In 2010, the Phoenix City Council voted in approval for the movement to plant more trees across the city due to rising temperatures. The purpose of the proposed Tree and Shade Master Plan is to cover at least 25% of the city with trees; in July of 2015, Phoenix was only at about 12.4% coverage. Unfortunately, the plan was not within means of the city budget according to Mayor Greg Stanton. Since the council has revisited the issue, they have since approved an Urban Forest Infrastructure Team to bring forth the original plan to plant more trees and improve the heat situation. The team includes two lawyers, an arborist, three landscape architects, an economic development professor, two city staffers, a former councilman, a business owner and one more architect.

The plan is broken down into three levels, the first being zoning laws. Trees cannot obstruct traffic or pedestrians. The second is to create new laws and permits for tree removal, should someone attempt to damage or remove a tree without approval from the city. The third is to assign a staff that will be responsible for tending to the well-being of trees and their every day care.

The end goal is to plant a total of 750 trees or more by the end of 2018. The problem is, 1,000 trees are damaged or lost each year, meaning the plan may not be as successful as the UFIT had hoped. The team insists that until trees are made a priority to the City Council, heat will continue to be a problem in Phoenix.