CURes’ Green Infrastructure research examines vegetative systems in urban areas and engages with communities to apply this research in decision-making to improve their local environments.
Current Projects:
- Tree Canopy Map Viewer
- Tree Canopy Assessment & Prioritization
- Ballona Freshwater Marsh Research
- Native Gardens
Past Studies
Los Angeles Beautification Team Urban Forestry Research
As part of a CAL FIRE urban forestry grant, CURes worked with the Los Angeles Beautification Team (LABT) to monitor street trees planted to combat climate concerns in disadvantaged neighborhoods. In 2018-19 CURes measured the health of 375 trees in the San Fernando Valley. Read the CURes Blog for more information.
Colton Forest Inventory and Assessment
From 2016-17, CURes conducted a tree inventory, in association with Jack Sahl & Associates, of all the trees within the public domain of the City of Colton. This included trees in cemeteries, parks, schools, and major cross-streets throughout the city. Interdisciplinary student and staff teams gathered data on the size, distribution, age, health, and energy efficiency of over 8000 trees. Read more on the CURes blog.
Rain Gardens
CURes faculty fellow Dr. John Dorsey led teams of LMU students in monitoring the pollutant retention of storm water runoff in a Culver City rain garden. The goal of this project was to determine how natural infrastructure solutions can impact the amount of pollution entering into waterways and water systems.