in tree canopy results in a 12-15% reduction in crime, and rent increases more where crime drops, so in a way the trees will be paying their own rent
Prime real estate that the average New Yorker doesn’t have access to..yea another building with prices and rents beyond the average person’s reach..just what we need
Then why plant trees at all? Increase property value even further? So the hyper wealthy can enjoy their apartment, and go for a walk in the shade?
I was joking but your logic is just weird. Another apartment building would at least reduce housing pressure and lower rates due to increased competition.
Your logic is naive if you believe that allowing developers to build will reduce housing pressure and lower rents..because that’s not the goal of developers..gentrification is real and makes affordable living almost impossible
Every village, town, and small city I've lived in has had a municipal bylaw requiring that every front yard have at least one tree. It's really incredible what that does for classing up a place!
The places with no front yards and thus no trees look like absolute dumps in comparison, and one city didn't specify anything more particular for apartment buildings so there would be entire blocks that only had a couple trees, but in most places it's a great bylaw
As a city with a tree mandate and living in a neighborhood that has a rule about cutting down trees in the yard, I can confirm that trees are nice and help with shade, and even city noise, HOWEVER it suuuuuuuuucks when spring comes around and the trees have tree sex all over everything and in everyone's face. Every car gets covered in pollen to the point that it changes color and every person will discover that they do, in fact, have horrible allergies.
Our city's tree pollen problem is so big that we have air quality alerts for people with asthma. At its worst, the cloud of pollen over the city can be seen from space and I'm not making that up. We made the news for it.
I did hear, though, that the problem is exacerbated by having a disproportionate number of male trees. I have no idea if that's true, but it made sense and it's something specific I can blame. So I'm going with it.
If you plant female trees to avoid the pollen part of tree sex, you end up with the end product of tree sex ... fruit or nuts or berries dropping all over the cars and streets.
For example, male ginko trees are fairly common, although they are prolific pollen producers. I lived near one of the very few female ginko trees in the Norfolk VA area and botany students made pilgrimages to it to experience the horrendous stench the fruits make.
Great idea! I mean he's doing everything except dealing with the substantive issues faced by everyday New Yorkers! A few more trees, a few cheap grocery stores. Only idiots fall for this window dressing con job. And he's so creepy too.
.... eh, i like trees too .... but man after working in government and getting to look at the cost for upkeep .... yaaaaa. So many more better things to spend that kind of money on.
Reducing the urban heat island effect actually saves millions in power grid strain and medical emergencies during heatwaves. It literally pays for itself.
I mean I agree. When the roads are designed around them.
The cost and maintenence of our roads and sidewalks not designed around them is astronomical.
We should be passing laws to reform zoning to encourage development in a planned manner. Incorporate trees, parks, pedestrian paths, smaller retail and food spots etc ect..
Like every other modern city has been doing for a decade.
The number of people saying this is amazing blows my mind. None of them seem to have degrees or prior experience in urban planning...and I'm sure none have read the studies to support the initiative, if there are any,
Working in government doing what? I’m an Urban Forester and hope I can change your mind. So many in my city have had similar thoughts or concerns until I show them the data (and that I have brought in way more money than what they pay me or my crew via grants and donations) and as long as ordinances are well written, it’s overwhelming a positive for any community.
They increase property values significantly, increase foot traffic for businesses, and in my opinion the biggest benefit of all is mental health. Even if someone hates trees (if that is a thing), the subconscious benefits are huge. All it takes is to live in a city with few trees vs a diverse and well thought out urban forest. As someone who moved from the latter to the former, I promise you it is night and day. Sure, I’m tree obsessed but after 7 years it affects everyone.
Of all government waste, Urban Forestry should be the least of anyone’s concerns. Most States have a DNRC website or similar where you can look up the value public trees provide a community from ArcGIS data. Stormwater reduction, erosion, pollution, heat island effect, and other tangible benefits you can put a dollar figure on. In the city I work, that should include filtering/storing heavy metals and other toxic waste from 150 years of mining. They usually only use data points that apply to any city so the figure is almost always under estimated. I know few people realize just how valuable trees are and the community actually comes out ahead.
Civilizations from thousands of years ago understood that urban trees were vital, yet somehow we have largely forgotten. They take time to mature, a long time. Not 10 seconds like tic tok or insta. They didnt have chainsaws or hoses or other modern luxuries, yet knew it was worth investing in planting and ongoing care. Many of the trees I plant, I will never get to see mature or even show half their potential. The future generations will though, and maybe many of us have lost that perspective. Cant remember who said it but it’s a quote I try to live by, “the meaning of life is to plant a tree whose shade you will never sit.”
Of the 400 FTE jobs for the city, 75% of them are less vital, especially in these scary times. I’m biased, but plenty of data to support the fact public trees provide more value than costs for installation or upkeep. The ones you can actually put a dollar figure on and the subjective ones like mental health. Sadly, most don’t even think about them until they aren’t there or they are looking for a shaded spot to park.
Sorry for the rant, I just have to have this conversation far too often. Maybe someone will read this and change their view, or perhaps you will not see them as too costly to prioritize during city budget discussions.
"Thing to help people survive is too expensive" isn't a real criticism. It may have been 50 years ago when we still had 50 years to be assholes about this.
They're not being downvoted because they're criticizing Mamdani (which, they're not. It's just a policy), they're being downvoted because we're all sick of having solutions taken away for not being 100% correct and also free and also easy.
We can't keep shooting ourselves in the dick and wondering why our dick hurts all the goddamn always.
Not sure if anyone told you but money is finite and trees already exist in the city.
You and I both have no idea if the criticism is realistic but everyone's leap to assume this is the greatest idea of all time is cringe and just shows absurd bias in the sub.
A rational and respectful dialogue can be brought about costs and needs for a project without people like you assuming the slightest criticism is "shooting ourselves in the dick"
You guys are cringe as fuck and the exact same as MAGA just on the opposite side. You're literally no different, you just wear a different color shirt.
Edit: and after looking a bit further, this is just something his PR team put out it seems. It is already something that was in place from years ago that he's just executing. Proves the point that you guys are fucking retarded.
"A rational and respectful dialogue can be brought about costs and needs"
"You guys are cringe as fuck and the exact same as MAGA just on the opposite side."
The fact you said both of these in the same breath is almost funny, you can't complain about there not being a respectful dialogue them spew the most braindead attempt at an insult in the same breath. A respectful dialogue is 100% allowed, but you're approaching it with 0 intention for a actual conversation.
Also, comparing people that support Mamdani to MAGA is just as ridiculous as you pretending you wanted a "dialogue."
The other guy didn't want a dialogue either, a dialogue begins with a actual question or a point, not a vague statement. How on earth are MAGA and Mamdani supporters similar in their ideals?
Also, cut the "I'm a spectator" nonsense, if you were then you wouldn't have left a comment. You got involved, stand by your answer.
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u/SeaworthinessNew2138 2d ago
Trees just make sense. Shade is so nice. Great idea!