Natural Environment

Hiking trail lined up with oak trees in Foothills Park

Sustainability is not only about mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, but also regeneration – identifying opportunities for renewal, restoration, carbon sequestration, and growth of our natural environment. Palo Alto will continue to build and restore the natural environment and its ecosystem services and bio-capacity that supports it, including soils, tree canopy, biodiversity, and other components.

Palo Alto's Urban Forest

Trees positively affect our lives and are a valuable rare component of the city’s green infrastructure that increases in value over time. Trees provide community, environmental, and economic benefits, from reducing the effects of urban density to increasing property values and providing ecological benefits such as storm water mitigation, air pollutant removal, and greenhouse gas sequestration. Trees provide our area wildlife with food, shelter and a transportation corridor. Trees directly improve the quality of life for Palo Alto.

Open Spaces and Parks

The City of Palo Alto has almost 4,000 acres of open space to explore, recreate, and relax in. Whether you are looking for a place to picnic with your family, a site for a wedding, or trails that will help you to escape to nature, there is a broad assortment of open space areas to enjoy!

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Tree Ordinance Update

The City is working to update its Tree Ordinance to complement current policy documents, strengthen requirements and procedures for when protected tree removals are proposed, and comply with new state legislation.