What is an urban tree?

Trees and associated organisms that exist within a city.

urban forests

have numerous secondary benefits related to the economy, environment and health. Trees absorb and block sunlight from reaching buildings and ground, thus reducing the heat island effect that helps reduce energy use. Studies have also found that shoppers are more likely to spend more time and money, and assign greater overall convenience to the merchandise being offered, in commercial areas where there are trees in the streets.

Trees on the streets have also been shown to significantly increase the value of a property and the rent that can be requested. Urban tree canopy (UTC) refers to the layer of leaves, branches and stems of trees that provide tree cover of the ground when viewed from above. Today, many communities are planting trees in an effort to be more sustainable and livable. Improving a city's urban treetop can have numerous benefits, such as reducing peak summer temperatures and air pollution, improving property values, providing wildlife habitat, providing aesthetic benefits, and improving social ties between neighbors.

A robust treetop can also attract businesses and residents. Scientists now have the ability to rate and quantify the benefits of urban treetops, using the Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment toolset. An increase in the crown of urban trees brings with it an associated increase in the benefits of the trees listed above. An urban forest is a forest, or a collection of trees, that grows within a city, town or suburb.

In a broader sense, it can include any type of woody plant vegetation that grows in and around human settlements. Unlike a forest park, whose ecosystems are also inherited from nature's leftovers, urban forests often lack amenities such as public restrooms, paved paths, or sometimes clear borders, which are distinctive features of parks. The care and management of urban forests is called urban forestry. Urban forests can be privately and publicly owned.

Some municipal forests may be located outside the town or city to which they belong. In this context, nature-based solutions represent a cost-effective, accessible and scalable effort to simultaneously reduce the carbon footprint of cities and increase their resilience against climate-related hazards. Urban and peri-urban trees and forests are one of those solutions. Learn more about our work on urban trees and forests here.

This study focused on the spatial difference in the composition, diversity, structural characteristics and provenance of urban tree species in order to provide a reference point for planning and management decisions for urban trees in a poorly studied area. Where this is feasible, cost-effective relative to other land-use priorities, and implemented with resources to maintain tree planting on decadal timescales, extensive urban forests have observable environmental and social benefits. In this context, phenological studies are a useful tool for understanding tree development and designing appropriate management strategies in urban forestry conditions. We analyzed the abundance of seven species using multivariable regression and found that abundance was more influenced by the urban-rural sector than by the type of road, although the type of road had a significant effect for some species.

The most serious pollutants in the urban atmosphere are ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfuric oxides (SOx) and particulate pollution. Urban forest managers are sometimes interested in the amount of carbon that is extracted from the air and stored in their forest as wood in relation to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere while using fossil-fueled tree maintenance equipment. Focusing on comprehensive, phased planning along with designing specific sites and monitoring specific tree attributes that contribute to climate adaptation and human health can be more effective in integrating urban forests into sustainability strategies. Urbanization is an issue of pressing concern, especially in Africa, where it is expected to continue and, increasingly, threaten the efficiency of natural carbon sinks and the sustainability of cities.

The MillionTrees NYC Initiative uses the model of experiments designed to engage environmentalists and designers in creating a long-term, large-scale urban green infrastructure research program. Consequently, urban trees appear to hold more promise for climate and pollution adaptation strategies than mitigation strategies.

the urban forest

is a green infrastructure system that offers multiple environmental, economic, social and health services, and works in cities. But in any case, the spatial extent of urban trees and soils is quite limited in relation to the magnitude of fossil fuel emissions.

A dose-response curve describing the relationship between urban tree cover density and self-reported stress recovery. Six studies investigated the relationship between urban trees and immune function, using experimental study designs involving forest visits. The New York City Urban Field Station has developed a set of UTC prioritization tools that use a variety of urban, ecological and social information to guide tree planting efforts. .

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