Tree Cities of the World is a worldwide programme managed by theFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and theArbor Day Foundation in the US, wherebymunicipalities of any size can apply to earn the designation "Tree City of the World".
The programme was launched at the first World Forum on Urban Forests held in October 2018 inMantua, Italy,[1] in 2018 by the FAO and Arbor Day Foundation. The aim is to celebrate and recognise cities and towns of all sizes throughout the world which have shown a commitment to maintaining theirurban forests.[2] From the end of 2019, any municipal government which has responsibility for its trees were able to apply to become a designated Tree City of the World. The goal shared by both organisations is "to foster a robust and diverse network of communities, practitioners, advocates, and scientists that will lead to sustainable urban forests across the globe".[3]
TheTree City USA programme began in 1976, co-sponsored by theNational Association of State Foresters and theUnited States Forest Service, established a method by which the forest managers could be assisted in their work and recognised for it. However the importance of urban forests has been realised as even more vital in a time ofglobal warming,pollution and crowded cities, adding to the well-being of residents and workers of villages, suburbs, towns and cities.[3]
Five core standards are necessary to be met by a Tree City of the World:[3]
On 4 February 2020, 59 cities were announced as having achieved the designation of Tree City of the World. There were 27 in the United States, with the rest scattered across the world,[4] from large cities such asNew York City andSan Francisco, European cities such asMilan, to smaller municipalities such as[1] and theAdelaide suburb ofBurnside inSouth Australia,[5] andQueenstown in New Zealand.[6] At that time, around 100 other cities had also pledged to participate in the next round.[1] As of 2024, there are now 210 cities in 24 countries recognized as Tree Cities of the World.[7]
Six national non-profit organizations partner with the Arbor Day Foundation and FAO to support cities in meeting the five standards, applying for recognition, and networking with other Tree Cities to build national networks of municipalities committed to best practices in urban forestry. The official National Programme Leads are:
Applications are required to renewed annually for continuing recognition.[3]