Reducing heat-health risk using community-based urban forestry in Los Angeles, CA

Keywords: urban forestry, urban cooling, extreme heat, heat mitigation, urban sustainability, community-based social marketing, behavior change
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

Heat exposure poses health risks that heavily burden disadvantaged communities — a problem that will increase with climate change. Trees protect against heat, but significant barriers to growing robust urban forests exist. In drier climates complex logistics of watering during a multi-year establishment period pose a challenge because street trees are typically unirrigated and funding for maintenance is scarce. This study investigated the potential of fostering street tree stewardship and individual-level heat mitigation actions in 106 households in San Fernando (Los Angeles County, California, USA). We tested whether a Community-Based Social Marketing approach could shift beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors related to tree stewardship and heat-risk perception. We tested intervention messages focused on either public health, environmental health, or generic messaging, and also segmented participants by the degree of household engagement with the local tree planting group. We measured soil moisture, tree health, and survey responses to gauge changes in tree- and heat-related indicators. Results indicate that the messaging conditions had a limited effect, and that both stewardship level and heat-protective action were correlated with level of engagement by the tree planting organization. Results suggest that engagement around tree stewardship can serve as an effective portal to improved individual-level heat protection.