Exploring links between resident satisfaction and participation in an urban tree planting initiative

Abstract

Street-facing trees have been cited as providing a vast range of environmental benefits and also a contributing factor to community livability and quality of life. One measure of well-being that speaks directly to the livability of a city is residential satisfaction, which is represented by the social and physical environments of the particular places in which people live. Resident satisfaction can also demonstrate the degree of “fit” between one's ideal vision of a neighborhood and the actual, existing circumstances. Dimensions of resident satisfaction are less commonly studied as a variable to predict behavioral intentions or actions, and this study begins to fill that research gap by assessing resident willingness to participate in environmental restoration programs based on the streets where they live. Given the increased reliance on local residents as key actors to urban tree planting and management, this study was designed to understand the role of street-facing trees to different dimensions of resident satisfaction. We also assess the degree to which objective and subjective attributes of street trees influence resident satisfaction and explore the extent to which resident satisfaction can predict interest in a local urban tree planting initiative. Results indicate the unique role of urban trees to satisfaction and that subjectively held attitudes toward trees are important considerations when administering tree planting programs. This study also reinforces that urban tree planning and planting is a negotiation of priorities and visions between different stakeholder groups.