Article Reference: Green Plants for Green Buildings

Submitted for the 2002 People/Plant Symposium

Amsterdam, Netherlands

By Kathleen L. Wolf, Ph.D.

Center for Urban Horticulture

University of Washington

Abstract (continued from 10/13/08)

One vein of benefits research focuses on environmental improvements and enhancement such as surface water management and air quality (McPherson 1995). In addition, passive and active encounters with nature or natural elements in cities generate psychosocial benefits. Scientific evidence confirms that experiences of nature are associated with enhanced worker productivity (Kaplan 1992), traffic stress reduction (Parsons et al. 1998), emotional stress mitigation (Ulrich 1986) and restoration of cognitive capacities needed for basic functioning and productivity (Kaplan and Kaplan 1989).

Emerging understanding of urban nature benefits yields insight on green vegetation, plants and retail. Economists typically regard direct consumption of goods to be the primary motivations of shoppers. Optimal consumer habitat has opportunities for experiential consumption of a setting, in addition to goods purchases.

Retailers have long understood the importance of store environment in enhancing the shopping experience. Marketers have studied the situational influences of product packaging and store layout on the behavior of shoppers (Engel et al. 1990). While business people are keenly interested in the presentation of their product and store they often overlook "macro" level settings - the district that surrounds their shop or office. Mattila and Wirtz (2002) extend the notion of Gestalt to consumers' perceptions of retail environments and demonstrated that consumers perceive service-scapes holistically. The outdoor landscape can be a seamless extension of shop interiors, providing indoor/outdoor continuity for a positive shopping experience.

Urban forestry can play an important role in business districts. Interior plants and landscape may create store interiors more favorable for retail activity. Meanwhile the streetscape provides connectivity within a retail habitat, providing the experiential setting that generates initial customer appeal in the pedestrian-oriented shopping zone. Yet some merchants and business associations are reluctant to invest in green improvements, as they are uncertain about what level of return will ensue from the commitment of fiscal resources. Urban nature is deemed a public good by economists. Easily observed measures of value, such as those expressed through market pricing dynamics, do not exist for such public goods (Prato 1998). Exclusive ownership and use is rare making active sales and purchase of the commodity difficult. Indirect valuation approaches, such as hedonic pricing or contingent valuation, can be employed to assess public and individual value for the presence or absence of plants in urban settings.

The evidence of tree-based environmental or psychosocial benefits in cities, while contributing to urban sustainability, may not be salient to the direct fiscal interests of merchants and retail associations. Improvements needs are many - building upgrades, street and sidewalk improvements, sanitation, security – and place extreme demands on limited fiscal resources. The role of the urban forest as human habitat and urban sustainability is complex yet can be investigated empirically, providing the evidence for informed public decision-making that optimizes returns from green investment.