EXPECTED UTILITY AND RISK CONSIDERATIONS IN URBAN TREE MANAGEMENT: THE ROLE OF DECISION-MAKING DETERMINANTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21837/pm.v24i42.2034Keywords:
Decision Making, Expected Utility Theory, Urban Trees, Development AreaAbstract
This study examined how key decision-making determinants influence urban tree retention and removal decisions in Malaysian development areas. Drawing upon the Expected Utility Theory (EUT), data were gathered through a structured survey involving 265 practicing landscape architects. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed two key dimensions of expected decision outcomes—utility maximisation and risk avoidance. Multiple regression analyses further indicated that considerations such as cost–benefit considerations, spatial and project limitations, institutional guidelines, social perception, tree characteristics, and resource availability all play significant roles in influencing these outcomes. Retention decisions were driven by long-term benefits and risk avoidance, whereas removal decisions emphasised cost efficiency, project feasibility, and institutional requirements. Overall, the findings suggest that managing urban trees effectively requires balancing practical benefits with risk considerations, supported by expert judgement and stronger policy frameworks for tree conservation.
Downloads
References
Apfelbeck, B., Snep, R. P. H., Hauck, T. E., Ferguson, J., Holy, M., Jakoby, C., Scott MacIvor, J., Schär, L., Taylor, M., & Weisser, W. W. (2020). Designing wildlife-inclusive cities that support human-animal co-existence. Landscape and Urban Planning, 200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103817
Barron, S., Sheppard, S., Kozak, R., Dunster, K., Dave, K., Sun, D., & Rayner, J. (2021). What do they like about trees? Adding local voices to urban forest design and planning. Trees, Forests and People, 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100116
Beuschel, V., & Rudel, T. K. (2010). Can real-estate developers be “green”?: Sprawl, environmental rhetoric, and land use planning in a New Jersey community. Society and Natural Resources, 23(2), 97–110. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920802013981
Brunner, J., & Cozens, P. (2013). “Where have all the trees gone?” Urban consolidation and the demise of urban vegetation: A case study from Western Australia. Planning Practice and Research, 28(2), 231–255. https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2012.733525
Clark, C., Ordóñez, C., & Livesley, S. J. (2020). Private tree removal, public loss: Valuing and enforcing existing tree protection mechanisms is the key to retaining urban trees on private land. Landscape and Urban Planning, 203, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2020.103899
Conway, T. M. (2016). Tending their urban forest: Residents’ motivations for tree planting and removal. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 17, 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2016.03.008
Conway, T. M., & Bang, E. (2014). Willing partners? Residential support for municipal urban forestry policies. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 13(2), 234–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2014.02.003
Croeser, T., Ordóñez, C., Threlfall, C., Kendal, D., van der Ree, R., Callow, D., & Livesley, S. J. (2020). Patterns of tree removal and canopy change on public and private land in the City of Melbourne. Sustainable Cities and Society, 56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2020.102096
Danquah, J. A., Pappinen, A., & Berninger, F. (2023). Determinants of tree planting and retention behaviour of homeowners in built-up urban areas of Ghana. Trees, Forests and People, 13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2023.100410
Fazilah, M., Awang Noor, A. G., Mustafa Kamal, M. S., & Abdullah, M. (2013). Appraisal of Urban Trees Value Using Thyer Method. Pertanika J. Trop. Agric. Sci, 36(S), 143–156. http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/
García, I. (2025). Residential Green Infrastructure: Unpacking Motivations and Obstacles to Single-Family-Home Tree Planting in Diverse, Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods. Sustainability (Switzerland), 17(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167412
Gay, L. R., & Airasian, P. W. (2003). Educational research: competencies for analysis and applications. Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Guo, T., Morgenroth, J., & Conway, T. (2018). Redeveloping the urban forest: The effect of redevelopment and property-scale variables on tree removal and retention. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 35, 192–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2018.08.012
Guo, T., Morgenroth, J., & Conway, T. (2019). To plant, remove, or retain: Understanding property owner decisions about trees during redevelopment. Landscape and Urban Planning, 190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103601
Hamzah, H., Othman, N., & Mohd Hussain, N. H. (2017). Tree Removal Application by Urban Dwellers: A Case Study of Kajang Local Authority. Proceedings of International Conference on Architecture (ICRP-AVAN), 124–128.
Hassan, K., Nizam, W. S., Mohamad, W., Hasan, R., & Bahaluddin, A. (2024). Decision-Making for Tree Removal in Urban Development: Insights From Local Authorities in Malaysia. Journal of the Malaysia Institute of Planners, 22(6), 196–206.
Hilbert, D. R., Roman, L. A., Koeser, A. K., Vogt, J., & van Doorn, N. S. (2019). Urban tree mortality: A literature review. Arboriculture & Urban Forestry, 45(5), 167–200.
Jim, C. Y. (2005). Outstanding remnants of nature in compact cities: Patterns and preservation of heritage trees in Guangzhou City (China). Geoforum. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2004.06.004
Jim, C. Y. (2017). Urban Heritage Trees: Natural-Cultural Significance Informing Management and Conservation. In Advances in 21st Century Human Settlements (pp. 279–305). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4113-6_13
Jones, O., & Cloke, P. (2002). Tree cultures: the place of trees and trees in their place. Berg.
Kellogg, W. A., Mikelbank, B., Laverne, R., Hexter, K. W., Kellogg, W. A. ;, Mikelbank, B. ;, & Laverne, R. ; (2017). The Economic Value of Tree Preservation in a Weak Land Development Market Region. Urban Publications. https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpubhttps://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/urban_facpub/1461
Krejcie, R. V, & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607–610.
Kronenberg, J. (2014). Why not to green a city? Institutional barriers to preserving urban ecosystem services. Ecosystem Services, 12, 218–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.07.002
Lavy, B. L., & Hagelman, R. R. (2017). Spatial and temporal patterns associated with permitted tree removal in Austin, Texas, 2002–2011. Professional Geographer, 69(4), 539–552. https://doi.org/10.1080/00330124.2016.1266953
Lee, C. H. Y., Tang, A. M. C., Lai, D. Y. F., Tai, A. P. K., Leung, A. S. L., Tao, D. K. C., Leung, F., Leung, S. S. M., Wu, C., Tong, S. C. S., & Ng, K. T. K. (2021). Problems and management of Acacia-dominated urban forests on man-made slopes in a subtropical, high-density city. Forests, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/f12030323
Maidin, A. J., & Mobarak Ali, B. B. (2009). Powers of the local authority in regulating land planning and development control: whither control. Planning Malaysia, 7, 133–147.
Maleknia, R., & Pakravan-Charvadeh, M. R. (2025). Cultural roots in urban landscapes: Examining psychological and place attachment factors in heritage tree conservation. Journal for Nature Conservation, 84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2024.126816
Maskey, R., Fei, J., & Nguyen, H. O. (2018). Use of exploratory factor analysis in maritime research. Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, 34(2), 91–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsl.2018.06.006
Mongin, P. (1997). Expected Utility Theory. In J. B. Davis, D. W. Hands, & U. Maki (Eds.), Handbook of Economic Methodology.
Morgenroth, J., O’Neil-Dunne, J., & Apiolaza, L. A. (2017). Redevelopment and the urban forest: A study of tree removal and retention during demolition activities. Applied Geography, 82, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2017.02.011
Nik Hanita, N. M. (2012). Ecological Approaches in Designing Neighbourhood Green Spaces as Urban Wildlife Habitat in the Klang Valley, Peninsular Malaysia. International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 2(3).
Nik Mohamed Sukri, N. A., Wan Ariffin, W. T., & Salim, S. (2022). Tree Preservation Order of Act 172: A Malaysian Legislation Towards Sustainable Urban Forests. In S. Maruthaveeran & Wendy. Y. Chen (Eds.), Urban Forestry and Arboriculture in Malaysia. Springer.
O’brien, L. E., Urbanek, R. E., & Gregory, J. D. (2022). Ecological Functions and Human Benefits of Urban Forests. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 75.
Ordóñez, C., Threlfall, C. G., Kendal, D., Baumann, J., Sonkkila, C., Hochuli, D. F., van der Ree, R., Fuller, R. A., Davern, M., Herzog, K., English, A., & Livesley, S. J. (2023). Quantifying the importance of urban trees to people and nature through tree removal experiments. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10509
Ordóñez-Barona, C. (2017). How different ethno-cultural groups value urban forests and its implications for managing urban nature in a multicultural landscape: A systematic review of the literature. In Urban Forestry and Urban Greening (Vol. 26, pp. 65–77). Elsevier GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.06.006
Ordóñez-Barona, C., Bush, J., Hurley, J., Amati, M., Juhola, S., Frank, S., Ritchie, M., Clark, C., English, A., Hertzog, K., Caffin, M., Watt, S., & Livesley, S. J. (2021). International approaches to protecting and retaining trees on private urban land. Journal of Environmental Management, 285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112081
PLANMalaysia. (2021). Kajian Pemeliharaan Pokok di Kawasan Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan Mengikut Peruntukan Bahagian VA, Akta 172 - Laporan Cadangan Akhir (Draf Pertama).
Pryor, M., & Watson, G. (2016). Mature tree transplanting: Science supports best management practice. Arboricultural Journal, 38(1), 2–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/03071375.2016.1157401
Roman, L. A., Conway, T. M., Eisenman, T. S., Koeser, A. K., Ordóñez Barona, C., Locke, D. H., Jenerette, G. D., Östberg, J., & Vogt, J. (2020). Beyond ‘trees are good’: Disservices, management costs, and tradeoffs in urban forestry. Ambio, 50(3), 615–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01396-8
Shi, F., Meng, Q., Pan, L., & Wang, J. (2023). Root damage of street trees in urban environments: An overview of its hazards, causes, and prevention and control measures. Science of The Total Environment, 904. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166728
Song, X. P., Tan, P. Y., Edwards, P., & Richards, D. (2018). The economic benefits and costs of trees in urban forest stewardship: A systematic review. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, 29, 162–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2017.11.017
Suliman, S., Samsudin, S., & Ahmad, M. H. (2021). Decision making principles in land development approval. Planning Malaysia, 19, 121–134.
Von Neumann, J., & Morgenstern, O. (1944). Theory of Games and Economic Behavior (60th Anniversary). Princeton University Press.
Willis, E. M., Koeser, A. K., Clarke, M., Hansen, G., Hilbert, D. R., Lusk, M. G., Roman, L. A., & Warner, L. A. (2024). Greening development: Reducing urban tree canopy loss through incentives. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 91, 128184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128184
Wolf, K. L., Lam, S. T., McKeen, J. K., Richardson, G. R. A., Bosch, M. van den, & Bardekjian, A. C. (2020). Urban trees and human health: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 1–30. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124371
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright & Creative Commons Licence
eISSN: 0128-0945 © Year. The Authors. Published for Malaysian Institute of Planners. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.
The authors hold the copyright without restrictions and also retain publishing rights without restrictions.
