The City of Trees

Designed for trees

When Pierre Charles L’Enfant designed the capital in 1791, he built in room for nature, drawing wide diagonal avenues, generous public squares, and landscaped strips along every road and in every neighborhood. 

In 1870, Congress formalized those strips through the Parking Act, which set aside the land between roadway and private property as park-like space, giving DC the long, shady blocks residents know today. Those street trees are only part of the story: Rock Creek Park (the nation’s oldest urban park), Fort Dupont, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, Anacostia Park, the National Mall, and hundreds of neighborhood green spaces layer a thick, unbroken canopy across the city, visible from the air, and felt on every block. 

Ready to grow

Today, DC remains one of the greenest cities in the nation – its tree canopy stretching over neighborhoods, parks, and streets alike. More than a third of the District is shaded by trees that cool our streets, clean our air, and connect residents to nature every day. Decades of planting, protection, and care have grown this living legacy, and communities across the city continue that work – restoring lost canopy, tending young trees, and ensuring future generations inherit a city as leafy and vibrant as the one envisioned centuries ago.

DC has adopted a goal to reach 40% tree canopy by 2032 – a goal that guides planting, protection, and community action across the city. Through shared effort, every tree brings the District closer to a healthier, cooler, and more connected future.

The superpowers of Trees

The benefits of trees are more than meets the eye. Beyond environmental advantages like fresh air and clean water, trees save homeowners money on energy costs, reduce noise pollution, shade surfaces to combat urban heat, reduce anxiety, lower heart disease rates, bring communities together for recreation, boost local business and retail, and even slow traffic to make our streets safer.