Uyo Nakano
Research Mentor: Chang Wang
Mentor Department: Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise, Business
Author(s): Not Available
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 123
Abstract
Urban forests affect their surrounding areas in various ways, ranging from the environmental benefits to economic vitality of their neighborhood. As urbanization expands on a larger scale, trees and green spaces become increasingly important for urban planning. This project focuses on economical benefit by evaluating the economic value of urban forests. These can be examined through property value enhancement, energy efficiency from natural cooling and windbreak effects, reduction in healthcare cost from improved air quality and public health, and the extent to which the green spaces and trees mitigate the damage of natural disasters. To assess these impacts, we observed yearly as well as a decadal subsidy from the government to counties that experienced disaster—specifically wind, fire, and biologically related disasters—and it was visualized with a map with hot zones depending on the amount of subsidy granted. By comparing these hot zones of subsidy with urban forests, the study assesses how much of the damage caused by the listed natural disasters is reduced due to the biodiversity. Consequently, reduced damage directly contributes to an increase in the value of urban forests. Implications of damage reduction from urban forests suggest its significance in urban planning and policy. With a comprehensive evaluation of green space, cost-efficient investment in it maximizes environmental and economic returns.
