What are urban forests?

Urban forests are in increasing focus these days as contributors to healthier, more resilient, and more attractive cities. But what do we mean with ‘urban forests’?

On the 29th of September 2021, two research platforms at SLU (SLU Urban Futures and Future Forests) invited Prof. dr. Cecil Konijnendijk, director at the Nature Based Solutions Institute, to start a webinar series about urban forests.

Cecil Konijnendijk is one of the world’s leading experts in urban forestry. He has advised international organisations, as well as national and local governments, in more than 20 countries, on the development of urban forestry strategies and programmes. He has a special interest in the social and cultural values of urban forests, and in connecting people with the places where they live.

In his talk, Cecil gave an overview of how the field of urban forestry has developed over time and showed that urban forests are complex socio-ecological systems. The field of forestry has had a strong influence on the development of urban forestry, but so have quite a few other disciplines and fields. Our understanding of what urban forests are can also differ depending on the country and context. How can we work with this complexity in a meaningful way and how are cities across the world putting urban forestry in practice?

#urbanforests #urbanforestry