A tree-planting decision support tool for urban heat mitigation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Public Health

Background:

• Urban heat island (UHI) effect exacerbates heat-related health risks in cities.
• Urban trees offer cooling and energy-saving co-benefits but face challenges in expansion due to maintenance and mortality.
• Effective urban forest expansion requires informed decision-making to maximize mitigation potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Right Place, Right Tree-Boston interactive web application for informed tree planting decisions.
• To identify priority areas for urban canopy expansion using a Boston-specific Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) and land surface temperature data.
• To provide comprehensive resources supporting urban forest management and resilience.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Boston-specific Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI).
• Integration of HVI data with maps of summer daytime land surface temperatures.
• Inclusion of data on tree pests, diseases, species suitability, land ownership, and maintenance.

Main Results:

• Identification of priority regions for urban tree planting based on heat vulnerability and temperature data.
• The Right Place, Right Tree-Boston application offers a centralized platform for diverse urban forestry information.
• The tool supports decision-making for city officials and residents at multiple spatial scales.

Conclusions:

• Strategic tree planting, guided by tools like Right Place, Right Tree-Boston, is crucial for mitigating urban heat and enhancing public health.
• Addressing tree maintenance and mortality is key to successful urban canopy expansion.
• The application empowers stakeholders to make data-driven decisions for a more resilient urban forest.