Trees mean Business Conference

Posted by on August 6, 2004

Trees mean Business Conference!

Please help advertise this conference by forwarding the attached flyer to community leaders, planners, developers, landscape architects, merchant associations, tree commissions, and others who might be interested.

Conference to focus on Designing Greener Commercial Districts, Thursday, September 30, 2004. Register by Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004.

Throughout history people have gathered to exchange goods and services. From the agora, to the market, to “main street,” places of commerce have been sites of personal interaction.

The life and commerce of city streets has been altered radically with the development of strip malls, shopping malls, and mail order alternatives. Across the country, local retail districts are making efforts to revitalize. Physical improvements are made to recreate pedestrian-friendly, human scale streetscapes, in addition to restoring shops and infrastructure.

Recent research has focused on consumer habitat and the effects trees and other greenery have on consumer activities and perceptions. Findings show that people are willing to spend more on products in business districts with trees than without them. Trees send a message of care, quality, and welcome, and can give a district a distinct character that customers like. Consumers are willing to travel farther to visit, visit more frequently, and spend more time in a district that has trees. A study of real estate appraisers found that landscape amenities have higher correlations to office occupancy rates than highway access.

A conference titled “Trees Mean Business: Understanding the Economic Benefits of Designing Green Commercial Districts” will be held on September 30, 2004 at Genetti’s Hotel in Downtown Wilkes-Barre.

This conference will explore this recent research about tree lined business districts and explain how communities can plan for greener business districts that provide a wealth of social, economic and environmental benefits. Presenters will also explain how to properly design downtowns where trees will flourish yet avoid conflicts with shop signs and sidewalks. Participants will learn how shading parking lots can reduce air and water pollution, and affect energy consumption. Presenters will illustrate how low maintenance commercial landscapes are being created that provide wildlife habitat and reduce stormwater.

This conference was developed in cooperation with DCNR Bureau of Forestry; Penn State School of Forest Resources; USDA Forest Service, Pennsylvania Urban & Community Forestry Council; and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business & Industry.

For more information about the conference or how to register, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension at (570) 825-1701 or via email – vjc1@psu.edu .

Vincent J. Cotrone
Extension Urban Forester
Penn State Cooperative Extension
16 Luzerne Avenue, Suite 200
West Pittston, PA 18643
(570) 825-1701 Fax: (570) 825-1709
Email: vjc1@psu.edu