The American city of Atlanta, Georgia is known as the "city in a forest" because it has many trees, which is not common in large cities. A 2014 study found that in 2008, the city had 47.9% tree coverage.

Context

Atlanta, often called a "city in a forest" and a "tree haven," has a large tree cover that spans much of its area. The city's main street is named after a type of tree. Outside of the Downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead business areas, the skyline is replaced by thick forests that extend into the suburbs. In 2004, a study estimated that 36% of Atlanta was covered by trees. A later study in 2010 found that tree coverage was between 50% and 53%.

Atlanta’s tree cover has been recognized for its benefits. National Geographic named Atlanta a "Place of a Lifetime" in part because of its thick tree cover. This tree cover helps remove pollution and cools streets and buildings. However, the tree cover has faced challenges from both human activity and natural causes, such as heavy rain, drought, aging trees, new pests, and construction. A study in 2001 showed that tree cover in Atlanta dropped from 48% in 1974 to 38% in 1996. This loss led to more stormwater runoff and the removal of about 11 million pounds of pollutants each year, valued at around $28 million annually. The drought from 2006 to 2008 caused an unusually high number of trees to be lost. For example, Piedmont Park lost about 12 large, historic trees in 2009, compared to 2 or 3 in normal years. Many of Atlanta’s trees are 80 to 100 years old and nearing the end of their natural lifespan. The drought made their roots smaller, speeding up their decline. To address these issues, community groups and the city government are working together. Trees Atlanta, a nonprofit organization started in 1985, has planted and given away over 126,000 shade trees. The city also provided $130,000 in grants to neighborhood groups for tree planting.

Atlanta is also home to the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, an annual arts and crafts event held during early April when native dogwood trees are in bloom.

Clearcutting

A proposed police training facility in the South River Forest, an 80-acre greenspace (32 hectares) in southeast Atlanta and Dekalb County, has caused ongoing protests. Conservationists and activists oppose the project and built encampments near the old Atlanta prison farm during 2021 and 2022. These protests have led to several confrontations with police.

Low-density residential neighborhoods in Atlanta have historically not been required to replace trees that were removed during development. These neighborhoods often have many mature trees, unless homeowners cut them down. However, zoning changes since the 1980s allowed for more densely packed housing. By the 2000s, developers often cleared large areas of forest and flattened hills to build uniform housing developments with homes built very close together, right next to the streets.

In recent years, some cities and counties in the area have updated their tree laws to require replacing trees at a rate equal to or greater than the number of trees before development. Instead of leaving trees on each home lot, this usually involves designating green areas within each development. Most other areas are still cleared. Even when trees are replaced, they are often planted as one type of tree, evenly spaced, rather than a mix of different trees placed randomly, as in natural forests.

Deforestation from land development occurs at a rate of 50 acres (20 hectares) each day. This has greatly affected local watersheds, causing them to flood much faster and more severely than before development.

Commentary

The American Institute of Architects' 1993 Guide to the Architecture of Atlanta wrote:

Author Tom Wolfe wrote in his book A Man in Full: