The trouble with trees? Social and political dynamics of street tree-planting efforts in Detroit, Michigan, USA

Abstract

In Detroit, Michigan, a non-profit organization responsible for planting street trees on city-owned property in neighborhoods received “no-tree requests” (NTR) from 24 percent of residents approached between 2011 and 2014. This example reflects a barrier to urban tree canopy improvement. Power dynamics between stakeholders can be a key reason for resistance to tree-planting. In this study, we sought a deeper understanding of perspectives on the uses and consequences of power in a street-tree planting program in Detroit, Michigan by answering three questions: Who wins? Who loses? Who decides? Interviews with city residents who submitted NTR or received trees, as well as those within the non-profit organization, provided data for this study. Results showed that the non-profit organization made decisions regarding which trees to plant in particular locations, and maintenance protocols. Many residents felt they “lost” with the tree-planting program (i.e. they were unable to have their values integrated into the tree-planting program) due to lack of decision-making involvement about tree species selection and maintenance responsibilities. Negative experiences with trees, particularly lack of city tree maintenance, contributed to residents’ views of the problems with the tree-planting program. Those within the non-profit organization focused on educating residents about the benefits of trees to increase acceptance of tree-planting, and expected residents to participate in tree maintenance. These findings demonstrate the importance of providing information relevant to participants who serve as partners in long term stewardship of trees, and the need to include residents in decision-making to identify and achieve shared goals.