There are 59 municipalities, villages, and townships in Cuyahoga County. The City of Cleveland comprises about 17% of the County’s total land area and is surrounded by approximately two dozen highly urbanized inner-ring communities.

Outer-ring communities in Cuyahoga County feature less dense development patterns. The Cleveland Metroparks system is extensive (18,649 acres in Cuyahoga County) and touches many communities throughout Cuyahoga County. Other significant park acreage is held by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (2,800 acres), numerous local parks, and other conservation land.

The Ohio Constitution gives tremendous local control to its communities through “home rule”, a provision which authorizes Ohio communities to govern themselves through local laws. Thus, communities in Ohio can establish policies for land use and development and protect the natural environment through local statutes. This provision in the Ohio Constitution recognizes that a community best knows how to serve its needs.

Community-level metrics for tree canopy are important because they serve as a realistic basis for a community to develop goals, policies, and possibly legislation for the management of trees.