Abstract
The European public has a long tradition of interaction with, but has mixed emotions about forests. On the one hand they see forests as part of nature bringing peace and happiness to all. On the other hand there is a traditional memory of danger in forests, re-inforced by the modern use of under-policed forests for all kinds of criminal activities. Nevertheless, people will use forests very frequently (25% of visitors do so every day), mostly for gentle activities such as walking. Urban forests tend to be managed by traditionally-trained managers who do not understand the public's attitude to forests. The public re-acts to forests on a personal basis. They are not much concerned with ecological purity. Such misunderstandings underlie the high propensity to conflict. With increasing leisure and wealth the range of activities that people wish to carry-out in forests has increased enormously. Many of these activities are mutually incompatible and lead to conflict between users. The social sciences and the new science of environmental psychology can be used to elucidate people's real feelings about urban forests and to assist with overall design. Specific requirements of mutually-incompatible uses can be catered for in separate areas by finding-out and designing-in features which both attract and repel.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Coles, R.W. and Bussey, S.C. (1999) Community forestry in an urban context—progressing the social agenda conference paper. In Community Forestry, a Change for the Better, Countryside Agency, Guildhall, London, 7–8 December.
Hellström, E. (1996) Environmental forestry conflicts, forest policies and the use of forest resources—recent developments in USA, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland and Norway. Working Paper 7, European Forest Institute, Joensuu, Finland, 1996, 72 p.
Hellström, E. and Rytilä, T. (1998) Environmental forest conflicts in France and Sweden: struggling between local and international pressures. Working Paper 16. European Forest Institute, Joensuu, Finland, 1998, 111 p.
Konijnendijk, C.C. (1999) Urban forestry: comparative analysis of policies and concepts in Europe. Contemporary Urban Forestry Policy-Making in Selected Cities and Countries of Europe. Working Paper 20. European Forest Institute, Joensuu, Finland, 1999, 266 p.
Schmidthusen, F. and Wild-Eck, S. (2001) Uses and perceptions of forests by people living in urban areas: findings from selected empirical studies. Forstwissenschaftliches Centralblatt 119, 395-408.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hunter, I. What do people want from urban forestry?—The European experience. Urban Ecosystems 5, 277–284 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025691812497
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025691812497