A Love Affair with Denver’s Trees
The reasons to love trees are endless – from their positive effects on climate change to their economic impact, the Downtown Denver Partnership, along with our partners, the City and County of Denver and the Downtown Denver Business Improvement District, are committed to building a thriving tree canopy in Downtown. Downtown Denver’s tree canopy is currently at 4% land area but we plan to grow it to 10% land area by 2037 as part of the and the Downtown Denver Partnership’s Urban Forest Initiative.
A vigorous tree canopy is crucial for our environment, the health of our residents, employees, and tourists, in addition to our city’s continued economic growth. On top of Denver’s climate, a semi-arid grassland with low moisture, high elevation, and wide temperature extremes, inadequately sized tree beds pose an additional challenge Downtown. By enlarging our existing tree infrastructure and installing new, larger tree beds, we can build a vibrant tree ecosystem that will thrive for decades to come.
Our love affair with trees is evident but there’s a myriad of facts about trees that will make you love them too.
Did you know that:
- People enjoy lingering and shopping for longer along tree-lined streets. With so many shops and restaurants along the 16th Street Mall, not to mention the Denver Pavilions, trees only heighten the Mall experience.
- Trees bring people together; people typically spend more time in areas that have a high-quality tree canopy.
- Office workers with a view of trees report significantly less stress and more satisfaction. Your lunchtime stroll along 16th Street Mall is great for both your physical and mental health!
- Trees make our roadways safer. Motorists tend to drive up to 15 mph slower down tree-lined streets.
This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating our love affair with trees in a big way. Starting today, you’ll find the trees along the 16th Street Mall adorned with special tags showcasing some of our favorite facts about the benefits of trees and our Urban Forest Initiative. These facts will be displayed on the trees with eco-friendly signage until Feb. 28, so be sure to seek them out – one thing’s for sure, your love for trees is sure to grow stronger the more you learn.
If you love trees as much as we do and want to support the Urban Forest Initiative, you can help build Downtown’s tree canopy by donating to
For a list of all the sources used for this project, please email our in-house tree expert, Amanda Miller.