A Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization, Streets For All, has launched a campaign to remove the city's iconic palm trees, labeling them a "scam" due to their water consumption, lack of shade, and potential hazards during fires and high winds. The group advocates for replacing the palms with trees that offer more substantial shade and contribute to cooling urban areas.
In a social media campaign and video filmed along Sunset Boulevard, Streets For All argued that palm trees are ineffective at providing shade, a crucial function for urban environments. They propose planting broad-canopy trees native to Southern California, such as sycamores, which they contend would better serve the city's needs for cooling and shade.
The proposal has drawn considerable online criticism, with many users on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) pushing back against the idea. Comments ranged from calling the group's stance the "worst take ever" to sharing personal anecdotes about low-maintenance palm trees and labeling the organization "Climate Commie."
Streets For All founder Michael Schneider defended the group's position, stating, "We believe we should replace palm trees with trees that are native to Southern California and provide real shade." The organization is also pushing for a broader "transportation revolution" in Los Angeles, which includes advocating for more bus lanes, protected bike lanes, wider sidewalks, and increased space for pedestrians and cyclists.
Palm trees have been a significant symbol of Los Angeles for nearly a century. The city undertook a massive tree-planting campaign during the Great Depression, enlisting unemployed workers to plant tens of thousands of palm trees in preparation for the 1932 Summer Olympics. This initiative helped cement the palm tree's image as synonymous with the city's identity.
Streets For All has also been actively involved in local politics, endorsing Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman. The group has praised Raman for her record on public transit, bike lanes, and street redesigns, and is funding advertisements aimed at challenging Mayor Karen Bass. Schneider emphasized that the campaign against palm trees was not coordinated with Raman's campaign.