PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Keenan, Olivia J.
AU  - Green, Aalayna Rae
AU  - Young, Alexander R.
AU  - Katz, Daniel S.W.
AU  - Li, Qi
AU  - Xi, Wenna
AU  - Miller, David L.
AU  - Williams, Chris
AU  - Maxwell, Emily Nobel
AU  - McMillan, Glenn L.
AU  - Gohlke, Julia
AU  - Ashe, Nathan
AU  - Wozniak, Sarah
AU  - Demetres, Michelle R.
AU  - Gad, Laila
AU  - Ghosh, Arnab K.
TI  - Linking Urban Greening and Community Engagement with Heat-Related Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review of the Literature
AID  - 10.48044/jauf.2025.017
DP  - 2025 Jul 01
TA  - Arboriculture & Urban Forestry
PG  - 379--415
VI  - 51
IP  - 4
4099  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/51/4/379.short
4100  - http://auf.isa-arbor.com/content/51/4/379.full
AB  - Climate change has amplified the effects of extreme heat events (EHEs), exacerbating heat-related morbidity and mortality, particularly in cities due to the urban heat island effect. While a long-term solution to mitigating heat exists via urban greening, less is known about how to implement an urban greening plan co-designed by community members that addresses heat-related health outcomes. To examine the current state of urban greening interventions focused on communities and heat mitigation, we conducted a scoping review of papers at the nexus of urban greening/forestry, heat-related health outcomes, and community engagement. We then evaluated 46 eligible papers using a conceptual framework informed by the literature with the following criteria: (1) identification of urban green space/trees for climate change-amplified heat mitigation with quantifiable benefits; (2) association between objective heat-related health outcomes/health equity and urban greening intervention design; and (3) sustainable and ongoing community engagement and/or community co-creation. We found multiple differences between study methods. Most papers lacked objective heat-related health outcomes data and instead focused on subjective thermal comfort/heat stress measures. Additionally, almost all papers utilized one-time community engagement methods such as surveys or interviews to inform urban greening recommendations or study findings. Our findings have useful implications for urban greening decision-making, further emphasizing the importance of transdisciplinary cooperation and long-term community engagement, so an equitable, context-dependent urban greening and health intervention can be effectively co-produced by city planners, public health officials, and community members.