Urban Residents’ Perceptions of Urban Trees and Participation in Tree Planting Activities in a Rapidly Urbanising Neighbourhood of Accra, Ghana

Urban trees are widely recognised as integral components of urban green infrastructure, providing a range of ecosystem services that contribute to environmental quality, human well-being, and urban livability. These services include microclimate regulation, air quality improvement, biodiversity support, stormwater mitigation, and a variety of social and psychological benefits for urban residents (Roy et al. 2012; Nowak et al. 2013; Song et al. 2018; Keeler et al. 2019; Turner-Skoff and Cavender 2019; Puplampu and Boafo 2021). As cities continue to expand and densify, the capacity of urban trees to moderate environmental stressors such as heat and air pollution becomes increasingly important, particularly in neighbourhoods characterised by high population density and limited access to green space.

Despite their multifunctional value, urban trees are frequently exposed to pressures arising from urban development, infrastructure expansion, and weak or fragmented governance arrangements (Konijnendijk van den Bosch 2016; Cobbinah et al. 2023; Lüttge and Buckeridge 2023). Tree loss and degradation are often associated with competing land uses, limited enforcement of planning regulations, and unclear institutional responsibilities (Dobbs et al. 2011; Conway and Bang 2014). These challenges are especially pronounced in rapidly urbanising cities of the Global South, where population growth and informal development often outpace the capacity of urban planning and environmental management systems (Nagendra et al. 2018). In such contexts, sustaining urban tree cover extends beyond technical considerations of planting and maintenance and increasingly depends on social, institutional, and governance processes.

Beyond these structural and governance challenges, the ways in which residents perceive urban trees also play a critical role in determining their long-term conservation and management. Research has consistently shown that public perceptions influence how urban trees are valued, managed, and supported (Camacho-Cervantes et al. 2014; Fernandes et al. 2019; Barona et al. 2022). Perceived benefits shape residents’ everyday interactions with trees, their acceptance of management interventions, and their support for urban greening policies (Lohr et al. 2004; Tyrväinen et al. 2005; Schneider et al. 2024). However, recognition of benefits does not necessarily translate into active engagement. Several studies have documented a gap between positive attitudes toward urban trees and actual participation in planting, maintenance, or stewardship activities (Conway 2016). This suggests that the relationship between valuation and behaviour is mediated by additional factors, particularly in dense urban environments where residents face spatial constraints, time limitations, and competing livelihood demands.

Understanding why positive perceptions do not always translate into action requires attention to the governance context within which urban tree management occurs. Urban tree management typically involves multiple actors operating across different scales, including municipal authorities, planning agencies, community organisations, and individual residents. The effectiveness of these arrangements depends not only on formal policies and technical capacity but also on how responsibilities are articulated, how information is communicated, and how trust is established between institutions and communities (Ostrom 1990; McMillen et al. 2016). Participation in urban tree planting programmes has been linked to the visibility of programmes, clarity of participation opportunities, and perceptions of institutional effectiveness (Locke et al. 2019). Where governance structures are fragmented or poorly communicated, residents may remain unaware of opportunities for engagement or perceive tree management as solely the responsibility of public authorities. In contrast, accessible information, trusted communication channels, and credible institutions can strengthen participation and collective stewardship. Trust in information sources has been identified as particularly important in contexts where residents rely heavily on informal networks or have limited direct interaction with municipal agencies (Stern and Coleman 2015).

Building on this governance perspective, recent urban forestry research increasingly conceptualises urban tree stewardship as a governance-mediated process shaped not only by environmental attitudes but also by institutional trust, communication pathways, programme visibility, and opportunities for co-produced environmental action (Ernstson et al. 2010; McMillen et al. 2016; Locke et al. 2019; Davies and Santo-Tomás Muro 2024; Scheuer et al. 2024; Boafo et al. 2025). This perspective shifts attention from urban trees as solely biophysical assets toward understanding how social and institutional conditions influence whether residents are able and willing to participate in urban greening initiatives. In rapidly urbanising cities, where formal and informal governance systems frequently overlap, participation in urban forestry may therefore depend as much on governance accessibility and institutional credibility as on positive perceptions of trees themselves.

Despite the well-documented benefits of urban trees and public perceptions of urban greenery (Lo et al. 2017; Collins et al. 2019; Fernandes et al. 2019; Drew-Smythe et al. 2023), several important gaps remain in the literature. These studies often examine perceptions or participation in isolation, without explicitly analysing how governance-related factors such as programme awareness, perceived institutional effectiveness, and trust mediate the relationship between valuation and engagement. Empirical evidence from rapidly urbanising cities in sub-Saharan Africa (Shackleton et al. 2015; Abass et al. 2019; Adeyemi and Shackleton 2025) also remains comparatively limited, with existing work often focusing on biophysical assessments or policy analysis rather than neighbourhood-scale dynamics of perception and participation. In addition, there is a lack of quantitative studies that simultaneously examine perception, awareness, trust, and participation within integrated analytical models, limiting understanding of their relative influence on urban tree stewardship in heterogeneous urban contexts where formal and informal governance arrangements coexist.

Addressing these gaps requires empirical evidence from rapidly urbanising cities where governance complexity and socio-spatial diversity shape everyday interactions with urban trees. Accra, the capital city of Ghana, illustrates many of the challenges associated with rapid urban growth, including mixed land-use development, high population density, and increasing pressure on environmental assets such as urban trees (Akubia and Bruns 2019; Gaisie et al. 2019; Korah et al. 2019; Songsore 2020). Urban tree management in the city occurs within a complex governance landscape shaped by multiple institutions, regulatory frameworks, and informal practices. Madina, one of Accra’s major urban settlements, reflects these dynamics at the neighbourhood scale (Akagla and Boafo 2025). The area comprises planned residential zones, commercial corridors, high-density housing, and informal market areas, creating a heterogeneous urban environment in which access to green space, exposure to environmental stressors, and opportunities for participation in urban greening initiatives vary considerably.

Against this contextual backdrop, the present study makes 3 principal contributions to urban forestry research. First, it provides neighbourhood-scale empirical evidence from a rapidly urbanising African city where such evidence remains limited. Second, it integrates perceptual, behavioural, and governance-related variables within a single analytical framework. Third, it advances understanding of how institutional visibility, trust, and programme awareness shape participation in urban tree stewardship.

Guided by these contributions and the identified knowledge gaps, the objective of this study is to examine urban residents’ perceptions of urban trees and the socio-demographic and governance-related factors associated with participation in urban tree planting activities in Madina, Accra. The following literature review synthesises existing research on urban tree perceptions, participation, and governance to provide the conceptual foundation for empirical analysis.

Urban forestry research has long documented the multifunctional role of trees in urban environments, emphasising their contributions to ecological regulation, climate moderation, and human well-being. Early work framed urban trees primarily in terms of ecosystem services, highlighting benefits such as temperature regulation, air quality improvement, stormwater control, and biodiversity support (Nowak 2010; Roy et al. 2012). More recent research has expanded this perspective to include social, psychological, and cultural dimensions, recognising urban trees as integral to place-making, neighbourhood identity, and everyday urban experience (Derkzen et al. 2015; Jennings et al. 2016; Graça et al. 2018; Kendal et al. 2022).

In Ghana, recent studies have shown that perceptions of urban trees influence planting, retention, and management behaviour among homeowners and landlords in built-up urban areas (Danquah 2023; Danquah et al. 2023). Although these studies provide important national evidence, they focus largely on property owners and built-up residential settings (Akagla and Boafo 2025), leaving scope for further neighbourhood-scale analysis of broader urban residents’ perceptions, participation, and governance-related engagement.

This broader understanding has also shifted attention toward governance-related questions concerning how urban tree initiatives are managed, who participates in stewardship processes, and how institutional arrangements shape environmental responsibilities and participation. Governance-oriented research argues that urban forestry outcomes are influenced not only by ecological planning and technical expertise but also by the quality of coordination among institutions, accessibility of participation pathways, and the extent to which residents perceive governance systems as credible and responsive (Ernstson et al. 2010; Lawrence et al. 2013).

Within this perspective, multilevel governance approaches emphasise interactions among actors operating across institutional scales, while co-production perspectives highlight the importance of shared responsibilities, collaborative stewardship, and institutional trust in sustaining urban green infrastructure (Ostrom 1990; Lawrence et al. 2013). Participation in urban tree planting programmes is therefore increasingly understood as a socially and institutionally mediated process shaped by governance accessibility, communication pathways, and opportunities for meaningful engagement.

The present study provides empirical insight into how urban residents in a rapidly urbanising neighbourhood perceive urban trees, engage with tree planting activities, and relate to governance structures that shape participation. The results highlight a pattern of strong appreciation of urban trees alongside uneven engagement, suggesting that the sustainability of urban tree initiatives depends as much on institutional and informational conditions as on public attitudes (Riedman et al. 2022; Dakouré and Georges 2024). More broadly, the evidence reinforces governance-oriented perspectives that conceptualise urban tree stewardship as a socially and institutionally mediated process rather than solely an outcome of environmental awareness or positive attitudes toward urban greenery.

The findings relating to perceptions of urban tree benefits indicate that residents in Madina strongly value urban trees, particularly for functions directly experienced in everyday urban life. The observed pattern is consistent with evidence that benefits which are visually apparent or directly experienced in daily life tend to be more salient to urban residents than less tangible ecosystem services (Escobedo et al. 2011; Oyebade et al. 2013; Baró et al. 2014; Derkzen et al. 2015). The stronger evaluation of ecological and climate-related benefits relative to infrastructural or indirect ecosystem services further suggests that residents differentiate between immediately experienced functions and less visible long-term environmental processes. In contrast, lower ratings for services such as carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and energy savings from shade suggest that longer-term or indirect benefits may be less prominent in residents’ valuation frameworks. This differentiation highlights the importance of distinguishing between biophysical functions and perceived benefits when assessing the social foundations of urban forestry initiatives (Jennings et al. 2016).

The findings on participation and programme awareness reveal an important disconnect between positive valuation of urban trees and actual engagement in tree planting activities. The contrast between high stated interest in future participation and low awareness of existing initiatives points to a participation-awareness gap that has been observed in other urban contexts (Locke et al. 2019; Riedman et al. 2022). In the context of this study, the participation-awareness gap emerged as one of the clearest indicators that willingness to engage does not automatically translate into participation where institutional visibility and communication pathways are weak. Rather than indicating resistance or indifference, this gap suggests that residents’ willingness to engage is not matched by accessible or visible opportunities for participation. In dense urban environments, where residents’ time and spatial flexibility are constrained, participation may depend critically on the clarity, regularity, and local presence of organised programmes.

The regression results provide further insight into the governance-related and informational factors shaping participation in tree planting activities. While higher perceived benefits of urban trees were positively associated with participation, awareness of urban tree programmes and perceived effectiveness of local government exhibited stronger and more consistent associations. Trust in information sources also emerged as a significant predictor in the fully specified model. The comparatively stronger explanatory influence of governance-related variables relative to most socio-demographic characteristics suggests that participation is shaped less by who residents are and more by how governance systems are experienced at the local level. The observed relationships support the view that participation is embedded within broader governance and communication systems rather than driven solely by individual attitudes (Lawrence et al. 2013; McMillen et al. 2016) and are consistent with recent evidence from Ghana demonstrating that participation in citizen-led nature-based solutions is strongly influenced by institutional support, programme awareness, and enabling governance conditions (Boafo et al. 2025). Once governance-related variables were included, the influence of socio-demographic characteristics diminished, suggesting that institutional conditions play a central role in enabling or constraining engagement across different population groups.

The barriers reported by respondents further clarify the structural and institutional conditions constraining participation. The predominance of information-related constraints, lack of organised activities, time limitations, and space constraints points to structural challenges rather than lack of interest. Similar barriers have been identified in studies of urban greening in high-density settings, where competing livelihood demands and limited planting space shape residents’ capacity to participate even when support for urban greenery is high (Tian et al. 2012; Conway 2016; Triguero-Mas et al. 2017; Saldarriaga et al. 2020). Respondents’ suggestions for improved organisation, communication, and maintenance further indicate expectations for sustained institutional involvement rather than ad hoc or symbolic interventions. The evidence indicates that participation constraints in rapidly urbanising environments are not solely behavioural, but are also closely linked to governance accessibility, institutional continuity, and the visibility of engagement opportunities.

Respondents generally viewed public authorities as having primary responsibility for urban tree management (Haase et al. 2025), although support for shared responsibility involving communities was also evident. This pattern reflects a governance context in which residents recognise the role of state institutions in coordinating urban environmental management while remaining open to participatory arrangements. High levels of support for stricter regulations suggest normative backing for stronger governance interventions, provided they are accompanied by transparent communication and credible implementation. The observed governance pattern echoes arguments that effective urban forestry requires a balance between regulatory authority and community engagement, particularly in rapidly urbanising cities characterised by mixed formal and informal governance systems (Nagendra et al. 2018).

These results are particularly relevant in the context of large-scale national tree planting initiatives such as Ghana’s Green Ghana Day, which mobilises citizens annually to plant millions of trees (N-yanbini 2023). While such initiatives increase public visibility of tree planting and demonstrate political commitment to environmental restoration, the Madina case suggests that episodic, event-based mobilisation alone may not be sufficient to translate widespread appreciation of urban trees into sustained local participation. The high levels of interest observed in this study, coupled with low programme awareness and limited prior engagement, indicate that residents’ willingness to participate depends not only on national campaigns but also on continuous, locally embedded communication and coordination mechanisms.

Moreover, the prominence of information-related barriers and the strong association between participation and awareness of programmes highlight the importance of institutional presence beyond symbolic planting events. Where urban residents lack clarity regarding ongoing initiatives, responsibilities, or maintenance arrangements, engagement may remain intermittent. In dense urban neighbourhoods, particularly those characterised by mixed tenure systems and informal economic activity, sustained stewardship may require regularised neighbourhood-level programming, follow-up engagement, and visible maintenance structures. National campaigns may therefore achieve broader and more durable impacts when integrated with decentralised, community-level governance arrangements that extend beyond annual planting exercises.

Overall, the Madina case illustrates how positive public valuation of urban trees can coexist with limited participation when institutional visibility, programme awareness, and trust are weak. Translating appreciation into sustained engagement requires governance arrangements that are locally visible, accessible, and responsive to residents’ everyday realities. In rapidly urbanising cities contexts, strengthening the social and institutional dimensions of urban forestry may be as critical as expanding tree cover itself.

This study examined how urban residents in Madina perceive the benefits of urban trees, the extent to which they participate in tree planting activities, and the governance-related factors associated with participation. The study provides neighbourhood-scale empirical insight into the social and governance conditions shaping urban tree stewardship in a rapidly urbanising context by integrating perceptual, behavioural, and institutional dimensions within a single analytical framework.

The results show that urban trees are widely valued by residents, particularly for benefits that are directly experienced in everyday urban life, such as aesthetic enhancement, habitat provision, and temperature regulation. However, participation in tree planting activities remains uneven, and awareness of formal urban tree programmes is limited despite strong interest in future engagement. This contrast demonstrates that positive perceptions of urban trees do not necessarily translate into active participation, highlighting the importance of governance systems that create visible and accessible opportunities for engagement.

The analysis further demonstrates that participation is more strongly associated with programme awareness, perceived institutional effectiveness, and trust in information sources than with socio-demographic characteristics. This pattern underscores the importance of governance visibility, communication, and institutional credibility in shaping engagement. Reported barriers to participation, particularly lack of information, limited organisation of activities, time constraints, and space limitations, further suggest that participation is constrained more by structural and institutional conditions than by lack of interest.

Overall, the evidence positions urban tree stewardship in Madina as both a collective and governance challenge. While residents recognise the value of urban trees and express strong interest in engagement, translating this interest into sustained participation requires governance arrangements that are accessible, locally visible, and responsive to the realities of dense urban living. Institutionalising neighbourhood-level urban tree programmes, strengthening continuous public communication, and embedding clear maintenance responsibilities within local governance structures may therefore be as important as technical interventions aimed at expanding tree cover. Integrating national tree planting initiatives with decentralised, community-level implementation frameworks could further strengthen public awareness of programmes and long-term stewardship outcomes.

This study contributes to urban forestry research by providing neighbourhood-scale empirical evidence from a rapidly urbanising African city and by quantitatively linking perception, awareness, trust, and participation within a single analytical framework. Although the results are context-specific, they highlight broader considerations relevant to urban tree governance in cities experiencing rapid growth and institutional complexity. Future research could extend this work by examining longitudinal participation dynamics, investigating how formal and informal institutional arrangements shape post-planting stewardship practices, and assessing how maintenance structures, community networks, and accountability mechanisms influence the long-term survival and management of urban trees.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest.