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# Trees are an urban treasure
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/trees-are-an-urban-treasure-editor/
- Published: 2007-05-24T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:49:34.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Downtown, #archive-import

*By Daniel Jansenson Architect*

The dense foliage on Fourth Street is one of the finest remaining promenades of tree canopy in Southern California (“Shedding light on downtown,” May 22). Removing these magnificent trees will not only make the street much less pedestrian friendly, it will also cause the area to experience significant increased heat, and a large reduction in the ability of local vegetation to absorb the bus emissions and noise currently experienced by local folks there.

This incredible assemblage of trees not only lends wonderful, soothing character to the downtown area, it is also a direct amenity to members of the public shopping on this street. Tree shade is a desirable thing, not something to be eliminated — the removal of these trees will make the street far less appealing, and will turn the street into a harsh, hot, overly-bright area; not a place to linger. My work office has been on Fourth (Street) for almost 10 years, and every visitor coming to my business comments on the beauty of the trees and the pleasant nature of the shade they provide.

Chopping down these wonderful trees and replacing them with small, canopy-less vegetation would be a terrible mistake. Our city, and the city council still have time to stop this from happening. We want more shade canopy, not less!

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 24, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052407.pdf?ref=smdp.com)