Trees are an important part of both our communities and the ecological
systems in which we live, providing significant economic, social, and environmental
benefits. They are as necessary as water, roads, and energy to sustaining
healthy communities.
The Urban Forest
The collection of trees in and around our cities make up what is called
the urban forest. A single tree may be as important as a patch of forest
remnant, and to sustain the urban forest we must preserve existing trees,
plant new ones, and also maintain them. This valuable resource is rapidly
being lost to development pressures, and we must rethink the way we plan
and build our communities in order to stop and eventually reverse this trend.
Tools for Community Development
This website was created to provide communities and citizens, as well as
professionals in the field, with the information, tools, and references
necessary to begin to plan their development with the “green infrastructure” of
the urban forest in mind.
