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Preserving existing trees in urban areas and properly cultivating urban forest conservation and management opportunities is valuable to the ever-growing urban environment and necessary for creating optimal experiences and educational tools to meet the needs of increasing urban populations. This dissertation contains studies investigating several facets of the urban forest, including environmental effects of deforestation and urbanization, tree equity, and urban forest facility management and accessibility. Community education and outreach at arboreta about the importance of the tree canopy can help promote environmental stewardship. A digital questionnaire was electronically distributed to representatives of arboreta certified through the Tennessee Division of Forestry (TDF) and the nonprofit organization Tennessee Urban Forestry Council (TUFC) to explore the current needs and interests of arboreta management. Results showed that arboretum representatives mostly feel the arboretum certification program has been beneficial to their arboretum, need fundraising support, are willing to participate in educational offerings, and are interested in becoming part of a tree pest and disease reporting network. TDF and TUFC have a vision of having a TUFC certified arboretum within a 30-minute drive of every Tennessee community; spatial analysis showed that more than one third of Tennessee communities currently lack TUFC arboretum accessibility. Urban Heat Island Effects (UHIE) include increased temperatures and decreased evapotranspiration in cities during hot seasons, which can disproportionately impact humans in low socioeconomic status. Spatial analysis showed UHIE evidence in Tennessee, most notably in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, the Tri-Cities areas, and Chattanooga. A model was created to predict evapotranspiration using land cover and socioeconomic variables. This culmination of research projects provides program recommendations, extends existing geospatial information systems models, and identifies urban heat islands and communities vulnerable to their impact.

This paper presents a comprehensive examination of user motivations, demographics, and satisfaction levels at the West Virginia University (WVU) Core Arboretum during the period spanning from the summer of 2022 to the spring of 2023. Green spaces across the United States have seen an increase in public attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and are actively seeking to capitalize on the renewed interest. Seeking to aid the WVU Core Arboretum in garnering renewed public interest, this study utilized a survey comprising sections on user perceptions, demographics, satisfaction, and usage that garnered 182 responses. Demographic analysis of the survey found that non-WVU student visitors attained a higher level of education, had a higher income level, and leaned older than the general population of Morgantown. Visitor motivations leaned heavily toward immersion in nature, learning more, and relaxing in both body and mind. Arboretum performance levels, as evaluated by the public, were positive across most measures, with high importance placed on natural beauty and trail quality. Finally, arboretum usage tends toward 1-2 hour long visits with month-long intervals between visits, predominately focused on spending that time hiking the grounds.

In a busy city like Washington D.C., where people tend to work for long hours, and remain in constant fight with deadlines as they try to complete their daily tasks, such lifestyle can be very exhausting. Artists are no exception to that. A preoccupied lifestyle can keep them distant from their inner creativity and would make them lose their inspiration for art. What they really need is to take a step away from this fast society and find a place that offers them the space, time and environment to recharge and reconnect with their art. This thesis explores the role of architecture in creating moving artistic experiences that ignite the artists' inner creativity and feeds their imagination. By using design concepts that encourage their interaction with their surroundings, we can raise their curiosity to explore and observe to help them unleash their creativity. Because ,we, humans are mostly influenced by the spaces we inhabit and spend most of our time in. A proposed artist retreat in the U.S. National Arboretum, creates an architecture that enhances the way artists experience art through the use of proportions, forms, materials, light and shadow. The project consists mainly of two parts, the first part is a place that respects the artists' need for solitude, to be able to self-reflect on their inner self and art. The second part is a place for the artist community, where they socialize and exchange their knowledge and experiences. Moreover, the buildings design aims to breaks the barrier between the inside and outside worlds to help create an intimate experience between the artists and nature. On the other side, there is the relationship between the buildings and the site, where the buildings design, materials and construction respects the landscape of the site and are adaptive to the beauty of the site's seasonal changes. This is how my thesis will explore art through the lens of architecture and give these artists a deep breath of art.

Congress enacted the Museum Services Act on October 8, 1976, which established the Institute of Museum Services. The purposes of the Institute are "to encourage and assist museums in themes of education program assistance and conservation of the nation’s cultural and natural resources." There is evidence that the infusion of federal funds to a segment of the museum industry classified as botanical gardens and arboreta has served as an impetus to increased donor contributions and educational program services. There are no existing impact studies to quantify or identify this grant process. This brief initial exploration of the subject offers preliminary insight and perhaps will serve as stimulus for further research and study.