Tools and methods for monitoring the health of the urban greenery

Abstract

Urban greenery supports cities in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, but it is increasingly affected by multiple stressors impacting its health. Owing to the high costs of greenery inspection and monitoring, local governments often lack adequate data to effectively manage their urban greenery and prevent damage. In this Review, we present an overview of technology-supported methods and tools to measure the health of urban greenery and discuss the space–time resolution trade-offs associated with the various methods presented. To inform researchers and policymakers in global cities, we highlight how high-resolution urban greenery health data can support in achieving Sustainable Development Goals at scale.