Governing for Diversity: An Exploration of Practitioners' Urban Forest Preferences and Implications for Equitable Governance

Abstract

Urban forests are increasingly acknowledged as sources of multiple benefits and central to climate resilience and human well-being. Given these diverse and significant benefits, it is important to govern urban forests so as to ensure that all residents have equitable access and enjoyment. Understanding urban forest preferences, and including them in planning and management, is a key aspect of informed and contextually relevant urban forest governance. Although many studies have examined public urban forest preferences, we lack an understanding of the preferences of a key stakeholder: urban foresters. This study presents the results of semi-structured interviews with 22 urban forestry and allied green practitioners focused on preferred and least-preferred aspects of the urban forest. Participants expressed their preferred urban forest characteristics according to four themes: administration, spatial attributes, naturalness, and social benefits. Least-preferred characteristics were expressed under the themes of administration and degradation. Results suggest that practitioners employ a systems-level lens when discussing urban forest preferences. However, they also draw on personal experience when constructing their preferences, particularly in relation to naturalness and spatial diversity. These results provide insight into the urban forest preferences of practitioners and highlight the importance of innovative approaches, such as mosaic governance in urban forestry, to facilitate a just integration of the diverse preferences of urban forest stakeholders.

Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration

“…Environment professionals from both local governments and the private sector can also have granular insight into the ecology and seasonality of urban forests under their jurisdiction, and are closely aware of local constraints and demands on restoration practices. For instance, Sax, Manson & Nesbitt (2020) found that urban forest professionals in two large metropolitan areas put particular importance on urban forest accessibility (e.g. walking, public transport).…”

Borrowed Credentials and Surrogate Professional Societies: A Critical Analysis of the Urban Forestry Profession

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against a backdrop of workforce demographic shifts and public perceptions of green space management (Silvera Seamans 2013;Ordóñez et al 2019;Sax et al 2020).Lack of clarity in urban forestry's professional identity has a long list of consequences. Competing professional organizations, disparate educational paths, and inconsistent job descriptions create challenges for those seeking careers and for development of a common body of knowledge for the profession (O'Herrin et al 2018a;O'Herrin et al 2018b).

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“…against a backdrop of workforce demographic shifts and public perceptions of green space management (Silvera Seamans 2013;Ordóñez et al 2019;Sax et al 2020).…”