Public attitudes to urban trees in Great Britain in the early 2020s

Abstract

Policy for urban trees is based upon a presumption that residents favour and benefit from them but in Britain the evidence for this is patchy and dated. We therefore initiated a study to understand modern attitudes and perceptions from adult urban residents across Britain. Our study consisted of exploratory focus groups to identify the main issues that concerned residents, and a large (6000 participant) demographically representative survey to quantify views and attitudes. Further focus groups were conducted to help interpret some of the main findings from the survey. There was a large level of support for urban trees, with a desire for more trees from about a third of the survey respondents. Trees were favoured in parks, gardens and existing urban woodlands, and less so along transport corridors and residential streets. The management of urban trees was an important issue for a significant proportion, mainly driven by perceived ecosystem disservices that trees can deliver. Most recognised that local authorities held greatest responsibility for management of trees in publicly accessible space, but many were uncomfortable or uncertain how to interact with them. A relatively small proportion of survey participants expressed an interest in participating in tree-related activities such as tree planting, watering or other forms of maintenance. Communication about trees to urban dwellers was considered piecemeal and comparatively ineffective. Statistical analysis revealed that respondent age was the most important factor determining attitudes to trees and their management. The study concludes that there are important sectors of the urban population, especially young people, that are disconnected from urban trees, and that education and communication programmes need to be improved to ensure that all residents better understand what the benefits of trees are.