TreePeople is a Los Angeles based environmental non-profit with a goal of ensuring the sustainable future of L.A. by expanding the city’s tree canopy. Since its founding in the 1970s, TreePeople has been educating the citizens of Los Angeles on the importance and benefits of urban trees, as well as the associated effects on water in the area.
TreePeople sought support on a spatial analysis project that aims to understand the relationship and correlation between tree canopy cover (TCC) and both public health and socio-economic characteristics in the city of Los Angeles. TreePeople was interested in learning how the presence of trees impacts quality of life. To answer this question, Jenna identified key variables that could have a correlation to TCC, including, asthma, diabetes, obesity, poverty, and minority populations, and she created a series of static maps visualizing these relationships. Using these variables and a weighted GIS analysis, Jenna identified the parts of Los Angeles that can be considered areas of high need for the planting of trees in the future. All created maps and supporting datasets are being bundled into a map package that TreePeople may use in the future to further their endeavours and efforts to improve the condition of life in LA through the simple process of planting more trees.
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