Fast Fact Library

Filters

A study of the 30 largest metropolitan areas in the United States found that walkable urban places (places developed for walkability and without prioritizing automobiles), perform better economically than sprawling...

Hadden Loh, Tracy, Christopher B. Leinberger, and Jordan Chafetz. Foot Traffic Ahead. New York: Smart Growth America and the George Washington University School of Business, 2019. https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/foot-traffic-ahead-2019/?download=yes&key=46188795

Coastal wetlands provide significant cost avoidance during extreme storm events. A regional study across 12 affected states showed that during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, wetlands avoided $625 million in direct flood...

Narayan, Siddharth, Michael W. Beck, Paul Wilson, Christopher J. Thomas, Alexandra Guerrero, Christine C. Shepard, Borja G. Reguero, Guillermo Franco, Jane Carter Ingram, and Dania Trespalacios. “The value of coastal wetlands for flood damage reduction in the northeastern USA.” Scientific reports 7, no. 1 (2017): 9463. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-09269-z

Protecting undeveloped land within floodplains significantly reduces property damage caused by flooding events, as shown by an eleven-year nationwide study of 450 communities. Communities protecting open space under...

Brody, Samuel D., and Wesley E. Highfield. (2013). Open space protection and flood mitigation: A national study. Land Use Policy, 32, 89-95.

The first protected bike lane in the US, on 8th and 9th Avenues in Manhattan, led to a 49% increase in retail sales from locally-based businesses along the route, compared to a 3% increase borough-wide.

New York City Department of Transportation. (2012) “Measuring the Street: New Metrics for 21st Century Streets.”

A study of houses in Portland, Oregon found that on average, street trees add 3% to sales price and reduce time-on-market (TOM) by 1.7 days. In addition, the study found that the benefits of street trees spill over...

Donovan, Geoffrey H., and David T. Butry. (2010). Trees in the city: Valuing street trees in Portland, Oregon. Landscape and Urban Planning, 94(2), 77-83.

Economic activity associated with Manhattan's Central Park -- including tax revenues from visitor spending, park operations and increased real estate values -- generated about $656 million in New York City tax...

Appleseed Inc. (2009). Valuing Central Park’s Contribution to New York’s Economy.

Coastal wetlands reduce the damaging effects of hurricanes on coastal communities. Coastal wetlands in the United States are estimated to provide $23.2 billion a year in storm protection services. A loss of 1...

Costanza, Robert, Octavio Pérez-Maqueo, M. Luisa Martinez, Paul Sutton, Sharolyn J. Anderson, and Kenneth Mulder. (2008). The value of coastal wetlands for hurricane protection. AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 37(4), 241-248.

Surveys in cities across the U.S. indicate that consumers are willing to spend 9% to 12% more for goods and services in central business districts with high quality tree canopy.

Wolf, Kathleen L. (2005). Business district streetscapes, trees, and consumer response. Journal of Forestry 103(8): 396-400.

Office workers with views of nature report greater job satisfaction than those with no views or views without nature.

Kaplan, Rachel. (2003). The Role of Nature in the Context of the Workplace. Landscape and Urban Planning, 26(1), 193-201.

In a nationwide survey, residents of revitalizing neighborhood business districts indicated that they would be willing to travel farther, visit more often, stay longer, and pay more for parking when visiting retail...

Wolf, Kathleen L. (2003). Public response to the urban forest in inner-city business districts. Journal of Arboriculture, 29(3), 117-126.

Fast Fact Library

Filter Fast Fact Library