Supporting Arlington with Climate Resilience and Natural Spaces
Green Streets Arlington was formed in 2023 in Arlington, Massachusetts to advocate for enhancing Arlington’s zoning laws, community programs, and policies to include provisions to help mitigate climate change, moderate heat islands, enrich Arlington’s natural streetscapes, preserve and increase the tree canopy, provide accessible open spaces, and ensure that all neighbors can live among the green urban environment which we enjoy.
2024 Projects
Amend Parking Bylaws to Require Shade in Large Parking Lots
Green Streets Arlington submitted a warrant article for the 2024 Town Meeting recommending amending Arlington’s Zoning Bylaw to require shade in large parking lots (over 25 spaces). This was Article 30 in the 2024 Town Meeting Warrant. On May 6, Town Meeting voted (185 to 12, with 5 abstentions) to pass this amendment.
After numerous discussions between Green Streets Arlington and town staff, traffic experts, community members, and Arlington’s Redevelopment Board in public hearings, the Redevelopment Board voted to recommend Article 30 and has included it in the Board’s report to Town Meeting.
Green Streets Arlington hopes and anticipates that most, if not all, of the shade required in parking lots under Article 30 will be provided by large shade trees. Article 30 allows for substitute shade by clean energy-producing photovoltaic canopies (solar panels). Green Streets Arlington favors trees for providing shade in parking lots, as trees not only cool areas, they take in carbon and clean the air, and their roots absorb stormwater to help control flooding from heavy rains.
Trees will expand Arlington’s urban green spaces one parking lot at a time.
2023 Projects
Read about our initiative to improve zoning in the MBTA Communities overlay districts.