Price, C., 2003, Quantifying the aesthetic benefits of urban forestry, in: Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, ,
- Author : Price, C.
- Year : 2003
- Journal/Series : Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
- Pages : 123-133
- Contents in English : (This paper shows the problems of the aesthetic values of urban trees). All the usual methods for valuing non-market benefits and costs may be applied to the aesthetic values of urban trees. However, evaluation has most usually been undertaken by one of two apparently dissimilar methods. In this paper eight methods for a money value to non-market benefits and costs are mentioned. This paper reviewed the application of such valuation methods to the aesthetic benefits of urban and peri-urban trees and woods, giving brief and indicative examples of six approaches. It examines two further apparently contrasting approaches, “Expert” evaluation (see gloss.) and hedonic pricing (see gloss.). Some problems of those methods are indicated. “Whatever their claims, and despite differences of origin and approach, “expert” and “hedonic” approaches evidently have similar features. Both rely on speculative choice of variables, assumptions about arithmetic (see gloss.) form and interaction of variables, and on suppressed subjective judgements. If so much subjectivity is inherent in assessment, even by these quantitative methods, then there is merit in being open about it, and using a method which seeks to quantify directly the attribute which is ultimately of interest – the contribution which trees make to aesthetic value. Such a method is holistic not only in integrating a tree’s own attributes as evaluated by expert methods, but also in assessing how trees affect a particular context (presence of other trees, suitability to site).
- Comments/Notes : KEYWORDS: non-market benefits, expert methods, hedonic pricing, trees.