How Participatory Budgeting Can Benefit the Urban Forest
By Natural Areas Conservancy on October 14, 2025
By Sarah Balistreri, Urban Forest Program Manager at Partnerships for Parks and Emily Walker, Senior Manager of External Affairs at Natural Areas Conservancy
Did you know that each year, New Yorkers get to decide how capital dollars are spent in their neighborhoods? Through a process called Participatory Budgeting (PBNYC), the power to propose and vote on infrastructure projects throughout the five boroughs is placed directly in the hands of residents. Since launching in 2011, millions of PB dollars have been used to fund improvements in local parks, schools, libraries, and streets citywide.
How does Participatory Budgeting work?
Each year, members of the New York City Council have the opportunity to allocate at least $1 million in so-called discretionary capital funds to be voted on by residents. Capital funding is what the city uses to fund large-scale infrastructure projects and improvements, and is distinct from expense funding, which is used to hire city workers and provide resources like programming in our parks. Capital projects must cost a minimum of $50,000 and have a lifespan of five years or more. It’s important to note that not every City Council Member participates in the process – the list of the 23 participating districts can be found on the online Idea Map.
In the fall, New Yorkers are invited to share their neighborhood improvement ideas via the online Idea Map. The ideas gathered here are then taken into consideration by volunteer Budget Delegates to be developed into potential ballot proposals. Residents of participating Council districts then vote on ballot proposals in the spring. PB Vote Week typically takes place in late March and early April, and we recommend you join your local Council Member’s newsletter list to make sure you get notified when PB Vote Week is underway!
PB can be a great way to propose and get funding for projects that have a direct impact on NYC’s urban forest and the health of our trees, from forested natural areas to street trees.
What kinds of projects can you propose to help our urban forest?
1. Street tree guards
In 2023, the City adopted a goal of equitably expanding tree canopy across NYC from 23 percent to 30 percent. Most canopy growth results from small trees getting bigger, not just from putting new trees in the ground. Caring for our existing trees is crucial to reaching the 30 percent canopy goal.
Using PB funds to pay for street tree guards is one way to promote the health and longevity of our urban forest. Street trees stand a better chance of thriving when they have sturdy tree guards around them. Tree guards discourage people and pets from walking over tree beds, thereby reducing the amount of pet waste, root damage, and soil compaction the tree has to withstand. Soil compaction—or tightly packed soil—makes it hard for a tree’s roots to access air and water. Not only that, but compaction also interferes with the tree’s ability to act as a stormwater sponge, one of the key benefits trees provide. Each year, our street trees intercept over 1 billion gallons of stormwater. It’s estimated that New York City’s 7 million trees provide over $5 billion in services each year in the form of pollution reduction, cooling, carbon capture, and stormwater mitigation.
In the past, PB funds could be used to pay for new street tree plantings. This year, our friends at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks) launched a new, cyclical approach to street tree planting that prioritizes the most heat-vulnerable neighborhoods first. So while seeking funding for new trees is no longer encouraged through PB, projects like installing street tree guards across your Council District are an effective way to advocate for your local trees through PB!
2. Natural areas and trail restoration
Does your community have a natural area and trails in your local park? If so, proposals for natural areas restoration can also be a great option for a PB ballot idea. Improving the conditions of our natural areas and trails ultimately helps protect and preserve our existing forests and wetlands and improves access and safety for local residents.
The benefit of advocating for natural areas in PB funding
The Natural Areas Conservancy’s research consistently shows that better managing natural areas for issues like invasive species and erosion means our city’s natural areas are more resilient. They are also able to maintain their benefits like improved stormwater capture, cooling, and carbon capture. And we know that funding for the care and management of our natural areas has been inconsistent, making it harder for NYC Parks to effectively manage the health and care of our forests. By advocating for natural areas improvements through the PB process, you can help potentially bring vitally needed public funding to the care of our city’s natural areas, and help bring attention to our public forests!
On a final note, while not every PB idea or ballot proposal will ultimately win funding, it can be a powerful way to help speak up for the trees in your community, and to help ensure that your local Council Members and their staff are aware of the importance of funding their care. With NYC’s first-ever Urban Forest Plan soon to be released, we know that the city will need to meet its 30% canopy cover goal, which we’ll only be able to achieve by better protecting the trees that we already have. By advocating for funding that helps improve the health and condition of our street trees and natural forests, you can help be a part of the solution to increasing canopy cover citywide!
Your Next Steps in Participatory Budgeting
- Contact your local Council Member to find out if your district participates in Participatory Budgeting.
- Head over to the Idea Map and submit your idea.
- Come spring, remember to vote on your community’s ideas!
- Looking for other ways to deepen your involvement? Volunteer as a Budget Delegate and/or member of your local District Committee, or volunteer as a poll worker during vote week. There are many ways to get involved to help advance the PB process, and you can find out more here!
