Chicago planted trees at a higher rate in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods over the past decade – Chicago Tribune*

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has committed $46 million from the pandemic recovery plan to plant 75,000 trees in the next five years as part of the “Our Roots Chicago” initiative, a pace of roughly 15,000 trees a year. But the city has acknowledged that it would take at least that many trees planted annually over 10 years — and potentially thousands more — to make up for the past decade’s losses.
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heyjude
3 years ago

Tree racism, from the same minds that brought us John and Yoko’s “hair peace”.

50+ years later, never managed to grow up.

taxpayer
3 years ago

The human focus of the article is Marco De La Rosa, who wants a tree planted in the parkway in front of his house. If you read far enough, you learn that there was a tree there but his mother had it removed.

Old Joe
3 years ago

I’m gonna make a reparation by planting a Black Walnut tree

Pat S.
3 years ago

And what ‘minority’ group has been running Cook County for most of that decade?

Talk about hypocrisy!

HeywoodJaBlome
3 years ago

Breaking News!!!! The sun doesn’t shine as much in black neighborhoods. It snows more in black neighborhoods. Streets are not straighter in black neighborhoods. The temperature is always colder/hotter in black neighborhoods. There are fewer birds in black neighborhoods. Lawn care trucks are not seen in black neighborhoods. Fire hydrants are not painted the same color red in black neighborhoods. The sky is not as blue in black neighborhoods. Clouds do not have silver linings in black neighborhoods. The list goes on and on.

Ataraxis
3 years ago
Reply to  HeywoodJaBlome

“World to end soon, women, minorities, affected most”

Aaron
3 years ago
Reply to  Ataraxis

Heywood and Atar,

judging someone (or something) by race or sex is wrong. I wish you white men could understand that.

Platinum Goose
3 years ago

Maybe if their alderman spent some time getting trees for their constituents instead of spending time squeezing the business owners they’d have more trees in their neighborhood.

nixit
3 years ago

Another study found low-income blocks in urban areas on average had 15% less tree cover and were 2.7 degrees warmer than wealthier counterparts. Guessing wealthier (and whiter) people are more likely to live near the water where temperatures typically run a few degrees cooler than further inland. In Edgewater, for example, the city planted 28.5 trees per mile of streets….Some of the lowest rates of trees planted were in North Lawndale, Burnside, Pullman, Ashburn and Riverdale — nearly all majority Black neighborhoods — and nearly all of them ranking in the bottom half for income, education and employment. Probably worth noting… Read more »

debtsor
3 years ago
Reply to  nixit

Any outcome with a disparate income, no matter what legitimate reason, gives the communist an excuse to scream RACISM!!!

nixit
3 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

Why doesn’t CPS close the successful, well-attended mostly white school on the North Side instead of the poor performing, under-enrolled schools on the South and West Sides?!?!

ron
3 years ago

If you want a tree,just do what I did, go buy a tree and plant yourself. Or, vacation in the Wisconsin woods , dig one up ,bring it home and plant it yourself.

debtsor
3 years ago
Reply to  ron

Or for free: let the squirrels bury a nut in the fall and a tree will grow in the spring.

Old Joe
3 years ago

Hmm, could my White Pine tree be racist?

The Paraclete
3 years ago

Hmmmm….No mention of the 463 trees destroyed for the Obama Center! Tree equity in Lori’s fools paradise! More hard hitting news from the Trib!

The Paraclete
3 years ago
Reply to  The Paraclete

Correction: the total is 789 trees. 463 trees for construction equipment and roads. The remaining balance for the actual center. Not to mention destroying relics from the exposition in Jackson Park. Another Lightfoot Tar Baby!

Freddy
3 years ago

Racist trees? What’s next racist toothpicks?

Lion's Choice
3 years ago

Nauseating Newly Woke Tribune Claims That Trees Are Racist

Admin
3 years ago

Tree equity is news, but show me one article from the Tribune or Sun-Times ever about the Hunter Biden laptop content, or about how that story was suppressed before the election, or about the hoax that the laptop was a Russian plot. Unless I have missed something, there is nothing (aside from an opinion piece or two from Kass who is gone now.)

debtsor
3 years ago

We live in the midwest. Tree seeds fall from the sky for free, the squirrels bury them in the ground, and in the spring, a new tree grows. It’s not that difficult. The roots of the alder in my next door neighbor’s yard come into my yard, and new little alder trees sprout up from the roots and destroy my garden and grass. You can’t stop trees from growing. If we did nothing for a generation all of Chicago would be a prairie forest. And these people are whining because the city won’t spend thousands of dollars to pay union… Read more »

debtsor
3 years ago

I read about 1/3rd of the article and stopped reading because it’s idiotic. Yes, completely idiotic. There is no story here. Invasive ASIAN beetle (not mentioned the beetle was native to Asia) kills tens of thousands of trees. Chicago in response planted more new trees per sq mile in denser neighborhoods like Lakeview and Edgewater – where more people live – instead of sparely populated and half vacant neighborhoods like North Lawndale or Pullman. RACISM!!!! The authors are so disingenious because they define equity by geographic community size and not population. The authors whine that Lakeview with over 100,000 people,… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by debtsor
nixit
3 years ago
Reply to  debtsor

LOL. I made the same observation before I read your comment. Yes, it seems like the Trib turned a purposeful blind eye to some obvious demographics. For example, the residential block of 4000 of W Van Buren is bereft of trees but is also 40% vacant lots. Should we prioritize that block over all others?

Ex Illini
3 years ago

A bunch of mumbo jumbo trying to fit the white supremacist narrative. Even tree planting is racist! How in the world we need $46 million for trees is beyond me. Somebody needs to follow the money trail on that boondoggle. Hey Tribune, stop trying to create problems where there aren’t any, and instead, follow the money. Who got rich of this deal?

Chunky Puree
3 years ago

Does it ever quit? Everything it seems that the low class, no class newspapers in Chicago report on is based on some sort of racist behavior. News rags trying to stir the pot hoping to inflame emotions so another news story can be found. Racist trees, racist water, racist internet, racist schools. It never ends. What a disgusting way to run a so called news source.

Last edited 3 years ago by Chunky Puree
Pat S.
3 years ago
Reply to  Chunky Puree

No, it doesn’t ever quit. Stir the pot, stir the pot!

debtsor
3 years ago
Reply to  Pat S.

Fortunately, few actually read the Trib anymore. ‘Racist Trees’ is clickbait.

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