Tomkinson: Street trees add more than just ambiance and increased property values

Without trees, a neighbourhood just doesn’t feel neighbourly. The world seems too hard and boxy. There’s no rustle of leaves or chirping of birds to buffer the drone of lawnmowers and hissing of tires. The sun shines too bright. The wind blows too hard.
I can’t imagine living without the filigree of snow-laced branches in winter, an ephemeral blaze of colour in autumn, and that magical, jubilant pop of green when new leaves bud in spring.
Trees add more than ambiance. They also