Cincinnati environmental organization increases neighborhoods’ tree canopy; Louisville study backs up this strategy

Nonprofit organization, Groundwork Ohio River Valley, (ORV) is increasing the number of trees in Cincinnati neighborhoods that need it most. These efforts stem from a national push from Groundwork USA called the Climate Safe Neighborhoods. This national push aims to increase awareness of climate change on vulnerable neighborhoods and the racial/social injustices that made these neighborhoods vulnerable.  

Groundwork ORV aims to use this awareness to create climate actions plans. Increasing Cincinnati neighborhoods’ green spaces and tree canopies is one of the main ways they plan on fortifying these neighborhoods from the harmful effects of climate change.

To read more about the importance of importance of reforestation in Cincinnati and what Dayton is doing to build its tree canopy, click here.

Why do we need to plant more trees? 

The Climate Safe Neighborhoods awareness campaign inspired the Climate Resilience Plan. This plan was a list of action items comprised of neighborhood input, with environmental leaders’ guidance, to increase the number of green spaces, trees, gardens, and cooling areas. In the fall of 2022, the organization planted about 100 trees in the Lower Price Hill community. “We have to think about why we have to do that [plant trees] in the first place,” says Groundwork ORV’s Interim Executive Director, Jaeydah Edwards. Edwards points out in a small community like Lower Price Hill, where there is a lot of industry that contributes to the bad air quality in the community. She attributes the history of redlining and lack of enforcement of EPA guidelines as a reason why the community faces poor air quality.  

Respiratory hazards also stem from lingering effects of historic events such as the Queen City Barrel fire of 2004. This industrial barrel recycling center caught fire and burned for nearly two days as five fire departments fought to put it out.  

In a report from Groundwork ORV and partner nonprofit in the environmental space, Green Umbrella, Lower Price Hill has a higher rate of harmful air toxins and emissions (54%) when compared to the city as a whole (47%). Local residents are exposed to more cancer-causing air toxins in comparison to the rest of the city, making the neighborhood have the highest lifetime cancer risks in Cincinnati. 

The industrial infrastructure of Lower Price Hill, being surrounded by highways and having an offset concrete to green space ratio, also makes the neighborhood feel like an oven on warm summer days. Edwards gave Brick by Brick a tour of the neighborhood, and we witnessed the lack of cooling areas firsthand. She said the trees can give residents relief on hot summer days. 

“Knowing that these trees are going to grow to be pretty big, to the point where you can walk under it and it’ll provide us a lot of shade….I think that’s just cool to know for residents too, because they can stop and cool off.” 

Neighborhood Wide Research 

“We’re collecting data that shows that it’s really hot here, or the air quality isn’t as good as neighborhoods that have a lot of parks and higher tree canopy coverage.” says Edwards. Part of the data that Ground ORV is collecting is that status of the air quality in the neighborhoods. The non-profit put 12 monitors to fully cover Lower Price Hill and they are able to monitor the air quality throughout the day with Purple Air Monitor website. 

Edwards says these air monitors are crucial because a shift in air quality can’t be detected with the naked eye or even the strongest nose. 

“Changes in air quality aren’t always noticeable because a lot of the pollutants that we are exposed to are really microscopic and you can’t see them, sometimes you can smell it. And sometimes, if you live in an area with worse air quality than other places, you might be experiencing more severe health challenges but not really understand why.” 

Groundwork ORV has a list of recommendations for residents in areas like Lower Price Hill to decrease their exposure to bad air quality. 

• Put your window down during peak highway traffic hours.  

• Use air conditioning as opposed to leaving windows open  

• Get air purifying plants for your home.  

As a part of the Climate Resilience Plan, members of the neighborhood were enlisted to help monitor the air quality by putting the monitors inside their home. One of those residents is Marisha Davis. Davis became a community organizer, attended workshops, and other things in order to spread awareness about climate change.  

Davis was originally skeptical about the difference trees could make in a community until she started visiting different Cincinnati neighborhoods with better tree canopy coverage. “The benefit of the trees is that they produce good oxygen. It will clean up most of the air and remove the bad air that we get from the industries.”. She also said if other Cincinnati neighborhoods have great green space and great air quality than all of the neighborhoods should have the same thing “The trees allow us to have that beautiful feeling. The phrase ‘Keep Cincinnati Beautiful’…. I’m just wondering, is it a certain neighborhood they want to be beautiful or can we all?”  

Are the trees helping? 

When considering the number of things that are contributing to the poor air quality in Lower Price Hill, can the trees offset that? Edwards says it is making a difference, but it’s not completely offsetting the negative effects from the industry and the highways. According to the interim director, the biggest difference would be made with policy change. “Collecting the data and sending it to either the city or the government, through federal grants is really important so that they see that there are things happening here that residents want. And then we can see what the policy makers can do from their end. Because they’re the decision makers.” 

Green Heart Project  

In Louisville, Kentucky, an urban greening experiment is proving how much of a difference trees can make for the community and nearby residents’ health. The Green Heart Project studies how better air quality from urban greening affects heart disease. This multimillion-dollar study seeks to show the scientific link between nature and human health. Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar, Director of the study development team, originally didn’t think they would see the results as fast as he did. “We thought that we were going to have to wait for 5 to 10 years to see any effect.  But we were taken aback that this was quite an acute effect or quite an immediate effect.” 

In about a year, they saw a decrease in inflammation and blood pressure with the local residents. Other benefits included the trees acting as a natural noise and light buffer from the surrounding highway. 

There’s even a relationship between tree canopies and crime. A study done in Baltimore, Maryland, from the Department of Agriculture shows that a 10% increase in tree canopy showed a 12% decrease in crime in that area. Dr. Aruni says the overall beautification of an area can affect crime, mental health, and more. “…planting trees and cleaning up people’s yards and making them more looked after can decrease the crime rates. People who live in greener neighborhoods have lower levels of anxiety and depression and better mental health. There are some reports that say that there are even lower rates of suicide in places that are more green.” 

Biophilia is the natural affinity human beings have to nature. Dr. Aruni says this phenomenon is the reason why studies show human health as well as overall well-being improve around nature. There are even studies of how nature can restore sleep cycles, stabilize behaviors, and more.  

More Tree Planting 

Groundwork ORV is planning to continue their tree planting efforts and air monitoring in other Cincinnati neighborhoods. First, the nonprofit will build awareness of the effects of climate change through their Climate Safe Neighborhoods program. After that they will work with local park leaders and residents to determine the areas that need the most trees and green space.  

The Madisonville planting is scheduled for October 27, 2026.  

To see more of Cincinnati’s Tree Canopies, click on the link below. 

City of Cincinnati Urban Tree Canopy Information 

Hernz Laguerre Jr. – Multi-Media Journalist

Hernz is a Haitian American who was born and raised in Spring Valley, NY. He attended school at S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where he learned to hone his skills as a storyteller. After graduating with his Bachelors in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and his Masters in Television Radio and Film, he went on to a career in media as a producer, reporter and freelance videographer for companies like ESPN and Court TV. He eventually moved to Detroit, where he worked as a Multimedia Journalist for The Detroit News and then the NPR affiliate, WDET, before starting his work with the Brick by Brick team at CET and Think^TV. Hernz aims to produce stories that tell the bigger picture while doing his due diligence to educate and inform the public about the solutions-focused work being done in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.