Early users of the site report that the web pages are a very helpful format for learning about this important research. Can the social and qualitative aspects of city trees and urban greening really be measured? Most definitely! A community of science can and does mea- sure the responses to trees and greening that make cities more livable and people healthier. The web site is a portal to this rich research tradition.
Next steps? We now have funding to convert the sum- maries to slide presentations and briefing papers. This will be done by mid-2012. These quantitative findings could also become the basis of an i-Tree community analysis tool. We’ll keep you posted!
Project support was provided by the national Urban and Community Forestry program of the USDA Forest Service, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the USDA Forest Service Pacific NW Research Station. Summary authors include Katrina Flora and Mary Ann Rozance.
Above: People interact while spending time in city parks, gardens, and open spaces. These social dynamics can help build social capital, even resilience. Photo by Guy Kramer
Left: Valuation methods are used to convert intangible benefits to dollar sums. Nonmarket valuations can support local decision-mak- ing regarding the urban forest. Photo by Kathleen Wolf
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