Objective evaluation and ripple effect of green value

―Based on examples of i-Tree use in Western countries―

Abstract

i-Tree is a set of computer programs for analyzing the structure of urban forests and the ecosystem services provided by them. Since its first release in 2006, i-Tree has been utilized around the world, mainly in Western countries. In this paper, based on actual examples in Western countries where the usage of i-Tree precedes, cases of quantitative and objective assessment of green are introduced. How these evaluations affected the practices such as maintenance and management of urban forests, planning, policy making, return-on-investment analysis, citizen's enlightenment and participation, and environmental education are also discussed.