Unlocking the Potential of Urban Forests: Developing a Local Urban Forestry Plan.

In recent years, urban forestry has increasingly caught the attention of policymakers and politicians as a nature-based approach to tackling some of our key societal challenges. These include the impact of climate change, biodiversity loss, urban densification, the demand for forest products and the health and recreation needs of urban populations. Furthermore, urban forestry offers potential to deliver key aspects of European Union (EU) policies such as the New Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy and the EU Urban Agenda. This document aims to increase awareness about urban forestry, the numerous and diverse benefits that it can provide and practical steps for developing an Urban Forestry Action Plan at a local level. In this respect, the multifunctionality of urban forestry and the cross-cutting outputs and services that it can deliver must be considered one of its greatest strengths. Themes which the document explores are:▶ What urban forestry is and what can it deliver in terms of social, environmental and economic benefits. In addition, the negative impacts or disservices associated with urban forestry.▶ How to better understand the urban forest resource through extensive mapping, audits and inventories, and how they can contribute to development of more integrated approaches to urban forestry.▶ The importance of promoting the multiple benefits that can be derived through urban forestry and the multiplier effect that can be achieved, over and above levels of initial public investment.▶ Consideration of how urban forestry can best respond to the needs and perceptions of local stakeholders and citizens to ensure effective integration into future planning, governance and management approaches.▶ Mechanisms for the creation of diverse and enduring partnerships with a strong sense of local ownership for resilient and effective long-term governance.▶ The importance of linking urban forestry strategies at regional scale with other key policy areas such as planning, health, transportation, social equity and climate change mitigation.▶ The role and need for innovation within urban forestry management and how this can contribute to the development of a strong circular bioeconomy.▶ The process for development and delivery of targeted Urban Forestry Action Plans at a local level with clearly defined objectives, outcomes and timelines.▶ Effective promotion of urban forestry campaigns, both within the corridors of power and across wider society and the business community. We therefore propose an integrated Urban Forestry Action Plan approach for local actors to deliver multifunctional objectives which promote innovation and respond effectively to the wide-ranging challenges and societal demands confronting our planet. Local action plans must link to the crosscutting policy themes of the EU and be effectively communicated across different stakeholders whilst emphasising rural-urban connectivity and Sustainable Development Goals. Furthermore, urban forestry should be embedded into mainstream policies, planning and management practice.

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