PSA: sidewalk planting beats dig day, my street went from 2 trees to 31

Two summers back my block in East Austin had 2 sad trees and heat shimmer you could see off the asphalt. Our neighborhood group did a big volunteer dig day in June, 40 people, free saplings, lots of photos. Half of them died by September because nobody watered past week 3. Last spring a small crew worked with the city to get 31 trees planted through the sidewalk program instead, with irrigation bags and a watering schedule tied to the address. The dig day felt like action but the boring slow process is what actually put shade on my walk to the bus. Anybody else seen volunteer planting events that quietly turn into a dead tree graveyard?