Is your town or city looking a little bland lately? Office buildings and chain stores can easily overtake formerly vibrant areas. Replanting trees in your community is a great way to bring back some color while also offering other benefits. Trees can help minimize the effects of urban heat islands (UHIs), metropolitan areas that show significantly higher temperatures than nearby rural areas. Just a few new trees can also help combat air pollution and raise property values in the neighborhood, while encouraging inhabitants to spend more time outside.There are several locally-based programs in cities around America dedicated to planting trees. Trees for Tucson in Arizona, Replant Neighborhood Trees in Philadelphia, Forest ReLeaf in St. Louis, and MillionTreesNYC are just a few examples of communities that have taken it upon themselves to improve their natural surroundings. The national Alliance for Community Trees helps promote the same agenda in urban areas around the country.If there’s not already a program in your community, we don’t recommend simply going out and installing an oak in front of your local Wachovia or Starbucksthere are laws and regulations to consider. Instead, drum up interest in your neighborhood and then present a plan to your local government at the next town meeting. Once your representatives are informed of the many benefits that come with increased arboreal density (that’s trees per area, if you’re wondering), it should hopefully be easy to get things rolling. You can find more ways to support the initiative at the Alliance for Community Trees’s website.