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. 2020 Jun 18;17(12):4371.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124371.

Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review

Kathleen L Wolf  1 , Sharon T Lam  2 , Jennifer K McKeen  3 , Gregory R A Richardson  4 , Matilda van den Bosch  5   6 , Adrina C Bardekjian  7
Affiliations

Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review

Kathleen L Wolf et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

The urban forest is a green infrastructure system that delivers multiple environmental, economic, social and health services, and functions in cities. Environmental benefits of urban trees are well understood, but no review to date has examined how urban trees affect human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the health impacts of urban trees that can inform future research, policy, and nature-based public health interventions. A systematic search used keywords representing human health, environmental health, and urban forestry. Following screening and appraisal of several thousand articles, 201 studies were conceptually sorted into a three-part framework. Reducing Harm, representing 41% of studies, includes topics such as air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, heat exposure, and pollen. Restoring Capacities, at 31%, includes attention restoration, mental health, stress reduction, and clinical outcomes. Building Capacities, at 28%, includes topics such as birth outcomes, active living, and weight status. The studies that were reviewed show substantial heterogeneity in purpose and method yet indicate important health outcomes associated with people's exposure to trees. This review will help inform future research and practice, and demonstrates why urban forest planning and management should strategically promote trees as a social determinant of public health.

Keywords: ecosystem services; green infrastructure; greenspace; health promotion; public health; social determinant; urban forest; urban greening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the review; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of review materials; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Search and inclusion process for a scoping review of urban trees and human health.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Scoping review of city trees and human health—synthesis of 201 studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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