Trees provide many benefits in urban areas. Apart from obvious aesthetic value, trees also produce oxygen, reduce air pollution, lessen stormwater impact, save energy, provide wildlife habitat, and calm traffic. A century ago, Providence had over 50,000 street trees. Due to natural causes and neglect, there are currently only about 20,000.

The goal of this project is to measure the extent of the total urban forest canopy in Providence, Rhode Island, and estimate the economic benefits it provides using geographic information systems (GIS) technology with a variety of data sources.