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Linking Urban Tree Cover Change and Local History in a Post-Industrial City

Author

Listed:
  • Lara A. Roman

    (Philadelphia Field Station, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA)

  • Indigo J. Catton

    (Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 251 Hayden Hall, 240 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA)

  • Eric J. Greenfield

    (Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, 5 Moon Library, SUNY-ESF, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA)

  • Hamil Pearsall

    (Geography and Urban Studies Department, Temple University, 308 Gladfelter Hall, 1115 W. Berks St., Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA)

  • Theodore S. Eisenman

    (Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts–Amherst, 551 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA)

  • Jason G. Henning

    (Philadelphia Field Station, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
    The Davey Institute, 100 N. 20th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA)

Abstract

Municipal leaders are pursuing ambitious goals to increase urban tree canopy (UTC), but there is little understanding of the pace and socioecological drivers of UTC change. We analyzed land cover change in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) from 1970–2010 to examine the impacts of post-industrial processes on UTC. We interpreted land cover classes using aerial imagery and assessed historical context using archival newspapers, agency reports, and local historical scholarship. There was a citywide UTC increase of +4.3 percentage points. Substantial UTC gains occurred in protected open spaces related to both purposeful planting and unintentional forest emergence due to lack of maintenance, with the latter phenomenon well-documented in other cities located in forested biomes. Compared to developed lands, UTC was more persistent in protected open spaces. Some neighborhoods experienced substantial UTC gains, including quasi-suburban areas and depopulated low-income communities; the latter also experienced decreasing building cover. We identified key processes that drove UTC increases, and which imposed legacies on current UTC patterns: urban renewal, urban greening initiatives, quasi-suburban developments, and (dis)investments in parks. Our study demonstrates the socioecological dynamism of intra-city land cover changes at multi-decadal time scales and the crucial role of local historical context in the interpretation of UTC change.

Suggested Citation

  • Lara A. Roman & Indigo J. Catton & Eric J. Greenfield & Hamil Pearsall & Theodore S. Eisenman & Jason G. Henning, 2021. "Linking Urban Tree Cover Change and Local History in a Post-Industrial City," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-30, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:4:p:403-:d:534468
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lamthai Asanok & Torlarp Kamyo & Monthon Norsaengsri & Teeka Yotapakdee & Suwit Navakam, 2021. "Assessment of the Diversity of Large Tree Species in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas along the Chao Phraya River Rim, Central Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Xian Ji & Furui Shang & Chang Liu & Qinggong Kang & Rui Wang & Chenxi Dou, 2024. "Prioritizing Environmental Attributes to Enhance Residents’ Satisfaction in Post-Industrial Neighborhoods: An Application of Machine Learning-Augmented Asymmetric Impact-Performance Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-26, May.

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