Detailed Analysis of Tree Canopy By Land Use in Langley City

I've been posting about urban forests and tree canopy cover over the past week. Langley City is in the process of creating our urban forest management plan. As part of that process, City staff and consultants completed a detailed analysis of tree canopy cover by land use type in our community. The following land use map is linked by colour to the table below. You'll want to select each of the map and the table to enlarge them as they are a bit small inline.

Langley City Land-Use Map by Colour Code

Tree Canopy Cover in Langley City by Land-Use. Grey Bars are the Total Area of Land Use Type. Green Bars are the Tree Canopy Area within the Land Use Type.

There are a few things that stood out to me. Our residential-only areas have a fair amount of tree cover, but our commercial, industrial, and downtown areas have virtually no tree canopy. While we need to preserve tree canopy in our residential-only areas, there is a significant opportunity to increase tree canopy in our downtown, Langley Bypass area, and mixed-use areas.

Based on the feedback the City received from our community last year, staff and consultants are nearing the completion of a draft urban forest management plan for Langley City. The City will present a draft of the plan for public feedback this spring to have a version for Council to consider approving this summer.