Environmental Justice Implications of Urban Tree Cover in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Abstract

The social, environmental, and economic benefits of urban trees can mitigate many negative aspects of the built environment. As such, disparities in the benefits of tree cover as a result of class or racial segregation represent an environmental injustice. Quantifying the ecosystem services of urban tree cover is increasingly being used to advocate urban greening and sustainability programs. Although some cities have instituted programs promoting tree planting on public property, these programs most often take place in the context of promoting sustainability rather than addressing structural inequities in the built environment. Using field and U.S. Census data, computer modeling, and online resources, this study analyzed variables such as urban forest cover, diversity of trees, and tree condition among White, African American, and Hispanic areas in Miami-Dade County. We then use these results to quantify two key ecosystem services from urban trees and discuss how their provision can be inequitable. This might be due to a failure to first address structural inequities that have been recognized by the environmental justice movement.

Gardener Well-Being along Social and Biophysical Landscape Gradients

“…Urban consolidation and expansion threatens both private and public green space access for urban residents and the ecosystem services they provide [68], especially for socially disadvantaged groups who are already vulnerable to economic pressures [69,70]. Therefore, urban policies and planning need to carefully consider the benefit that green spaces such as community gardens provide to people, especially given our findings that this benefit and overall garden use may be driven by social and biophysical surroundings.…”

A Spatially Explicit Approach to the Study of Socio- Demographic Inequality in the Spatial Distribution of Trees across Boston Neighborhoods

“…Diversity of tree species and condition of trees for a given area can be used to evaluate the quality of the urban forest. Tree species monoculture may provide some positive effects in the short-term, specifically in terms of economic costs, but in the long-term, lack of tree species diversity leaves the urban forest more vulnerable to pests, diseases and natural disaster events (Flocks et al, 2011; Pedlowski et al, 2002; Zhao et al, 2010). Young growing trees in poor condition may indicate that there may be physical stresses (e.g.…”

“…Studies that have been conducted examining potential relationships between neighborhood racial/ethnic composition and the spatial distribution of trees have produced less consistent findings and have been limited to urban areas in the US (Flocks et al, 2011; Franzini et al, 2010; Heynen et al, 2006; Landry and Chakraborty, 2009; Lovasi et al, 2008). Lower proportions of public street trees were found in Black neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida (Landry and Chakraborty, 2009).…”

“…Lower proportions of public street trees were found in Black neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida (Landry and Chakraborty, 2009). Similarly, Black neighborhoods were found to have the lowest tree density, but the greatest percentage of street trees and potential for planting space for new trees among predominantly White, Black, and Hispanic neighborhoods in Miami Dade County, Florida (Flocks et al, 2011). While citywide urban tree canopy cover was negatively correlated with Hispanic neighborhoods, there was no signification correlation with Black neighborhoods in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Heynen et al, 2006).…”

If we build it, who will benefit? A multi-criteria approach for the prioritization of new bicycle lanes in Quebec City, Canada

“…In 1996, Metzger defined equity planning as a responsibility that planners have to "influence opinion, mobilize underrepresented constituencies, and advance and perhaps implement policies and programs that redistribute public and private resources to the poor and working class in cities" (Metzger, 1996, p. 113). Failure to include social outcome goals in sustainability initiatives has been found to result in the inequitable distribution of the intended benefits (Flocks, Escobedo, Wade, Varela, & Wald, 2011). A social outcome goal in the setting of bicycle planning, may refer to favoring new bicycle infrastructure projects in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods, which is considered a vertical equity approach.…”