What is urban forestry?
Urban forestry is now firmly established as a key focus of forestry policy and management in Britain. Rising levels of inequality, persistent under-development within deprived urban communities, and the need for viable responses to the pressures of climate change are all seen as problems where urban forestry can make an important and positive contribution.
Urban forestry looks at urban green space from an integrative perspective, considering individual green space elements as part of an integral whole. It includes a focus on urban green space comprised of tree stands as well as individual trees and it is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary in approach.
Community Forests and regeneration projects such as Newlands in England, a focus on ‘priority’ deprived communities in England and Wales, and the ‘repositioning’ of Scotland’s public forest estate closer to cities and towns are all good examples of urban forestry. A recent national survey of the public's opinion of forestry reflects a corresponding shift in public demand with an increase in visits to urban woodlands and forests.
About our research
Research being undertaken by our Social and Economic Research Group (SERG) is helping to shape urban forestry responses to important challenges such as planning green networks for urban communities, exploring urban health inequalities, identifying the social and economic value of street trees and evaluating the ‘Woodlands in and around Towns’ programme in Scotland.
Other scientists within Forest Research are also working on related urban issues, conducting research on establishing greenspace on brownfield, degraded and contaminated land.
Urban forestry is a topic that cuts across a lot of our group’s research. Below are links to all of our work that is focused on urban forestry or has an urban forestry component or case study in an urban area.
Urban and peri urban studies
- Chopwell wood health project evaluation
- Critical assessment of evidence of net economic benefits of initiatives to create or improve greenspace
- Estimating amenity values of street trees and woodland views
- EU Forest Action Plan workshop to share experiences on urban and peri-urban forestry
- Green networks and people
- Health benefits of street trees
- Management of roe deer in the peri-urban environment
- Monitoring and evaluating quality of life for Forestry Commission England
- Peabody Hill wood: social housing and green space
- Street tree valuation systems
- Street trees - governance and social values
- Tree generation: a review of the urban forestry pilot project for north east Wales
- Urban health and health inequalities and the role of urban forestry
- Wildfire in Wales: social drivers and mitigation measures
- Woodland and health pilot project
Studies with an urban component
- A valuation of the economic and social contribution of forestry for people in Scotland
- Accessibility of woodlands and natural spaces
- Accessing and communicating animal disease risk for countryside users
- Active England evaluation
- Benefits of using woodland and natural space for health
- Contribution of trees, woods and forests to quality of life: communities, place-making and regeneration
- Cydcoed evaluation programme
- Environmental volunteering: motivations and barriers
- Equality and inclusion of social diversity with respect to woods and forests in UK: an evidence review
- Forest School in England and Wales and its impact on young children
- Forests for recreation and tourism E33 (FORREC)
- Forests, trees and human health and well-being: European Cost Action E39
- Governance of community forests and woodlands in Great Britain
- Public forest estate: social study
- Social and cultural values of woodlands in northwest and southeast England
- Social diversity and employment in the forestry profession
- Wood you believe it? Children and young people’s perceptions of climate change
Contact
For further information please contact:
Amy Stewart
Social and Economic Research Group
Forest Research
Northern Research Station
Roslin
Midlothian EH25 9SY
Tel: 0131 445 6951
Email: amy.stewart@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
