Tree canopy is very unevenly distributed across Hamburg’s residential areas. This is shown by an analysis of satellite data published by NDR on 14 November 2026. While several areas on the outskirts have a high proportion, densely built-up parts of the inner city are significantly lower. The study thus highlights differences that a city-wide average can conceal.
NDR analysed data from the European Earth observation programme Copernicus for 2024. The data record the proportion of an area covered by tree canopies when viewed from above. Hamburg’s social areas served as the geographical basis: they follow district boundaries but do not always coincide with them. Large districts may be divided up, while smaller ones may be grouped together.
According to the analysis, the areas with more trees are predominantly on the outskirts. For Ottensen-Mitte, in St Georg and Hoheluft-Ost by contrast, the figures were low. This does not mean that there are no trees there at all. According to NDR, the satellite measurement captures individual trees only to a limited extent. In addition, bodies of water were generally counted as areas without tree canopy; no figures were available for parts of the Elbe areas.
The method differs from a study by the city Hamburg. A laser scan survey found that tree canopies covered 26.2 per cent of the city’s total area in 2022. The Hamburg Environment Agency uses this figure in its “Green Compass” plan. The results are not directly comparable because the methods, reference years and geographical boundaries differ.
Hamburg aims to maintain tree canopy over at least 30 per cent of its entire administrative area. The plan explicitly sets no equivalent target for each individual area. It notes that factors including the port, densely built-up locations and the ecological function of different landscapes must be taken into account.
This should be distinguished from a scientific rule of thumb for residential areas, which includes a target of 30 per cent tree canopy in every neighbourhood. NDR used this benchmark for its comparison. It does not mean that every neighbourhood in Hamburg is required by law to meet a binding quota.
For practical urban planning, the question is therefore not just how many new trees to plant. In its plan, the city also cites protecting existing trees, finding planting opportunities in public spaces and providing incentives for private land. The public tree register in turn documents street trees; it is not a complete inventory of all trees in gardens, parks and forests. Comparing canopy cover adds to such inventory data, but does not replace on-site checks or provide information about the health of individual trees.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).