By Dan Jansenson
The city of Santa Monica intends to destroy the large-canopy ficus trees along Second and Fourth streets in a fatally flawed attempt to make those streets more attractive to pedestrians and motorists. This bizarre logic flies in the face of research, surveys and studies stretching back decades.
One such study, “Trees on Main Street: Influences on Retail and Shopping Behavior,” said this: “Ratings for both categories were significantly higher for the place that has large, full-canopy street trees. Place character (such as having a pleasant atmosphere and positive image) was rated 35 percent higher for the place having large trees. Judgments of products and merchants (such as customer service, informative merchants and well-made products) were 10 percent more positive for places having trees. Consumers made judgments about their potential shopping experience based on tree cues.”
The study can be read here: www.cfr.washington.edu/research.envmind/CityBiz/ Sml%20Tn%203P_FS17.pdf Once the trees are gone, they’re gone forever. Is this what the citizens of this city really want?
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.