Vanessa’s research centers on developing pathways with global applicability to optimize the ecosystem and human health benefits of greenspaces while addressing the inherent tradeoffs in urban environments. Her work involves exploring spatial targets and metrics derived from global and regional studies to help achieve specific benefits and devise strategies to balance conflicting needs. She has experience researching and developing strategies for various greenspace types, both as globally common typologies and at the site-specific level, including schoolyards, greenways, waterfronts, and more. Her projects, such as the "Making Nature's City Toolkit" and "Ecology for Health" guide, provide approaches and strategies for improving biodiversity support and human health goals in cities through greenspace creation. She also works with local jurisdictions and communities to spatialize and implement these strategies on the ground.