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Planting urban trees to improve quality of life? The life satisfaction impacts of urban afforestation

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  • Jones, Benjamin A.

Abstract

As cities around the world undertake large-scale urban afforestation projects, knowledge gaps continue to exist regarding their impacts on quality of life. Using individual-level life satisfaction (LS) data from the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System over 2005–2010, this paper investigates the subjective well-being impacts of the MillionTreesNYC afforestation program in New York City. Using a difference-in-differences approach, I find that LS is higher by 0.018 points on a 4-point scale during the first 3-years of the program. Consistent with a causal story, impacts are growing in magnitude as more trees are planted and I show no impacts during the months when deciduous trees have no foliage. Between 2007 and 2010, MillionTreesNYC generated an externality equivalent to a $505 (6.5%) increase in average per capita monthly household income. Several robustness checks and falsification tests are performed. This work has important implications for global urban afforestation policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Jones, Benjamin A., 2021. "Planting urban trees to improve quality of life? The life satisfaction impacts of urban afforestation," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:forpol:v:125:y:2021:i:c:s1389934121000149
    DOI: 10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102408
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    Cited by:

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    2. Chizhi Ma & Weiming Song & Chang Xu, 2023. "Factors Influencing Resident Satisfaction with Afforestation in the Plains: Beijing as a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-12, April.
    3. Jones, Benjamin A., 2023. "Dust storms and human well-being," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    4. Lung-Yin Lin & Yu-Shing Chang, 2023. "Can Potted Plants Catch Mosquitoes? Applying Rare-Earth Luminescent Materials and Plant Energy to the Development of Innovative Mosquito-Trapping Potted Plants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-15, February.
    5. Chuan Li & Liangrong Song, 2022. "Regional Differences and Spatial Convergence of Green Development in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-16, July.
    6. Abbate, Simona & Di Paolo, Luca & Carapellucci, Roberto & Cipollone, Roberto, 2021. "Carbon uptake dynamics associated to the management of unused lands for urban CO2 planning," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 946-959.
    7. Alessio Russo & Wing Tung Chan & Giuseppe T. Cirella, 2021. "Estimating Air Pollution Removal and Monetary Value for Urban Green Infrastructure Strategies Using Web-Based Applications," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Urban afforestation; Subjective well-being; Life satisfaction; Externalities; Environmental quality;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry
    • Q51 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Valuation of Environmental Effects
    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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