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Lidman, Ashley

Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources

2008

M.S.

Urban vegetation provides numerous ecological, social, and economic benefits and is recognized as a critical feature in cities and residential settings. While urban vegetation cover on public lands has been studied extensively, residential vegetation cover and management practices are tss well understood. Yet, in cities residential lands often account for the greatest percentage of tree cover of all types of land use. This research aims to improve our understanding of residential vegetation management practices and their association with neighborhood satisfaction and crime. Specifically, we address the following topics: The relative importance of vegetation cover, vegetation management, and environmental satisfaction as predictors of neighborhood satisfaction Environmental satisfaction and vegetation cover at the neighborhood scale were found to be significant predictors of neighborhood satisfaction. While tree and shrub cover was found to impact neighborhood satisfaction, the extent of lawn and herbaceous cover was found to have a greater influence. This is consistent with previous research findings relating to the social significance of lawns, but our study suggests that the magnitude of the effects of grass and herbaceous cover on neighborhood satisfaction may be greater than previously thought. Vegetation structure, symbolism, and crime. We found that indicators of yard management such as evidence of tree pruning and mulch around shrubs were correlated with lower levels of crime, whereas indicators that suggest lack of care such as the presence of bare or desiccated lawn patches and litter were associated with higher crime rates. While vegetation management practices that preserve visibility were found to be an important factor in predicting neighborhood crime rates, indicators of care and management we found to be more influential In addition, private yard trees were found to be more closely associated with crime rates than public street trees. Field notes and findings from the 2007 Greater Baltimore Residential Land Management Survey. The general findings from the survey as well as my field observations provide a framework for beginning to think about patterns of management of front lawns in Baltimore. In some cases, I provide hypotheses as to why vegetation management trends occur and recommendations for planners, designers, and homeowners based on my observations.