The City of Bloomington and CanopyBloomington, a nonprofit whose mission supports and expands the community’s urban forest, are collaborating to combat extreme heat and improve air quality across Bloomington’s underserved neighborhoods. In March, with $50,000 from the City’s Sustainability and Economic Development office, Canopy will plant 100 trees to create “cool corridors” in the Crestmont and Walnut Woods neighborhoods. The purpose of the cool corridors is to create sidewalks shaded with native tree species for neighborhoods and places of interest such as schools, commercial areas, and bus stops that are particularly susceptible to excessive heat and reduced air quality.
This project illustrates the City’s commitment to acting on data from its summer 2024 HeatWatch campaign, which tracked heat and air quality, and identified and mapped the communities most affected. The Cool Corridors project implements resiliency measures where they are needed the most, in service of human health and environmental justice.
City of Bloomington's Assistant Director of Sustainability, Shawn Miya, says the creation of Cool Corridors "is an important strategy for our community to be more resilient to the effects of climate change. Sidewalks shaded with trees have many co-benefits including reduced urban temperatures, improved air quality, and increased biodiversity. Urban trees can also reduce anxiety and relieve stress."
With resources including the HeatWatch campaign data, Canopy has prioritized dozens of planting neighborhoods. The trees will be planted in the city's right-of-way as well as on private property so that shaded sidewalks can be created in a continuous manner. The organization will be engaging homeowners and business owners to ask for their permission to plant trees in their yards as well as share the dangers of high heat and the benefits of tree plantings.
These trees will be planted at no cost to the residents, with their help and additional volunteer support. As part of the project, Canopy will educate residents on proper tree care. The organization will water and maintain the trees for three years after they’re planted.
The Cool Corridors project will enhance Bloomington’s overall climate resilience and human health. Extreme heat can cause or exacerbate a variety of illnesses, including asthma, but studies show that shaded areas can be up to 15 degrees cooler.
“This investment in Bloomington’s tree canopy will cool the communities that will benefit the most,” said Ava Hartman, Canopy’s executive director. “I’m excited to start planting–we love working with residents to strengthen communities as we create a healthier, cooler City together.”
In an effort to engage and connect with communities like Crestmont and Walnut Woods, Canopy has started taking a multi-tiered approach. This includes attending neighborhood association meetings, going door-to-door to meet residents, hosting informational and educational potlucks, and making the tree plantings festive events with food, music and remarks. The goal is to reach every single resident in each neighborhood, inviting them to take part in the health and growth of their urban tree canopy.
The City's Shawn Miya also added, "We are grateful for our partnership with CanopyBloomington to help begin creating Cool Corridors in some of the most vulnerable areas to extreme heat in Bloomington."
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