The Impact of Trees on the Sale and Lease of Business Property in San Jose (G-5-96-20-083)

This project conducted research to determine how trees impact commercial properties in the San José metropolitan area.

A valid methodology to study the relationship between tree cover and the viability of commercial businesses was developed based on the availability of pertinent data.Aerial photos taken in 1971 and 1996 were utilized to measure the tree canopy of 30 shopping centers and 6 downtown areas.

A positive association between business viability and tree cover was found. A high degree of association exists between increased tree cover and the presence of high-end offerings of goods and services. That retail offerings have converted from a local market service base to a broad area market where there are many trees is also a good indication that urban land values in these areas have also greatly increased over the same time period. All obviously successful shopping centers and downtowns have many trees, while poorer shopping centers have few.

Study findings will provide the public with hard data regarding the relationship between trees and commercial business viability. The final products: a written report, a user-friendly informational brochure and a slide presentation - are being utilized by to distribute the findings to various interested audiences. The ultimate impact of the project will be to influence commercial property owners and managers towards a greater appreciation of, and investment in, the urban forests living under their domain.

Attachments

Click here to download the final grant report.