Neighborhood Tree Canopy and Summer Land Surface Temperature in Baltimore, Maryland: A Descriptive Spatial Assessment with Implications for Environmental Justice Informed Planning

Background: Urban tree canopy plays an important role in mitigating urban heat exposure, yet its distribution varies substantially across neighborhoods. This study examined the relationship between tree canopy coverage and summer land surface temperature (LST) across 34 Community Statistical Areas (CSAs) in Baltimore, Maryland, to characterize neighborhood-scale environmental exposure patterns relevant to public health and environmental justice–informed urban planning. Methods: Tree canopy coverage was categorized into tertiles and analyzed alongside MODIS-derived LST data (MOD11A2; 1-km resolution; June–August 2017). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA, and linear regression were used to assess associations between percent canopy coverage and mean summer LST at the CSA level. CSA-level sociodemographic indicators, including percent non-Hispanic Black population and median household income (2017), were incorporated descriptively. Results: Mean canopy coverage was 22.4% (SD = 16.2%), and mean summer LST was 307.5 K (SD = 1.65 K). High-canopy neighborhoods experienced mean summer LST values approximately 3 K lower than low-canopy neighborhoods ( p < 0.001). A strong inverse association was observed between canopy coverage and LST ( r = –0.696, p < 0.001). Sociodemographic indicators were not significantly associated with summer LST at the CSA level. Each one-percentage-point increase in canopy coverage was associated with a 0.071 K decrease in LST (95% CI: –0.097, –0.044; R 2 = 48.4%). Discussion and Conclusions: Neighborhoods with lower tree canopy coverage experienced higher summer surface temperatures, indicating differential environmental heat exposure across Baltimore’s CSAs. These findings provide neighborhood-scale exposure evidence relevant to environmental justice–informed planning and urban heat mitigation efforts.