Urban reforestation is the practice ofplanting trees, typically on a large scale, inurban environments.[1] It may also includeurban horticulture andurban farming.[2]
Reasons for practicing urban reforestation include urbanbeautification; increasing shade;[1] modifying theurban climate;[3] improvingair quality,[4] such as by sequestering carbon dioxide;[5] and restoration ofurban forests after anatural disaster.[6] Increased shade from urban reforestation can also lead to decreased energy costs, as heat from the sun is blocked from heating structures that useair conditioning.[5] These benefits may aid in increasing localproperty values,filteringrainwaterpollutants from the streets and thus improvingwater quality,[7] and creating morehabitats forwildlife,[7] particularly endangered species.[5]
Urban reforestation may also be effective because it does not require the purchase of a large piece of land to execute.[8]
TheUrban Reforestation organization in Australia is a grassroots organization that focuses onsustainable living in urban places.[2]
The widespread reforestation in urban sites of Paris was launched in 2020 in order to reduce air pollution in the city. Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, stated that by the summer of 2023 63,500 trees were already planted, and by end of her term 170,000 will be planted in all.[9]
Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality began a green project that covers 78,500 m2 in Zeytinburnu to afforest the barren part ofZeytinburnu coast, and also the urban reforestation project provided continuity of the coast lineYedikule toBakırköy for pedestrians.[10]
Large scale urban reforestation programs in theUnited States includeNew York City'sMillion Tree Initiative[11] andTreePeople inLos Angeles, which planted 1 million trees in preparation for the1984 Summer Olympics and continued planting thereafter.[1] In 2022,Boston announced a new forestry division to grow the tree canopy within the city.[12]
Grassroots efforts includeFriends of the Urban Forest inSan Francisco, which advocates for the planting of street trees.[1]
In California, there are government funded programs such as theCalifornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Urban Forestry Program. They advocate for localsustainability as well as health and happiness for the community long term.[13] This Urban Forestry Program also seeks to aiddisadvantaged and/orlow-income communities.[14]
Most cities have the potential to use urban reforestation as a means of combatingclimate change.[15] Urban reforestation can also contribute to lowering energy consumption.[15]
Urban reforestation efforts compete for money and urban land that could be used for other purposes. For example, effort placed in planting new trees can take away from maintenance of already established trees.[11] Equity of where urban reforestation occurs may also be questioned. Programs such as California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Urban Forestry target these communities, but this is not always the case.Inequality in distribution of trees planted during Urban Reforestation leads to inequality of life. Permanence of trees is also an issue as a tree planted is a tree that might have to be removed in the future due to preferences ofland owners in urban spaces.[5]
Urban reforestation projects may also lack support in neighborhoods where environmentalist groups do not sufficiently involve residents in planning and decision-making, particularly when white environmentalists are conducting projects in communities of color, as noted in a 2014 report byenvironmental sociologistDorceta Taylor from theUniversity of Michigan. For example, from 2011 to 2014, anonprofit organization namedThe Greening of Detroit planted thousands of new trees to restoreDetroit's tree canopy. However, about a quarter of residents offered free trees in front of their homes submitted a "no tree request". Although they recognized the benefits of urban forestry, they didn't trust the organization staff, who were predominantly white and not from Detroit. They also felt that they didn't have enough say in what was being planted since they expected to be given responsibility for maintaining the trees planted in their neighborhoods, as previous reforestation project trees received inadequate care from the city and caused issues with appearance and safety.[16] Residents were a lot more open to the idea of receiving free trees if they got to choose what was planted.[17]
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