I live in the suburbs (I know it sucks, but that’s just my current family situation.) and lately I’ve been trying to get outside more for my mental and physical health. The problem is, the suburbs are kind of shit for this. Obviously there’s all the car-centric infrastructure which makes walking more difficult and dangerous, but there’s not much I could conceivably do about that in any reasonable amount of time. However, the other big issue I’ve found, especially as it’s gotten so hot this summer, is there are barely any trees, and thus barely any shade anywhere along the sidewalks. Even the local park doesn’t have much shade aside from a small area in the corner. So it’s really unpleasant to walk anywhere. I get super sweaty even taking a leisurely walk on most days of the summer.
So I was thinking that maybe I could lobby the town to plant more trees such that most of the sidewalks are at least partially shady. I know there are some barriers to this like the tree roots cracking sidewalks and probably some NIMBYs who only view nature as being ornamental, and of course this would cost money to do. So it wouldn’t be a trivial thing, but I don’t think it’s entirely outside the realm of possibility either.
What do you think are some strategies I could use to make this happen? What sort of things do I need to do or account for? Obviously it’s going to be different depending on the town, but if there is any kind of general idea of how to go about this I would appreciate hearing it.
“The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The second best time is today.”
Officially - be the person. Be passionate and tireless. This isn’t about money - whips are cheap and if you can get some momentum behind socials then people will donate trees, tools and money.
Find what land your local council actually owns and visit it. See what’s possible. (No overhead lines, safe, easy access for pedestrians, soil conditions etc)
Then find out who’s responsible on your council and visit them. Make it easy for them - have lots of options, have the answers ready, make it clear there’s public demand. Most town officials have limited budget that’s already allocated, not much time, and are often not hugely motivated by yet another half-arsed proposal to spend both, so get it right. Be dogged, you’ll get brush offs and you’ll hear no a lot, so keep trying. Eventually you will connect with the right person at the right time and things will happen. The positive feedback then is pretty motivating and you’ll learn a lot of new skills.
Don’t expect universal support even from the public - a percentage of people will try to drag you down, or deliberately sabotage them. Forget them, or if they damage the trees, get the media in - the outcry will get you more momentum.
Obviously this is a lot of work, but it’s how stuff gets done.
If you can’t face that, I would understand it, and as guerilla gardening has already been mentioned, that’s absolutely a valid way too. Even just picking up rubbish on those walks is rewarding and beneficial.