Boston-based tree lovers will now have access to expansive urban tree data via the city’s Analyze Boston open data hub.
As part of its ongoing efforts to enhance public access to urban tree data, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department and Urban Forestry Division announced two new milestones. Users will now be able to access and download data collected from the street tree inventory conducted in 2021 and data from ongoing efforts to inventory trees in parks on Analyze Boston.
The city also noted that the street tree and public tree inventories provide essential details and offer critical information on the species, size, location, and even ecological benefits of trees, aiding in urban forestry planning and management. Updated daily, the inventory reflects the ongoing work of Urban Forestry Division staff, who plant, prune, and remove trees citywide as part of a comprehensive tree care plan. The city said the data offers a real-time snapshot of the urban forest’s composition.
In addition to being available on the open data hub, the inventories will continue to be available in an interactive format via an external link to the tree inventory software from the City’s Urban Forest page. The city noted that the integration of the data into Analyze Boston “consolidates valuable urban forestry information alongside other city datasets for research or analytic purposes.”
The city added that bringing this data to Analyze Boston aligns with Boston’s Urban Forest Plan (UFP), which advocates for enhanced public access to inventory data and the systematic collection of information on park trees. The UFP argues that improved public access to inventory data not only fosters transparency but also encourages community involvement in the preservation and maintenance of the urban tree canopy, promoting the health and vitality of the city’s green spaces.
