Speaker Julie Menin and Council Members Announce Funding for Tree Canopy Research to Combat Extreme Heat

Cornell Tech and New Yorkers for Parks will use new funds to employ advanced mapping and modeling tools to enhance NYC's tree canopy and empower local communities to fight extreme heat

ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NY - Today, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council Members announced new funding for Cornell Tech Urban Tech Hub in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute and New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P) to launch The Generative Canopy Project.

As extreme heat continues to grow as a major climate hazard, the Generative Canopy Project will use advanced artificial intelligence (AI), aerial imagery, existing tree census data, and climate forecasting to help communities create neighborhood-specific planting strategies to reduce heat risk and safeguard public health.

Last month, temperatures in the city rose above 100 degrees - the highest the city has seen in more than a decade. As temperatures rise, the number of heat-related 911 calls and emergency room visits dramatically increases. Over the course of the most recent four-day heat wave, during which the city issued heat warnings and activated emergency protocols, three New Yorkers died from heat-related illnesses.

"Extreme temperatures endanger New Yorkers' health and disproportionately affect vulnerable communities," said Speaker Julie Menin. "As temperatures continue to rise, it's vital that we find creative solutions to tackle the climate crisis and protect New Yorkers from heat-related illnesses. The City Council is proud to fund this innovative, cutting-edge research project. We're grateful to Cornell Tech and New Yorkers for Parks for not only addressing this pervasive public health challenge but also placing these tools directly in the hands of local communities."

By employing AI and 3D laser-scanning technology, Cornell Tech researchers will evaluate the cooling power of individual street trees across all five boroughs, providing block-by-block data on where to plant new trees to maximize their cooling potential and create the most positive impact on public health.

The Council's $250,000 investment will support technical development of the project along with community engagement efforts. This includes public tracking tools, an online dashboard, and community workshops run in partnership with NY4P. The project will be directly informed by local community members, with neighborhood residents having a direct hand in designing local planting strategies.

The project will initially focus on three regions across the five boroughs that face significant canopy deficits and elevated heat vulnerability, including:

• Hunts Point & Longwood: Bronx Community District
• East New York: Brooklyn Community District
• Corona & Elmhurst: Queens Community District

The goal is for this project to ultimately serve as a national model for improving public health outcomes and facilitating environmental justice through urban canopies.

"As we face hotter summers, expanding our tree canopy is one of the most effective local strategies we have," said Council Member Sandy Nurse. "Trees are indispensable in the neighborhood-level fight against climate change. I'm thrilled the Council is investing in this cutting-edge technology to streamline future plantings and that improving East New York's low tree canopy coverage will be a top priority."

"Too many neighborhoods in Queens, including in my district, lack the tree canopy needed to protect residents from extreme heat," said Council Member Phil Wong. "I thank Speaker Menin, Cornell Tech and New Yorkers for Parks for investing in a smarter, community-driven approach that will help us plant trees where they are needed most."

"Fewer trees mean hotter streets and dirtier air. With tree coverage in my district in the South Bronx 8-14 points lower than city average of 22%, we consistently rank as one of the hottest and most polluted districts in the city," said Council Member Justin Sanchez. "That is why I am thankful for the Generative Canopy Initiative for taking steps to alleviate this issue. Through long-term engagement with at-risk communities such as mine, and taking advantage of the technology at hand, we can finally set the stage for more trees. Thank you, Cornell Tech, New Yorkers for Parks, and Madam Speaker, for their hard work on this Initiative. Together, we continue our work for a greener New York."

"Public health begins long before someone walks into a doctor's office; it starts on our streets, in our parks, and in the communities we call home," said Council Member Shanel Thomas-Henry. "Thanks to Speaker Menin's leadership and the FY27 Council budget, we're investing in innovative solutions like the Generative Canopy initiative that pair cutting-edge technology with community voices to bring more shade, cleaner air, and healthier public spaces to neighborhoods like Corona and East Elmhurst. This is what proactive government looks like: making smart investments today that create healthier, more resilient communities for generations to come."

"I am proud to support the Generative Canopy Initiative, an innovative effort funded through the FY27 City Budget that uses AI-powered tree canopy mapping to help protect New Yorkers from extreme heat and advance environmental justice," said Council Member Chris Banks. "As the Council Member representing Brooklyn's 42nd District, I am especially pleased that East New York has been selected as a Community Engagement Division site, ensuring that one of our city's most under-canopied neighborhoods receives the attention, resources, and investment needed to create healthier and more resilient streets. This initiative is about more than technology. By bringing together Cornell Tech, New Yorkers for Parks, Community Board 5, and local residents, the Generative Canopy Initiative combines data-driven innovation with community voices to identify where new trees can have the greatest impact on public health, air quality, and climate resilience. I thank Speaker Julie Menin and my City Council colleagues for their leadership and partnership, and I look forward to seeing the lasting benefits this project will deliver for East New York and communities across New York City."

"I serve an environmental justice community that often receives the brunt of the climate crisis through extreme heat, extreme cold, and flooding. Health outcomes are dipropionate, and our air quality has had lasting effects on generations of Uptowners, so we know firsthand how sorely investments in green infrastructure are needed," said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. "As Chair of the New York City Council Committee on Technology, I see every day how artificial intelligence is changing the way New Yorkers work, learn, access services, and interact with government for the better. New Yorkers should have technology built by them, for them, and we are excited in this $250,000 investment into our city's green canopy through equity-driven technology."

"The Generative Canopy project is an incredible investment from the City Council in using the latest technology to advance the public good. It has been designed from the ground up to give our City's policymakers, advocates, and community members the tools we need to meet our goal of 30% tree canopy coverage across the City and ensure that all New Yorkers are better protected from extreme heat," said Council Member Ty Hankerson. "In a city where neighborhoods that are majority people-of-color have up to 33% fewer trees on average than majority White neighborhoods, the Generative Canopy project will be essential as we work to combat historical underinvestment and plant trees where they are most needed. I am grateful to Speaker Menin and the rest of my colleagues in the City Council for making this investment into our City's greenery possible."

"Cornell Tech is grateful to Speaker Menin for allowing us to build on the promise of the Tree Folio project led by researchers in Cornell's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning in collaboration with our Urban Tech Hub, which uses AI, aerial imagery, and climate data to give New York City neighborhoods a science-based roadmap for planting trees to keep them safer and cooler," said Greg Morrisett, Jack and Rilla Neafsey Dean and Vice Provost at Cornell Tech. "By turning cutting-edge technology into practical tools that protect our communities, Cornell Tech delivers on its research mission while providing a direct impact to New York City."

"At the Urban Tech Hub in Cornell Tech's Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute, we build technologies that address pressing urban challenges," said Michael Samuelian, Founding Director of the Urban Tech Hub in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech. "The next phase of this project, The Generative Canopy, allows us to do exactly that, working with our partners at New Yorkers for Parks. Thanks to this new funding, we will be bringing this research from the lab to the city's neighborhoods, where residents needs and knowledge can help shape the next phase of the project to help make our hottest neighborhoods cooler, greener, and healthier."

"UJA-Federation of New York applauds Speaker Julie Menin and the City Council for making the Council's first-ever investment in Cornell Tech. Cornell Tech harnesses world-class research and innovation to improve public health and build a greener and more resilient New York. We commend JCRC-NY for advancing this critical investment," said the UJA-Federation of New York.

"We applaud Speaker Julie Menin for securing the first-ever New York City Council funding for Cornell Tech's AI-powered tree mapping initiative," said Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council. "When I recently visited Cornell Tech, I saw firsthand how this extraordinary partnership between Cornell and Israel's Technion is harnessing cutting-edge technology to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges while generating more than $700 million in annual economic activity for New York City. This is exactly what investing in innovation looks like…advancing climate resilience, strengthening our economy, expanding opportunities for students, and bringing New York closer to the future. JCRC-NY is proud to have helped convene Speaker Menin's team and Cornell Tech through our Israel in New York initiative, highlighting how partnerships with Israeli innovation continue to deliver meaningful benefits for all New Yorkers."

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