City managers, policymakers, and advocates can use this step-by-step tool to build thriving urban forest programs.
Over 130 million acres of America’s forests are located in our cities and towns. These urban forests include parks, street trees, landscaped boulevards, gardens, river and coastal promenades, nature preserves, shelter belts of trees, and working trees at former industrial sites. Urban forests boost public health, safety, sustainability, and economic growth.
This online hub brings together the best tools and technical information related to urban forests, explaining why trees are essential to healthier, more livable communities and providing the guidance needed to implement urban forestry programs. The tool can be used by wide array of audiences. County health executives and local hospital systems, for example, can learn about the relationship between urban trees and human health, educators can see how tree canopy improves student learning, and local police agencies can learn from other communities where adding urban trees has reduced crime and built community cohesion.
The tool is built around five different components: a curated collection of the most authoritative research on the benefits of trees; case studies of communities that are already pushing the envelope on best practices; a toolkit that demonstrates what it takes to create an effective urban forestry program; an assessment tool to set goals and measure progress; and a searchable resource library updated quarterly.
Vibrant Cities Lab covers 12 major benefits trees provide to neighborhoods and communities, offering a curated collection of case studies, academic journal articles, plans, and best practices. A team of scientists and practitioners review content quarterly to ensure the most up-to-date, credible resources.