Research on Urban Forests and Trees in Europe

Abstract

Urban forestry is an emerging and still developing subject field, not only in North America where it is believed to have its roots (see Chap. 1), but also in Europe. The concept of urban forestry as encompassing the planning, design, establishment and management of trees and forest stands with amenity value situated in or near urban areas, has become more widely accepted (Randrup and Nilsson 1998). This notion is in line with many North American urban forestry approaches (e.g., Miller 1997; Helms 1998). Urban forestry is a new research field. Traditionally, studies on urban forests, including woodland, parks and trees seem to concern applied, small-scale research at the local (municipal) level (e.g., Hodge 1991; Konijnendijk 1999). This local focus for research, coupled with – until recently – a lack of suitable networks and institutions to facilitate coordination, means there is a high risk of duplication of effort. Now, when there is a mutual exchange of experiences and findings and subsequent joint efforts are undertaken, the efficiency and effectiveness of urban forestry research is expected to be improved. A second motive for improving urban forestry coordination in Europe results from the multidisciplinary character of the new research field. It involves a range of disciplines including horticulture, landscape architecture, urban planning, landscape ecology, social sciences, and forestry. The different perspectives and approaches can be an asset, as long as they are carefully coordinated under the common denominator of urban forestry.