Urban forestry entrepreneurship

Given that urban forestry (UF) entrepreneurship is an emerging concept in the literature, by analysing and extracting what is relevant to the other definitions of entrepreneurship as a starting point for UF, we see that innovation and value creation in a given context emerge. Urban forestry innovation is defined as an “original set of management concepts and practices that sustainably support, maintain or promote trees and forest resources in and around urban community ecosystems, thus helping to solve prevailing challenges and to achieve objectives related to the presence and role of forests, trees, and associated vegetation in the urban environment” (Pino et al, 2022). 

Building on this, if UF innovation is to be the “specific tool”, then UF entrepreneurship should focus on those management concepts and practices such as establishment, planning, afforestation, reforestation and/or restoration of urban forests, or the increase of existing areas and their functionality (in terms of the amount of desired ecosystem services provided). Given the importance of people to the contexts, social (individual and community) interactions of urbanites and their connections to urban forests are critical to the concepts and practices. To ensure effective and successful UF innovation over time, including key stakeholders in the processes of planning and design of UF innovations should also be considered. Thus, entrepreneurship in UF should engrain inclusivity, participation, and engagement. By determining the benefits provided by the urban forests in the innovations and the value generated from their range of ecosystem services, UF entrepreneurs can create and promote new value for the urban forests. In order to guarantee continuous provision of these services and their benefits, UF entrepreneurship should also promote social, economic, and environmental sustainability in the different stages of an UF innovation. Finally, combining these important concepts and practices, UF entrepreneurship and the UF entrepreneur in innovating should be solving one or more of the prevailing challenges of successful urban forestry, including i) growing conditions, ii) funding and economic development, iii) disservices, iv) governance, v) social equity, vi) training gaps and, vii) knowledge gaps and use of technology (Pino et al, 2022).  

Therefore, we define UF entrepreneurship as creating shared and sustainable environmental, social, and economic value, and physiological, sociological, economic, and aesthetic benefits, from the design, development, and management of urban forests for urban community ecosystems. UF entrepreneurs then are the agents that lead the design, development, and stewardship of sustainable urban forests.