Approaches to Urban Forestry in the United Kingdom

The term urban forestry is widely understood in North America and many European and Asian countries, but it has been introduced into the United Kingdom only relatively recently. However, the planting and care of urban trees and woodland—the practice of urban forestry—has long been established in the U.K. In recent years, the terms urban forestry and community forestry have tended to be used rather interchangeably. The term urban forest may be defined as all the trees, woods, and associated open spaces within an urban area, and the term urban forestry applies to the management of this resource. This chapter briefly reviews the history of urban forestry in the U.K., a very urbanized country with over 90% of its population living in towns, and examines the core principles for success in current practice.