Satisfaction with urban trees associates with tree canopy cover and tree visibility around the home

Many world cities want to expand the number of urban trees, but expansion should consider how people experience and perceive trees. This research examined whether residents’ satisfaction with urban trees and with their management relates to objective greenness measures: NDVI, percent tree canopy cover, and the eye-level Viewshed Greenness Visibility Index (VGVI) for trees. Using a demographically and geographically representative survey of 223 Toronto residents, greenness was calculated at 100 m, 300 m, and 500 m around respondents’ postal codes and analyzed with generalized linear regression controlling for cognitive, social-ecological, and demographic factors. Canopy cover and VGVI were positively associated with satisfaction with urban trees, with comparatively stronger associations at larger neighborhood scales. There were no statistically significant associations with NDVI or with satisfaction regarding the management of urban trees.

Camilo Ordóñez, S. M. Labib, Lincoln Chung, Tenley M. Conway