Co-creating Just, Green Cities: Beyond Metrics, Towards Community Empowerment

Seminar Abstract

This seminar delves into the pressing need for equity in urban greening across Canada and around the world, moving beyond traditional metrics like the Tree Equity Score to address systemic challenges and empower communities. While metrics are valuable for identifying disparities in canopy cover and vulnerability to climate change, they must be complemented by deeper engagement with local contexts and lived experiences.

The Urban Natures Lab, led by Lorien Nesbitt, is currently focused on understanding and enhancing recognitional justice in urban greening, valuing the diverse experiences and contributions of under-resourced and vulnerable communities. This seminar showcases the results of participatory methods, such as photovoice and walking interviews, that amplify underrepresented voices and foster the co-creation of equitable solutions for green, healthy cities. By building networks of care through community engagement, co-creative workshops, and grassroots collaboration, the research bridges policy and practice to align urban greening with broader social and ecological needs. The presentation calls for reimagining urban forests as spaces of care, resilience, and justice, centering humility, inclusivity, and co-learning.

Speaker

Dr. Lorien Nesbitt is an Assistant Professor of Urban Forestry and Environmental Justice in the Department of Forest Resources Management at the University of British Columbia. An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Nesbitt has collaborated with communities and organizations across the globe to co-create more livable, sustainable, and equitable cities. At UBC, Dr. Nesbitt leads the Urban Natures Lab, which focuses on advancing environmental justice through urban greening and planning. The lab’s research addresses key topics such as green gentrification, recognition justice in urban forest stewardship, and supporting planetary health in the face of the climate crisis. Their work is highly collaborative, regularly partnering with cities, regional governments, and community-based organizations to co-create impactful, transdisciplinary research.

Dr. Nesbitt has a strong record of scholarly leadership. She currently co-leads the HEAL Research Excellence Cluster at UBC and is a core member of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice. She also serves on the Steering Committee of the ECCC initiative to build a Pan-Canadian, Interdisciplinary Urban Research Network and on the editorial boards of Urban Forestry & Urban Greening and Frontiers in Sustainable Cities.