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      Tree Shade Programs

      Let's Talk Shade 

      As Phoenix continues to experience rising summer temperatures and more frequent extreme heat events, it is more important than ever that we expand shade coverage, whether from trees or built structures. In the hottest months, shade can make up to a 30-degree difference. Those of us in Phoenix know that that difference can be huge and in extreme cases, lifesaving.  

      That's why Mayor Kate Gallego and the City Council have championed tree and shade initiatives, with a particular focus on increasing coverage in the areas of our city that need it most. From now until the end of 2024, thanks to City of Phoenix grant funding for schools, non-profits, and neighborhoods, trees will be planted across Phoenix nearly every day.

      Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service awarded communities across the U.S. more than $1 billion in competitive grants to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs where more than 84% of Americans live, work, and play. Phoenix received $10 million in funding from this package, and that funding will go towards tree planting and maintenance, workforce development, and other resilience initiatives. The $10 million will add to the City's $4 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding approved by the City Council in 2022 and to the $7.7 million in General Obligation Funding Phoenix voters approved in November 2023 for heat resilience projects.  

      Check out additional shade initiatives like Phoenix's Sidewalk Shade Project, and our partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies on the ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade project.​

      English graphic featuring data surrounding temperatures with and without shade. In the sun, the air temperature may be 110 degrees fahrenheit while the surface temperature is 130 degrees and the radiant temperature (what we feel) is 145 degrees. Meanwhile, in the shade, the air temperature is 108 degrees, the surface temperature is 110 degrees, and the radiant temperature is 115 degrees.
      Spanish graphic featuring data surrounding temperatures with and without shade. In the sun, the air temperature may be 110 degrees fahrenheit while the surface temperature is 130 degrees and the radiant temperature (what we feel) is 145 degrees. Meanwhile, in the shade, the air temperature is 108 degrees, the surface temperature is 110 degrees, and the radiant temperature is 115 degrees.

       

      Shade Phoenix: An Action Plan for Trees and Built Shade

      On November 13th, 2024, the Office of Heat Response and Mitigation presented the nation's first shade plan for a vote to the Phoenix City Council. View English ​and Spanish versions of the Shade Phoenix Plan. 

      The Shade Phoenix draft plan is an update to and expansion of the City's 2010 Tree and Shade Master Plan and outlines the actions the City and its partners will take over the next five years to accelerate the creation and maintenance of shade in Phoenix. These actions explicitly focus on the City's most vulnerable residents and the places where people are outside the most, walking to work, the bus stop, or at their local park. The plan will help us achieve our overarching vision to create a future where all Phoenix residents and visitors experience the benefits of trees and built shade throughout the city.​

      photo of purple shade structure over yellow playground

       

      Two Tree Planting Grants Reopening Soon

      group of kids holding shovels digging a hole.

       

      More tree planting grant programs are reopening soon. Last season, more than 1,200 trees were planted in Phoenix neighborhoods and schools. 

      Soon, we will reopen grant opportunities for additional trees at neighborhoods and schools. Canopy for Kids is a grant for public schools, nonprofit schools, and 501(c)(3) organizations that serve youth to sustainably plant trees. Community Canopy is a grant for individuals and neighborhoods for new trees. For a list of tree species, click here. 

      For more information about these two grants, please email heatreadyphx@phoenix.gov. ​

       

      Shade Projects