Urban forest inequity, also known as shade inequity or tree canopy inequity,[1] is the inequitable distribution of trees, with their associated benefits, across metropolitan areas.[2] This phenomenon has a number of follow-on effects, including but not limited to measurable impacts on faunal biodiversity and the urban heat island effect.[3][4] Urban heat inequity occurs when intra-urban heat islands, with their associated negative physical and emotional health consequences, are more common and more intense in lower-income communities.[5][6]
Potential solutions to urban forest inequity include but are not limited to investment in marginalized communities, tree-planting initiatives, and more.[7] Examples of urban forest inequity can be seen in various cities across the world.[1][8][9][10][11]
^Wu, Jiayu; He, Qingsong; Chen, Yunwen; Lin, Jian; Wang, Shantong (May 2020). "Dismantling the fence for social justice? Evidence based on the inequity of urban green space accessibility in the central urban area of Beijing". Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science. 47 (4): 626–644. doi:10.1177/2399808318793139.
^Fernández-Álvarez, Rafael (2017). "Inequitable distribution of green public space in Mexico City: an environmental injustice case". Economía, sociedad y territorio. 17 (54): 399–428. doi:10.22136/est002017697.