It doesn't look like much bark was removed, at least from what we can see in the photos, and it looks like someone may have been trying to limb-up the tree. ("Limbing-up," also called "crown raising," is the technique that removes the lowest branches to "raise" the canopy so low limbs are not an obstacle to walking under the tree. It is not generally performed as a tree health-related pruning and is instead done only to satisfy human aesthetic preferences.) While a couple of the branch cuts probably could have been made slightly closer to the trunk, they're not too bad because cuts should not be made flush and a small stub is needed to protect the branch collar. We expect the wounds will seal-over in time; nothing should be applied to the cut as this can hamper "healing." The dark color to the heartwood, visible in the center of the cut stubs, is normal for Redbud.

Given the challenging conditions in the tree's root zone (lots of pavement and concrete over areas roots would normally be growing as the tree matures), monitoring the tree's watering needs is the primary approach to supporting its health in both the short and long term. Avoiding soil compaction by keeping pedestrians from cutting-across the hellstrip between the sidewalk and the road would be good, but unless a barrier like a short fence or stepping-stones was used to indicate where to walk to limit compaction, it wouldn't be easy to do this if people are regularly accessing parked cars along the roadway in that spot.

Miri