A Scoping Review of Urban Planning Decision Support Tools and Processes That Account for the Health, Environment, and Economic Benefits of Trees and Greenspace

Yonatal Tefera; Veronica Soebarto; Courtney Bishop; John Kandulu; Carmel Williams

doi:10.3390/ijerph21010048

A Scoping Review of Urban Planning Decision Support Tools and Processes That Account for the Health, Environment, and Economic Benefits of Trees and Greenspace

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Dec 28;21(1):48. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21010048.

Authors

Yonatal Tefera^{1

2}, Veronica Soebarto³, Courtney Bishop¹, John Kandulu⁴, Carmel Williams^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
² Centre for Health in All Policies Research Translation, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
³ School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, The University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
⁴ School of Economics and Public Policy, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.

Abstract

Compelling evidence shows that trees and greenspaces positively impact human well-being and the environment and offer economic benefits. Nevertheless, there exists a knowledge gap regarding the extent to which this evidence is efficiently incorporated into existing urban planning decision-making processes. This scoping review identified the extent to which urban planning decision-making frameworks, models, and tools consider the health, environmental, and economic benefits of trees and greenspace. Out of 28 reviewed studies, 11 (39%) reported on frameworks, models, and tools that take into account the health, environmental, and economic dimensions of trees and greenspace. Additionally, seven studies provided comprehensive coverage of at least one of the three key dimensions. However, none of the decision support frameworks, models, or tools comprehensively integrated all three dimensions, with only two tools (7%) scoring above 50% (five or more out of nine) in terms of comprehensiveness. This review highlights the urgent need to incorporate the true economic and monetary values of the health and environmental benefits of trees and greenspace to inform urban development decision making.

Keywords: cost–benefit analysis; decision support tools; economics of trees and greenspace; environmental cost; health cost; urban planning.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

City Planning*
Humans
Knowledge
Parks, Recreational
Trees*
Urban Renewal

Grants and funding

NA/Environment Institute, The University of Adelaide