Class-Gated Spatial Prioritization for Multifunctional Green Infrastructure in Southeast Michigan

Abstract

The application of multifunctional green-infrastructure planning calls for more than the use of a ranked map. A priority value is useful when its class-gating threshold, spatial scale, weights and implementation context are properly interpreted together. In this research, an approach to class-gate the prioritization of green-infrastructure evidence into practical actions in Southeast Michigan was designed. Six criteria were considered at a common 30 m spatial scale where possible: stormwater management, social vulnerability, green space access, summer land surface temperature, PM_2.5 and ozone air quality, and habitat connectivity. In addition, evidence related to planting priorities was considered for Detroit and property-based conservation evidence for Washtenaw County. At the regional level, there was a high priority band starting at 5.05 in the 0–7.77 range which can be used in metropolitan coordination. At the urban level, the high priority band started at 6.87 in the 0–7.91 range which would identify first-review planting priorities in the urban area. For conservation, Washtenaw County had a priority weighting scheme with the weights of stormwater management, habitat connectivity, air quality, and heat being 25%, and social vulnerability and access to green space being 10%. The top properties varied in the different categories: Lambuth Farms and Conservation Easement–Northfield Twp–01 were the best in the category of conservation easements; Meadows Preserve and Northfield Woods Preserve were the best in the preserved recreation lands; while Newman, Morehouse 1, and Morehouse 2 were the best in the category of inactive nominations.