Urban reforestation

File:LMP 2008 Reforestation Effort.jpg

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}Urban reforestation is the practice of planting trees, typically on a large scale, in urban environments.{{cite book|last=Gary Moll, Sara Ebenreck|title=Shading Our Cities: A Resource Guide For Urban And Community Forests|year=1989|publisher=Island Press|isbn=978-0-933280-95-3|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/shadingourcities0000unse}} It may also include urban horticulture and urban farming.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/national/melbourne-life/green-thumbs-and-highrise-ambitions-20100610-y0hx.html |title=Green thumbs and high-rise ambitions |last=Jackson |first=Andra |date=11 June 2010 |website=The Age |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Limited |access-date=25 January 2023}}

Benefits

Reasons for practicing urban reforestation include urban beautification; increasing shade; modifying the urban climate;{{cite journal|last=Hall|first=Justine M. |author2=John F. Handley |author3=A. Roland Ennos|title=The potential of tree planting to climate-proof high density residential areas in Manchester, UK|journal=Landscape and Urban Planning|date=15 March 2012|volume=104|issue=3–4|pages=410–417|doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.11.015|bibcode=2012LUrbP.104..410H }} improving air quality,{{cite journal|last=Taha|first=Halder|title=Urban Surface Modification as a Potential Ozone Air-quality Improvement Strategy in California: A Mesoscale Modelling Study|journal=Boundary-Layer Meteorology|date=May 2008|volume=127|issue=2|pages=219–239|doi=10.1007/s10546-007-9259-5 |bibcode=2008BoLMe.127..219T|s2cid=119573663}} such as by sequestering carbon dioxide;{{Cite journal |last1=Perkins |first1=Harold A. |last2=Heynen |first2=Nik |last3=Wilson |first3=Joe |date=1 August 2004 |title=Inequitable access to urban reforestation: the impact of urban political economy on housing tenure and urban forests |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275104000526 |journal=Cities |language=en |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=291–299 |doi=10.1016/j.cities.2004.04.002 |issn=0264-2751|url-access=subscription }} and restoration of urban forests after a natural disaster.{{cite book |last1=Burban |first1=Lisa L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q-iMhTCIcs8C&q=%22Urban+Reforestation%22 |title=Storms Over the Urban Forest: Planning, Responding, and Regreening – A Community Guide to Natural Disaster Relief |last2=Anderson |first2=John W. |publisher=DIANE Publishing |year=1996 |isbn=978-0-7881-2948-3}} Increased shade from urban reforestation can also lead to decreased energy costs, as heat from the sun is blocked from heating structures that use air conditioning. These benefits may aid in increasing local property values, filtering rainwater pollutants from the streets and thus improving water quality, and creating more habitats for wildlife,{{Cite web |title=Urban & Community Forestry |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/resource-protection-improvement/urban-community-forestry/ |access-date=20 October 2022 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} particularly endangered species.

Urban reforestation may also be effective because it does not require the purchase of a large piece of land to execute. {{Cite journal |last1=Kroeger |first1=Timm |last2=Escobedo |first2=Francisco J. |last3=Hernandez |first3=José L. |last4=Varela |first4=Sebastián |last5=Delphin |first5=Sonia |last6=Fisher |first6=Jonathan R. B. |last7=Waldron |first7=Janice |date=7 October 2014 |title=Reforestation as a novel abatement and compliance measure for ground-level ozone |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=111 |issue=40 |pages=E4204-13 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1409785111 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=4210021 |pmid=25201970|doi-access=free |bibcode=2014PNAS..111E4204K }}

Programs

=Australia=

The Urban Reforestation organization in Australia is a grassroots organization that focuses on sustainable living in urban places.

= France =

The widespread reforestation in urban sites of Paris was launched in 2020 in order to reduce air pollution in the city. Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, stated that by the summer of 2023 63,500 trees were already planted, and by end of her term 170,000 will be planted in all.{{cite news |last1=Euronews Green |title=Paris starts work to transform busy roundabout into city's first urban forest |url=https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/12/09/paris-starts-work-to-transform-busy-roundabout-into-citys-first-urban-forest#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20Socialist%20Party,have%20already%20planted%2063%2C500%20trees. |access-date=4 November 2024 |publisher=Euronews}}

= Turkey =

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality began a green project that covers 78,500 m² in Zeytinburnu to afforest the barren part of Zeytinburnu coast, and also the urban reforestation project provided continuity of the coast line Yedikule to Bakırköy for pedestrians.{{cite web |last1=IMM |title=Balkan Şehirleri Parkıı ve Anıtı Açıldı |url=https://yesil.istanbul/haber_balkan-sehirleri-parki-ve-aniti-acildi |access-date=10 November 2024 |website=yesil.istanbul/ |publisher=Yeşilist}}

File:The Zeytinburnu Urban Reforestation.png]]

=United States=

Large scale urban reforestation programs in the United States include New York City's Million Tree Initiative{{cite web|last=Corso|first=Phil|title=Avella opposes mayor's Million Trees effort|url=http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/52/avellatrees_ne_2012_12_27_q.html|publisher=TimesLedger|access-date=31 January 2013|archive-date=23 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123083438/http://timesledger.com/stories/2012/52/avellatrees_ne_2012_12_27_q.html|url-status=dead}} and TreePeople in Los Angeles, which planted 1 million trees in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics and continued planting thereafter. In 2022, Boston announced a new forestry division to grow the tree canopy within the city.{{Cite web |last1=Abel |first1=David |last2=Anderson |first2=Travis |date=21 September 2022 |title=Wu announces forestry division to preserve and expand tree canopy in Boston |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/21/metro/wu-announces-forestry-division-preserve-expand-tree-canopy-boston/ |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=Boston Globe |language=en-US}}

Grassroots efforts include Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco, which advocates for the planting of street trees.

In California, there are government funded programs such as the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Urban Forestry Program. They advocate for local sustainability as well as health and happiness for the community long term.{{Cite web |title=Urban & Community Forestry |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/programs/resource-management/resource-protection-improvement/urban-community-forestry/ |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}} This Urban Forestry Program also seeks to aid disadvantaged and/or low-income communities. {{Cite web |title=Urban and Community Forestry Grant Programs |url=https://www.fire.ca.gov/grants/urban-and-community-forestry-grant-programs/ |access-date=10 October 2022 |website=www.fire.ca.gov}}

Climate change

Most cities have the potential to use urban reforestation as a means of combating climate change.{{Cite journal |language=en |doi=10.1088/1748-9326/abe783|title=Global urban reforestation can be an important natural climate solution |year=2021 |last1=Teo |first1=Hoong Chen |last2=Zeng |first2=Yiwen |last3=Sarira |first3=Tasya Vadya |last4=Fung |first4=Tze Kwan |last5=Zheng |first5=Qiming |last6=Song |first6=Xiao Ping |last7=Chong |first7=Kwek Yan |last8=Koh |first8=Lian Pin |journal=Environmental Research Letters |volume=16 |issue=3 |page=034059 |bibcode=2021ERL....16c4059T |s2cid=233888804 |doi-access=free }} Urban reforestation can also contribute to lowering energy consumption.

Concerns

File:The Big Purple House Blocked By A Tree.jpg

Urban reforestation efforts compete for money and urban land that could be used for other purposes. For example, effort placed in planting new trees can take away from maintenance of already established trees. Equity of where urban reforestation occurs may also be questioned. Programs such as California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Urban Forestry target these communities, but this is not always the case. Inequality in distribution of trees planted during Urban Reforestation leads to inequality of life. Permanence of trees is also an issue as a tree planted is a tree that might have to be removed in the future due to preferences of land owners in urban spaces.

Urban reforestation projects may also lack support in neighborhoods where environmentalist groups do not sufficiently involve residents in planning and decision-making, particularly when white environmentalists are conducting projects in communities of color, as noted in a 2014 report by environmental sociologist Dorceta Taylor from the University of Michigan. For example, from 2011 to 2014, a nonprofit organization named The Greening of Detroit planted thousands of new trees to restore Detroit's tree canopy. However, about a quarter of residents offered free trees in front of their homes submitted a "no tree request". Although they recognized the benefits of urban forestry, they didn't trust the organization staff, who were predominantly white and not from Detroit. They also felt that they didn't have enough say in what was being planted since they expected to be given responsibility for maintaining the trees planted in their neighborhoods, as previous reforestation project trees received inadequate care from the city and caused issues with appearance and safety.{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-11/why-detroiters-didn-t-trust-city-tree-planting-efforts |title=Why Detroit Residents Pushed Back Against Tree-Planting |last=Mock |first=Brentin |date=11 January 2019 |website=Bloomberg |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |access-date=25 January 2023}} Residents were a lot more open to the idea of receiving free trees if they got to choose what was planted.{{cite web |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/do-gooders-should-survey-communities-first/ |title=Do-Gooders Should Survey Communities First |last=Goldman |first=Jason G. |date=22 January 2019 |website=Scientific American |access-date=25 January 2023}}