Unlocking the Potential of Urban Forests

In recent years, there has been increasing interest about urban forestry as efficient nature-based approach to tackle many challenges connected to urbanisation and climate change. Faced with these challenges, cities need to build resilience through adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction measures to keep on offering multiple benefits and services to their inhabitants. In this sense, increasing the presence of trees and other vegetation in cities can contribute to urban resilience. At the European level, urban forests can be key allies in the delivery of recent EU policies, such as the New Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy, and the EU Urban Agenda. At the same time, urban green spaces can greatly benefit the health and wellbeing of urban dwellers, for example by providing a space for physical activity and social interaction.

Green infrastructure approaches – which focus on planned networks of natural and semi-natural areas – reflect the need to look at the whole urban environment, moving away from a focus on individual spaces. Indeed, only through a well-connected and well-functioning green and blue network that multiple benefits can be generated. In this context, urban forests are crucial contributors to greener, healthier, more resilient, and liveable cities.

However, today there is the need to stimulate urban forestry approaches and further explore innovation at all levels. In particular, there is the urge to scale up initiatives, explore and strengthen the collaborations among disciplines, as well as between different sectors, and support the creation of knowledge and specific learning and training opportunities. At the same time, urban forestry should go hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship, providing opportunities which needs to be further investigated.

This document aims to provide background and guidelines for developing a local Urban Forestry Action Plan based on an overview of the status, benefits and potential opportunities for developing urban forestry at a European scale. These guidelines are aimed principally at non-specialist audiences who wish to gain a quick overview of the enormous potential offered by urban forestry to solve social, economic and environmental challenges in cities in alignment with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this respect, the document will be of particular interest and relevance to policymakers working at national, local and European level, officers working at local authorities.