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Where a city needs shade most

CanopyFit brings heat, equity and physical barriers into the same question: where can a new tree do the most good? Published in Alumni Digest as verified reporting from the University of British Columbia.

CanopyFit brings heat, equity and physical barriers into the same question: where can a new tree do the most good?

Alumni Digest editorial deskAugust 25, 20262 min read
In the September issue
CanopyFit maps the barriers and benefits around urban tree planting.
A UBC tool called CanopyFit is designed to help cities place trees with more precision. Instead of treating canopy as an even layer, it combines heat and equity data with the physical constraints that determine where planting is actually possible. That changes the planning problem. The best site is not simply an empty patch on a map; it is a place where cooling, access and feasibility overlap. The tool gives municipal teams a way to see those trade-offs together. For alumni living in growing cities, the idea is tangible: a greener street is also an argument about who gets comfort, shade and public investment. Photo: Reporting: UBC. Source image retained for editorial review; rights clearance is still required before any broader reuse.

The context

Where the work begins

CanopyFit brings heat, equity and physical barriers into the same question: where can a new tree do the most good?

The takeaway

What follows

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