Georgia Tech professor Tony Giarrusso presented findings from the 2023 Tree Canopy Assessment to the Community Development/Human Services Committee, showing Atlanta’s tree canopy coverage dropped to 45.7%, down from 47.9% in 2008.
The City Council set a goal in 2023 of no net canopy loss, targeting a return to 50% coverage, but the rate of loss has only grown since. Industrial clear-cutting remains the biggest source of large forest loss. Multifamily housing surpassed single-family housing as the leading driver of canopy loss since 2018, but officials acknowledged that the tree preservation needs to be balanced with the need for more housing.
Downtown Atlanta bucked the broader trend, growing from 3% canopy in 2008 to more than 9% in 2023 through targeted street tree planting.
Learn more: Saporta Report
