Years ago, the Irvine Master Plan called for hundreds of thousands of trees to be planted throughout the new city for environmental and aesthetic benefits. An excerpt from that plan, submitted in March 1970, reads:
“The City of Irvine is planned so that it will improve with age, rather than deteriorate. Hundreds of thousands of trees will be planted throughout the City of Irvine. They will be planted along roads,
in parks, in residential neighborhoods, in shopping centers, in school yards, and even industrial areas.
These trees will be planted according to a design that looks forward to their full maturity, and to the visual impact they will have on their surroundings. The City of Irvine will thus improve with age.” –City of Irvine Master Plan, Irvine Company, March 19, 1970
Today, 550,000 trees grow in Irvine, making it the third greenest city in America. And more are being planted each day.
