SUN-A10: Trees of the Future City: Selecting Urban Tree Species for Climate Adaptation

Sunday, October 12, 2025

8:30 AM - 9:45 AM CT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW, AICP, ISA, FL

Speaker(s)

Gordon Matassa

Urban Forestry Project Coordinator
City of Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Mark Wessels, PLA (he/him/his)

Landscape Architect and Arborist
PGAdesign Landscape Architects
Oakland, California
Dave Muffly (he/him/his)

Senior Arborist
Oaktopia
Santa Barbara, California

Urban environments face accelerating climate change, making today’s tree selections critical for future city resilience. Learn to forecast your city’s future climate, choose optimal species for environmental benefits, and navigate policy channels for implementation. This session connects climate science, municipal policy, and nursery practices for actionable urban forest solutions.

Learning Outcomes:

Apply climate projection tools to identify future climate analogs for your city and select appropriate tree species.
Communicate the specific benefits of street trees for climate adaptation and the critical need to plant climate-adapted species now.
Design aesthetically cohesive streetscapes using diverse, climate-adapted species and mixed species plantings.
Develop strategies to collaborate with nurseries and agencies to expand approved street tree lists and improve species availability.