Washington, DC: Urban Forestry Website
Policy Title: “Urban Forestry in DC” Website
Year Adopted: 2021
City: Washington, DC
Main Citation: https://ddot-urban-forestry-dcgis.hub.arcgis.com/
Description:
Resources surrounding urban planning are often intended for members of government and contain sections that rely on background knowledge. In order to provide citizens with accessible urban tree information, the DC Urban Forestry Department has provided residents with an easy-to-read online interactive portal. “Urban Forestry in DC” is hosted on ESRI’s ArcGIS software and has several key informational sections that tell the story of DC’s trees in the city and get gradually more complex. The portal also contains a website survey, resources for getting in touch, and a guide to servicing or self-diagnosing private and public trees. Some of the most innovative aspects of the website are:
DC’s “History of Trees” - the first section of the website - takes visitors through a short history of different urban forestry plans in the city’s history. The page directly leads into a story map-style introduction to urban tree canopy and DC’s 21st-century urban forestry initiatives.
The Urban Forestry Division Spotlight. This section highlights the content created by DC’s Urban Forestry team and helps to elucidate how the different components of environmental planning work together Some of the spotlighted web maps contain an overview of a longer part of the city’s plan, such as the DC Forest Action Plan and Urban Forest Climate Adaptation spotlights. Links at the top of each page help visitors navigate to their topic of interest.
A “Get Involved” section with several ways to share information or engage with the urban canopy. This tab encourages site visitors to check out DC’s interactive initiatives such as DDOT’s Urban Wood Reuse program, a “What’s Happening Near Me?” work order map, the “Ask an Arborist” video series, and Open Data DC.
Additional Resources: