SCAD develops and activates innovative solutions to grow and protect urban tree canopies

Students and faculty build a roadmap for communities across the U.S. to advocate  for environmental equity through the university’s  Design for Good initiative.

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design engaged in a long-term project to explore the impact of trees on  the environment, economy, human health, and social well-being. This timely research provides innovative concepts and solutions that grow and protect urban forests and help address tree-equity issues. Based on this in-depth research, SCAD has already leapt into action, planting or donating more than 200 trees in Savannah neighborhoods directly affected by tree inequity.

"Society grows, so goes the adage, when its leaders plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "In my research on how SCAD can continue to improve quality of life in our hometown of Savannah, I’ve seen the undeniable link between urban deforestation and the lives and health of its residents. Established trees and new plantings have a direct and positive impact on economic vitality, physical and mental wellness, and beauty — and trees significantly reduce surface temperatures during warmer months. All of Savannah’s neighborhoods deserve these benefits. We cannot call Savannah the most beautiful city in the world while so many of our neighborhoods are in dire need of more natural beauty."

Under the guidance of President Wallace and academic leadership, students were selected to be part of a multidisciplinary team in the university’s Design for Good course, a design studio and initiative of SCAD SERVE dedicated to creating meaningful solutions that improve quality of life in four critical areas: food, shelter, clothing, and the environment. Design for Good is a 10-week course that engages students’ creative intellect to generate elevated, community-centered solutions aimed at positive transformation in the university’s hometown communities of Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., and Lacoste, France.

For this initiative, students from top-ranked degree programs — including design for sustainability, industrial design, graphic design, fashion, and illustration — used their academic and prior professional experience to synthesize existing knowledge and generate new questions, ideas, theories, and discourse.

"Through academic courses, led by expert professors and SCAD alumni, SCAD SERVE has tackled the 'tree problem' in Savannah from the root," Wallace said. "We have hired alumni specifically to help us address this challenge, using applied research to quantify the need for more trees in our city and the benefits to underserved communities. Climate change has exacerbated existing inequities in communities around the globe, and our research has identified the need for SCAD innovation and creativity in this precise area. Once again, SCAD leads the way in improving the world around us."

Led by faculty experts, SCAD students focused their research on four Savannah neighborhoods. Overall, the most compelling findings demonstrated that a lack of trees in urban areas has a direct effect on neighborhood safety, the mental and physical health of residents, and overall quality of life. Collected data showed more affluent neighborhoods averaged nine trees per lot compared to 1.5 trees per lot in less affluent neighborhoods. Research also found such large disparities in lot size and tree coverage had a direct impact on average temperatures. During hot summer months, the average air temperatures in less affluent neighborhoods were as much as 20 degrees hotter.

"Our students are digging deep into the fundamental questions about what has to be learned to enhance a community’s resilience in the face of a warming planet," said SCAD professor of design for sustainability Scott Boylston. "After studying other efforts to collect on-ground information on tree density, tree equity, and urban heat island effect, students are developing a carefully crafted data collection process that could benefit any other city. The students are also creating a roadmap for other cities on how the benefits of urban tree canopies can be a significant tool to combat extreme heat events and energy equity."

For Riley Shelton (M.A. design for sustainability; B.F.A., industrial design, 2021), a student in the Design for Good course, tree equity is a launchpad for greater civic participation.

"Our research shows the importance of tree equity and how it can improve the lives of our neighbors," said Shelton. "With trees as our focus, we have paved a way for citizens, local governments, and industries to be inspired to take a deep dive into this process, commit to more community engagement, and become a catalyst for change."

SCAD leadership evaluated the students’ comprehensive research results and directed their action to make positive community change. Through SCAD SERVE, the university led multiple tree-planting and tree-donation events this year. SCAD students, faculty, and staff volunteered and worked with Savannah city leaders, neighborhood organizations, and local churches to identify opportunities to expand the tree canopy in areas most in need. The university plans to continue the research and activations throughout the year providing more local and regional neighborhoods with positive environmental impacts.

Explore more information on Design for Good and SCAD SERVE.

Media contacts
Michelle Gavin
Executive Director, Communications
[email protected]

JJ Maxwell
Executive Director, PR & Marketing
[email protected]

SCAD: The University for Creative Careers

SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow.

SCAD enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S., according to Art & Object’s 2023 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. For the past five years, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.