The Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI), founded by The Morton Arboretum, was organized to improve the health of the urban forest in the seven-county Chicago region. CRTI has collected one of the most significant urban forestry data sets in the county to provide a clear vision for a holistic approach to improve the urban forest and quality of life for Chicago region residents.

CRTI has also collected and combined extensive data sets. These datasets include LiDAR, aerial imagery, land cover, forest inventories (private and public), forest management capacity, socio-economic data, pre-settlement ecosystem mapping, human and tree health data, among others.

The resulting analyses help identify a community’s list of challenges (low canopy cover, high poverty, poor health, etc.) and opportunities (strong forestry program, remnant woodlands, community engagement, etc.). By recognizing challenges and opportunities at varying scales, strategies can be successfully tailored to improve the urban forest.

View the Interactive Canopy Map

View the Interactive Priority Map