Urban woodlands and greenspace can fulfil many functions within a community and bring about environmental, social and economic benefits. It also contributes towards sustainable development of derelict and deprived areas.
Woodlands and greenspace can vastly improve the appearance and perception of an area, which is a key factor in encouraging further investment to a region. Sites that have been subject to past industrial use provide a valuable resource for greenspace establishment.
The Forestry Commission's extensive experience in the reclamation of derelict land to a green end use has resulted in the production of best practice guidance and decision support tools:
The Forestry Commission has been restoring land to woodland for the past forty years. In recent years this has expanded to include Community woodlands and urban greenspace.
Research by Forest Research, the research agency of the Forestry Commission:
Click on a regeneration project near you.

We will be adding information on other Forestry Commission regeneration projects in the future - so watch this space.