Tenley Conway

My research integrates insights from environmental geography, environmental studies, and urban ecology to improve our understanding of urban forest governance- including key actors, rules and discourses- and use of geospatial techniques to examine patterns of trees and other urban land covers. Recent SSHRC-funded research has examined (1) residents’ role in urban forest governance, (2) perceptions and experiences with urban forests, and (3) green infrastructure discourse, perceptions and actions in Canada. I am an associate editor of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening and sit on two other editorial boards. I serve as a board member of LEAF, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of the urban forest, and I am part of several municipal working groups. I am interested in supervising Masters or PhD students who would like to focus on projects exploring (1) green infrastructure or urban forestry policy and management or (2) residents experiences, knowledge, attitudes and actions in relation to small-scale green infrastructure, trees and urban nature more generally. I consider these topics from a socio-ecological systems perspective, emphasizing interactions among different actors, in light of environmental change and justice considerations.

Publications 

Conway, T.M., C. Ordóñez, I.C. Richmond, K. Su, K. Pike, P.E. Tchinda, J. Bock, L. Nesbitt, T.–T.-H. Pham, C.D Ziter. 2024. Comparison of Canadian urban forest perceptions indicates variations in beliefs and trust across geographic settings. Ecosystems and People 20 (1), 2355272. https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2024.2355272

Ordóñez Barona, C.O., A. Jain, M. Heppner, A. St Denis, D. Boyer, J. Lane, C. Edwards, P. Duinker, T. Conway. 2024. Gaps in the implementation of urban forest management plans across Canadian cities. Landscape and Urban Planning 251, 105168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105168

Kowalski, J. and T.M. Conway. 2023. The routes to fruit: Governance of urban food trees in Canada. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 86: 128045. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2023.128045

Conway, T.M. A.Y. Yuan, L.A. Roman, M. Heckert, H. Pearsall, S.T. Dickinson, C.D. Rosan & C. Ordóñez. 2023. Who participates in green infrastructure initiatives and why? Comparing participants and nonparticipants in Philadelphia’s GI programs. Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, 25(3): 327-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2022.2128310.

Conway, T.M., *J.K. Khatib, *J. Tetreult, and A.D. Almas. 2022. A private tree by-law’s contribution to maintaining a diverse urban forest: Exploring homeowners’ replanting compliance and the role of construction activities in Toronto, Canada. Arboricultural and Urban Forestry 48(1):9-26. doi: 10.48044/jauf.2022.002.