Protecting Edmonton’s Urban Forest During Neighborhood Renewal

Edmonton’s Neighborhood Renewal program is a longterm approach to replacing and upgrading urban infrastructure within individual neighborhoods in a focused, integrated process. Upgrades include underground drainage, streetlights, curb/sidewalk replacement, and road reconstruction, all within the same construction season. While this process provides certain efficiencies, it is extremely stressful on adjacent trees, particularly mature trees providing the greatest environmental benefits. Intensive construction near trees can cause long-term health effects to trees, including death. The City of Edmonton’s Urban Forestry team has developed a comprehensive approach to preserve and protect trees from the impacts of these construction activities.