Adopting public values and climate change adaptation strategies in urban forest management: A review and analysis of the relevant literature

Barona, Camilo Ordóñez

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.09.004

“…Given the evidence presented in this paper that access to public urban canopy cover is disproportionately lower for people of color, and regardless of the process that produced that inequity, there is a clear need for municipalities and nonprofits to evaluate the equity consequences of urban forest policy and management. This evaluation should particularly consider the values and preferences of individual neighborhoods in crafting just and successful programs (Ordón̄ez Barona, 2015). A broader set of policy tools is available for urban forest activity on public land so while our finding of inequity on public land is troubling, it also suggests modifying public policy and the behavior of public agents might offer remedies to inequity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The relationship between urban forests and race: A meta-analysis

Watkins

¹

,

Gerrish

²

2018

Journal of Environmental Management

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There is ample evidence that urban trees benefit the physical, mental, and social health of urban residents. The environmental justice hypothesis posits that environmental amenities are inequitably low in poor and minority communities, and predicts these communities experience fewer urban environmental benefits. Some previous research has found that urban forest cover is inequitably distributed by race, though other studies have found no relationship or negative inequity. These conflicting results and the single-city nature of the current literature suggest a need for a research synthesis. Using a systematic literature search and meta-analytic techniques, we examined the relationship between urban forest cover and race. First, we estimated the average (unconditional) relationship between urban forest cover and race across studies (studies = 40; effect sizes = 388). We find evidence of significant race-based inequity in urban forest cover. Second, we included characteristics of the original studies and study sites in meta-regressions to illuminate drivers of variation of urban forest cover between studies. Our meta-regressions reveal that the relationship varies across racial groups and by study methodology. Models reveal significant inequity on public land and that environmental and social characteristics of cities help explain variation across studies. As tree planting and other urban forestry programs proliferate, urban forestry professionals are encouraged to consider the equity consequences of urban forestry activities, particularly on public land.

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“…Given the evidence presented in this paper that access to public urban canopy cover is disproportionately lower for people of color, and regardless of the process that produced that inequity, there is a clear need for municipalities and nonprofits to evaluate the equity consequences of urban forest policy and management. This evaluation should particularly consider the values and preferences of individual neighborhoods in crafting just and successful programs (Ordónēz Barona, 2015). A broader set of policy tools is available for urban forest activity on public land so while our finding of inequity on public land is troubling, it also suggests modifying public policy and the behavior of public agents might offer remedies to inequity.…”

Section: Implications For Research and Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

The Relationship Between Urban Forests and Race: A Meta-Analysis

Watkins

¹

,

Gerrish

²

2017

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There is ample evidence that urban trees benefit the physical, mental, and social health of urban residents. The environmental justice hypothesis posits that environmental amenities are inequitably low in poor and minority communities, and predicts these communities experience fewer urban environmental benefits. Some previous research has found that urban forest cover is inequitably distributed by race, though other studies have found no relationship or negative inequity. These conflicting results and the single-city nature of the current literature suggest a need for a research synthesis. Using a systematic literature search and meta-analytic techniques, we examined the relationship between urban forest cover and race. First, we estimated the average (unconditional) relationship between urban forest cover and race across studies (studies = 40; effect sizes = 388). We find evidence of significant race-based inequity in urban forest cover. Second, we included characteristics of the original studies and study sites in meta-regressions to illuminate drivers of variation of urban forest cover between studies. Our meta-regressions reveal that the relationship varies across racial groups and by study methodology. Models reveal significant inequity on public land and that environmental and social characteristics of cities help explain variation across studies. As tree planting and other urban forestry programs proliferate, urban forestry professionals are encouraged to consider the equity consequences of urban forestry activities, particularly on public land.

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“…Some studies tackle multiple dimensions, e.g., assessing perceptions of GI benefits and awareness and concerns about climate change , but still refrain from looking into GI design preferences -which are more regularly captured by WTP exercises (Ng, Chau, Powell, & Leung, 2014). For urban planning, there is a need to couple public values with climate change strategies (Ordóñez Barona, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Green infrastructure for urban climate adaptation: How do residents’ views on climate impacts and green infrastructure shape adaptation preferences?

Derkzen

¹

,

Teeffelen

²

,

Verburg

³

2017

Landscape and Urban Planning

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h i g h l i g h t s• Novel socio-cultural valuation framework for green infrastructure and climate impacts.• People are more aware of present-day heat waves but more alarmed by future flooding.• People tend to prefer diverse, familiar and visually attractive adaptation measures.• Environmental education can increase support for effective adaptation measures.• Results help planners prioritize effective and desired green infrastructure designs. a r t i c l e i n f o b s t r a c tCities are particularly prone to the effects of climate change. One way for cities to adapt is by enhancing their green infrastructure (GI) to mitigate the impacts of heat waves and flooding. While alternative GI design options exist, there are many unknowns regarding public support for the various options. This study aims to fill this gap by performing a socio-cultural valuation of urban GI for climate adaptation that encompasses multiple dimensions: people's notion of and concerns about climate impacts, the degree to which people acknowledge the benefits of GI to alleviate such impacts, and people's preferences for different GI measures, including their willingness to pay (WTP). Data were collected through photo-assisted face-to-face surveys (n = 200) with residents in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and linked to GI GIS data. Respondents had a notion of and concerns about climate impacts, but did not necessarily acknowledge that GI may help tackle these issues. Yet, when residents were informed about the adaptation capacity of different GI measures, their preferences shifted towards the most effective options. There was no information effect, however, on people's WTP for GI, which was mostly related to income and ethnicity. Our study shows that economic valuation alone would miss nuances that socio-cultural valuation as applied in this paper can reveal. The method revealed preferences for particular adaptation designs, and assists in detecting why policy for climate adaptation may be hampered. Understanding people's views on climate impacts and adaptation options is crucial for prioritizing effective policy responses in the face of climate change.

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Adopting public values and climate change adaptation strategies in urban forest management: A review and analysis of the relevant literature

Cited by 47 publications

References 62 publications

The relationship between urban forests and race: A meta-analysis

The relationship between urban forests and race: A meta-analysis

The Relationship Between Urban Forests and Race: A Meta-Analysis

Green infrastructure for urban climate adaptation: How do residents’ views on climate impacts and green infrastructure shape adaptation preferences?

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