Greenery is widely recognized as a vital element to any public space. Plants and natural elements of all kinds can add immense benefits to urban areas, not only to the environment but to the humans who inhabit the space as well. Studies have shown that urban greening, specifically the planting of trees, can “combat challenges such as pollution, urban heat, and flooding, as well as to improve social cohesion, human health, and well-being.”1 The understanding and implementation of this information can lead cities, developers, and anyone with a stake in their community to consciously consider what elements they can incorporate into their own public spaces. The work does not end here though, greenery in public spaces requires maintenance and year-round management to make these efforts last long enough to see the benefits.
New York City, with a population of about 8.4 billion people and 300 square miles, is one of the largest urban spaces in the United States.2 In 1995, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation conducted a city wide census of all the trees. They again conducted this survey in 2005 and 2015 to tackle their goal of enhancing and restoring urban forests.3 The information this survey collected has been used to create an interactive map of tree species around New York City. The Parks department then uses this data to calculate the related impacts and needs associated with the trees and tree maintenance.4
While there is a large amount of data related to the tree census published, there is a gap in information on the relation between tree data to specific neighborhoods. Critically analyzing this tree data on a neighborhood level can lead to further community involvement within and stemming from neighborhoods themselves.5 Firsthand involvement can be used to develop connections between community members and foster ownership among members with the environment they inhabit.
This informs my research question:
What are the significant differences in tree characteristics across New York City neighborhoods?
Hypothesis
New York City itself is a diverse landscape with features both conducive and preventive to tree growth and sustainability. Neighborhoods across the city can see significant changes in income, traffic, infrastructure, natural resources such water or sunlight, and attitudes towards the environment.6 Tree size can relay information to researchers on the development and sustainability of their goal to promote urban greening.7 This information can then be used to inform and direct spending and efforts. While there exists a study by Jian Lin, Qiang Wang, and Xiaojiang Li regarding tree characteristics related to socioeconomic and spatial inequalities, my research aims to focus in tree characteristics to specific named neighborhoods.8 Rather than using socioeconomic elements, my research question is focused on smaller geographic areas where individuals can identify themselves as members on a more personal level than a borough.
With these factors, I can test the hypothesis’:
H1: There is a significant difference in tree diameter across New York City neighborhoods
H2: There is a significant difference in tree health across New York City neighborhoods
H3: There is a significant difference in tree species across New York City neighborhoods
Descriptive Statistics
Code
library(tidyverse)
-- Attaching packages --------------------------------------- tidyverse 1.3.2 --
v ggplot2 3.4.0 v purrr 0.3.5
v tibble 3.1.8 v dplyr 1.0.10
v tidyr 1.2.1 v stringr 1.5.0
v readr 2.1.3 v forcats 0.5.2
-- Conflicts ------------------------------------------ tidyverse_conflicts() --
x dplyr::filter() masks stats::filter()
x dplyr::lag() masks stats::lag()
This data set is obtained from the 2015 tree census through NYC Open Data provided by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.9
The information was collected by predominantly volunteers in addition to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation staff.
There are 45 variables and 16,383 observations.
Code
summary(treecensus)
tree_id block_id created_at
Min. : 306 Min. :100078 Min. :2015-05-19 00:00:00
1st Qu.:182110 1st Qu.:216192 1st Qu.:2015-08-28 00:00:00
Median :195703 Median :301941 Median :2015-09-01 00:00:00
Mean :189968 Mean :283657 Mean :2015-08-30 16:07:33
3rd Qu.:206443 3rd Qu.:345725 3rd Qu.:2015-09-06 00:00:00
Max. :276846 Max. :516315 Max. :2015-10-01 00:00:00
tree_dbh stump_diam curb_loc status
Min. : 0.00 Min. : 0.0000 Length:16383 Length:16383
1st Qu.: 4.00 1st Qu.: 0.0000 Class :character Class :character
Median : 9.00 Median : 0.0000 Mode :character Mode :character
Mean : 10.87 Mean : 0.5174
3rd Qu.: 15.00 3rd Qu.: 0.0000
Max. :425.00 Max. :140.0000
health spc_latin spc_common steward
Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383
Class :character Class :character Class :character Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character
guards sidewalk user_type problems
Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383
Class :character Class :character Class :character Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character
root_stone root_grate root_other trunk_wire
Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383
Class :character Class :character Class :character Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character
trnk_light trnk_other brch_light brch_shoe
Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383 Length:16383
Class :character Class :character Class :character Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character
brch_other address postcode zip_city
Length:16383 Length:16383 Min. : 83 Length:16383
Class :character Class :character 1st Qu.:10308 Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Median :11207 Mode :character
Mean :10858
3rd Qu.:11356
Max. :11697
community board borocode borough cncldist
Min. :101.0 Min. :1.00 Length:16383 Min. : 1.00
1st Qu.:212.0 1st Qu.:2.00 Class :character 1st Qu.:17.00
Median :315.0 Median :3.00 Mode :character Median :29.00
Mean :322.4 Mean :3.16 Mean :28.15
3rd Qu.:407.0 3rd Qu.:4.00 3rd Qu.:39.00
Max. :503.0 Max. :5.00 Max. :51.00
st_assem st_senate nta nta_name
Min. :23.00 Min. :10.00 Length:16383 Length:16383
1st Qu.:36.00 1st Qu.:15.00 Class :character Class :character
Median :52.00 Median :21.00 Mode :character Mode :character
Mean :51.51 Mean :21.06
3rd Qu.:65.00 3rd Qu.:26.00
Max. :87.00 Max. :36.00
boro_ct state latitude longitude
Min. :1000201 Length:16383 Min. :40.50 Min. :-74.25
1st Qu.:2044200 Class :character 1st Qu.:40.64 1st Qu.:-73.98
Median :3063800 Mode :character Median :40.72 Median :-73.95
Mean :3196724 Mean :40.71 Mean :-73.94
3rd Qu.:4071900 3rd Qu.:40.77 3rd Qu.:-73.89
Max. :5030302 Max. :40.91 Max. :-73.71
x_sp y_sp council district census tract
Min. : 914125 Min. :121318 Min. : 1.0 Min. : 1
1st Qu.: 990034 1st Qu.:171719 1st Qu.:18.0 1st Qu.: 159
Median : 998821 Median :200164 Median :29.0 Median : 393
Mean : 999537 Mean :196583 Mean :28.2 Mean : 8356
3rd Qu.:1015348 3rd Qu.:219429 3rd Qu.:39.0 3rd Qu.: 1113
Max. :1065861 Max. :269471 Max. :51.0 Max. :157901
NA's :169 NA's :169
bin bbl
Min. :1000000 Min. :1.000e+09
1st Qu.:2112823 1st Qu.:2.054e+09
Median :3255106 Median :3.067e+09
Mean :3272538 Mean :3.200e+09
3rd Qu.:4143916 3rd Qu.:4.041e+09
Max. :5166656 Max. :5.079e+09
NA's :267 NA's :267
tree_id - Unique identification number for each tree point.
tree_dbh - Diameter of the tree, measured at approximately 54” / 137cm above the ground. Data was collected for both living and dead trees; for stumps, use stump_diam
status - Indicates whether the tree is alive, standing dead, or a stump.
health - Indicates the user’s perception of tree health.
spc_latin - Scientific name for species, e.g. “Acer rubrum”
spc_common - Common name for species, e.g. “red maple”
postcode - Five-digit zipcode in which tree is located
zip_city - City as derived from zipcode. This is often (but not always) the same as borough.
borocode - Code for borough in which tree point is located: 1 (Manhattan), 2 (Bronx), 3 (Brooklyn), 4 (Queens), 5 (Staten Island)
borough - Name of borough in which tree point is located
nta - This is the NTA Code corresponding to the neighborhood tabulation area from the 2010 US Census that the tree point falls into.
nta_name - This is the NTA name corresponding to the neighborhood tabulation area from the 2010 US Census that the tree point falls into.
boro_ct - This is the boro_ct identifyer for the census tract that the tree point falls into.
`summarise()` has grouped output by 'status'. You can override using the
`.groups` argument.
# A tibble: 3 x 2
# Groups: status [1]
status health
<chr> <chr>
1 Alive Fair
2 Alive Good
3 Alive Poor
Now we return to the summary function to view the cleaned data frame.
Code
summary(treecensus_clean)
tree_id tree_dbh status health
Min. : 306 Min. : 0.00 Length:15442 Length:15442
1st Qu.:181321 1st Qu.: 5.00 Class :character Class :character
Median :195362 Median : 10.00 Mode :character Mode :character
Mean :189311 Mean : 11.38
3rd Qu.:206165 3rd Qu.: 16.00
Max. :227192 Max. :425.00
spc_latin spc_common postcode zip_city
Length:15442 Length:15442 Min. : 83 Length:15442
Class :character Class :character 1st Qu.:10308 Class :character
Mode :character Mode :character Median :11207 Mode :character
Mean :10855
3rd Qu.:11355
Max. :11697
borocode borough nta nta_name
Min. :1.00 Length:15442 Length:15442 Length:15442
1st Qu.:2.00 Class :character Class :character Class :character
Median :3.00 Mode :character Mode :character Mode :character
Mean :3.16
3rd Qu.:4.00
Max. :5.00
boro_ct
Min. :1000201
1st Qu.:2044200
Median :3063800
Mean :3196920
3rd Qu.:4072100
Max. :5030302
Cavender, N., & Donnelly, G. (2019). Intersecting Urban Forestry and botanical gardens to address big challenges for healthier trees, people, and cities. PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, 1(4), 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.38↩︎
U.S. Census Bureau . (n.d.). U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: New York City, New York. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/newyorkcitynewyork↩︎
Merriman, D. (2017) Volunteers count every street tree in New York City. US Forest Service. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/volunteers-count-every-street-tree-new-york-city-0↩︎
Cochran, C., & Greer, B. (2016, June 29). Treescount! 2015: NYC’s Third Street-Tree Census. New York State Urban Forestry Council. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://nysufc.org/treescount/2016/04/26/↩︎
Ma, Q., Lin, J., Ju, Y. et al. Individual structure mapping over six million trees for New York City USA. Sci Data 10, 102 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02000-w↩︎
Neckerman, K., Lovasi, G., Davies, S. et al. Disparities in Urban Neighborhood Conditions: Evidence from GIS Measures and Field Observation in New York City. Public Health Pol 30 (Suppl 1), S264–S285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2008.47↩︎
Colleen E. Reid, Laura D. Kubzansky, Jiayue Li, Jessie L. Shmool, Jane E. Clougherty. It’s not easy assessing greenness: A comparison of NDVI datasets and neighborhood types and their associations with self-rated health in New York City. Health & Place 54, 92-101 (2018).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.09.005.↩︎
Jian Lin, Qiang Wang, Xiaojiang Li. Socioeconomic and spatial inequalities of street tree abundance, species diversity, and size structure in New York City. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 206. 2021. 103992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103992.↩︎
---title: "Final Project Part 1"author: "Alexa Potter"description: "Proposal"date: "03/21/2023"format: html: toc: true code-fold: true code-copy: true code-tools: truecategories: - finalpart1 - nyctreecensus---# Research Question Greenery is widely recognized as a vital element to any public space. Plants and natural elements of all kinds can add immense benefits to urban areas, not only to the environment but to the humans who inhabit the space as well. Studies have shown that urban greening, specifically the planting of trees, can "combat challenges such as pollution, urban heat, and flooding, as well as to improve social cohesion, human health, and well-being."^[Cavender, N., & Donnelly, G. (2019). Intersecting Urban Forestry and botanical gardens to address big challenges for healthier trees, people, and cities. *PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, 1*(4), 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.38] The understanding and implementation of this information can lead cities, developers, and anyone with a stake in their community to consciously consider what elements they can incorporate into their own public spaces. The work does not end here though, greenery in public spaces requires maintenance and year-round management to make these efforts last long enough to see the benefits.New York City, with a population of about 8.4 billion people and 300 square miles, is one of the largest urban spaces in the United States.^[U.S. Census Bureau . (n.d.). *U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: New York City, New York*. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/newyorkcitynewyork] In 1995, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation conducted a city wide census of all the trees. They again conducted this survey in 2005 and 2015 to tackle their goal of enhancing and restoring urban forests.^[Merriman, D. (2017) *Volunteers count every street tree in New York City*. US Forest Service. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/volunteers-count-every-street-tree-new-york-city-0] The information this survey collected has been used to create an interactive map of tree species around New York City. The Parks department then uses this data to calculate the related impacts and needs associated with the trees and tree maintenance.^[Cochran, C., & Greer, B. (2016, June 29). *Treescount! 2015: NYC's Third Street-Tree Census*. New York State Urban Forestry Council. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://nysufc.org/treescount/2016/04/26/]While there is a large amount of data related to the tree census published, there is a gap in information on the relation between tree data to specific neighborhoods. Critically analyzing this tree data on a neighborhood level can lead to further community involvement within and stemming from neighborhoods themselves.^[Ma, Q., Lin, J., Ju, Y. et al. Individual structure mapping over six million trees for New York City USA. *Sci Data 10*, 102 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02000-w] Firsthand involvement can be used to develop connections between community members and foster ownership among members with the environment they inhabit. This informs my research question: #### What are the significant differences in tree characteristics across New York City neighborhoods? # Hypothesis New York City itself is a diverse landscape with features both conducive and preventive to tree growth and sustainability. Neighborhoods across the city can see significant changes in income, traffic, infrastructure, natural resources such water or sunlight, and attitudes towards the environment.^[Neckerman, K., Lovasi, G., Davies, S. et al. Disparities in Urban Neighborhood Conditions: Evidence from GIS Measures and Field Observation in New York City. *Public Health Pol 30* (Suppl 1), S264–S285 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1057/jphp.2008.47] Tree size can relay information to researchers on the development and sustainability of their goal to promote urban greening.^[Colleen E. Reid, Laura D. Kubzansky, Jiayue Li, Jessie L. Shmool, Jane E. Clougherty. It's not easy assessing greenness: A comparison of NDVI datasets and neighborhood types and their associations with self-rated health in New York City. *Health & Place 54*, 92-101 (2018).https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.09.005.] This information can then be used to inform and direct spending and efforts. While there exists a study by Jian Lin, Qiang Wang, and Xiaojiang Li regarding tree characteristics related to socioeconomic and spatial inequalities, my research aims to focus in tree characteristics to specific named neighborhoods.^[Jian Lin, Qiang Wang, Xiaojiang Li. Socioeconomic and spatial inequalities of street tree abundance, species diversity, and size structure in New York City. Landscape and Urban Planning, Volume 206. 2021. 103992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103992.] Rather than using socioeconomic elements, my research question is focused on smaller geographic areas where individuals can identify themselves as members on a more personal level than a borough.With these factors, I can test the hypothesis': H1: There is a significant difference in tree diameter across New York City neighborhoods H2: There is a significant difference in tree health across New York City neighborhoods H3: There is a significant difference in tree species across New York City neighborhoods # Descriptive Statistics ```{r}library(tidyverse)library(ggplot2)library(formattable)library(dbplyr)library(summarytools)``````{r}library(readxl)treecensus <-read_excel("C:/Users/aep05/Documents/UMASS_GRAD_SCHOOL/DACSS 603/603_Spring_2023/posts/finalproject/2015_Street_Tree_Census.xls")print(treecensus)```This data set is obtained from the 2015 tree census through NYC Open Data provided by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.^[https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Environment/2015-Street-Tree-Census-Tree-Data/uvpi-gqnh]The information was collected by predominantly volunteers in addition to the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation staff. There are 45 variables and 16,383 observations. ```{r}summary(treecensus)```Full list of variables:```{r}colnames(treecensus)```The columns I am interested in are:tree_id - Unique identification number for each tree point. tree_dbh - Diameter of the tree, measured at approximately 54" / 137cm above the ground. Data was collected for both living and dead trees; for stumps, use stump_diam status - Indicates whether the tree is alive, standing dead, or a stump. health - Indicates the user's perception of tree health. spc_latin - Scientific name for species, e.g. "Acer rubrum" spc_common - Common name for species, e.g. "red maple" postcode - Five-digit zipcode in which tree is located zip_city - City as derived from zipcode. This is often (but not always) the same as borough. borocode - Code for borough in which tree point is located: 1 (Manhattan), 2 (Bronx), 3 (Brooklyn), 4 (Queens), 5 (Staten Island) borough - Name of borough in which tree point is located nta - This is the NTA Code corresponding to the neighborhood tabulation area from the 2010 US Census that the tree point falls into. nta_name - This is the NTA name corresponding to the neighborhood tabulation area from the 2010 US Census that the tree point falls into. boro_ct - This is the boro_ct identifyer for the census tract that the tree point falls into. ```{r}treecensus_clean <-select(treecensus, tree_id, tree_dbh, status, health, spc_latin, spc_common, postcode, zip_city, borocode, borough, nta, nta_name, boro_ct, )``````{r}group_by(treecensus_clean, status, health)%>%summarize()```Because I am only interested in trees with the status "Alive", I'll also need to clean the data set to exclude trees labeled as "Dead" or "Stump". ```{r}treecensus_clean <- treecensus_clean[treecensus_clean$status !="Dead"& treecensus_clean$status !="Stump",]group_by(treecensus_clean, status, health)%>%summarize()```Now we return to the summary function to view the cleaned data frame. ```{r}summary(treecensus_clean)``````{r}dfSummary(treecensus_clean)```