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Phoenix’s Heat Divide and the Trees to Fix It | Mesa News
Phoenix’s southern and western neighborhoods are baking under extreme heat due to dangerously low tree cover—sometimes as little as two percent—creating a worsening urban heat island effect. The city’s response? A bold new Shade Plan launched two years ago, aiming to restore balance by planting trees and installing shade structures where it’s needed most. Since 2024, the Community Canopy program has planted over 450 trees in south Phoenix alone, while Canopy for Kids has added 68 trees and schools now boast eight new shade structures. Four pedestrian shade shelters also dot busy…
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