The solution is far more complex than planting more trees, however. Urban forestry professionals and advocates must maximize green infrastructure (the natural environment) while reducing the costs of gray infrastructure (the built environment). While both are important, communities that foster green infrastructure are more livable, produce fewer pollutants, and are most cost-effective to operate.
"Trees and related vegetation have long been planted in cities for a variety of reasons. From trees with special religious significance in ancient temples to trees captured in planters adjacent to our newest office buildings, we have sought to accompany our urban lives with some representation of nature. During the past few decades, individuals and society have placed a much greater emphasis on urban vegetation. As cities become larger and more complex, trees may exist in them through careful design, through poor design, or by accident. Urban Forestry addresses how to carefully and successfully plan for and manage vegetation as part of an urban ecosystem. This edition provides information on all aspects of the field, including the history and uses of urban vegetation, appraisal and inventories, the planning process, and management and maintenance. Concepts are elucidated throughout the text with numerous photos, tables, line drawings, graphs, and charts. The nine appendices add to the book's usefulness for both students and professionals."--Publisher's website.
Fully updated and greatly enhanced, the Third Edition of Urban Forestry addresses current issues in planning, establishing, and managing trees, forests, and other elements of nature in urban and community ecosystems. The authors discuss why we have trees in cities and how we use them, clarify the appraisal and inventory of urban vegetation, and extensively delve into the planning and management of public as well as private vegetation. As urban forestry continues to evolve as a profession, foresters and arborists can expect many challenges as well as opportunities. The continuing development of cities has become linked to a much greater emphasis on urban vegetation, the growing demand for recreation amenities within the urban environment, and the careful and successful management of vegetation in an urban ecosystem. New ways to incorporate the highly versatile urban forest resource into the urban fabric will undoubtedly benefit the lives of its residents.
As cities become larger and more complex, trees may exist in them through careful design, poor design, or by accident. Urban Forestry: Planning and Managing Urban Greenspaces, Second Edition addresses how to carefully and successfully plan for and manage urban vegetation. With its numerous photos, tables, line drawings, graphs, and charts, this new edition contains up-to-date information on the history and uses of urban vegetation, appraisal and inventories, the planning process, and management and maintenance. Another important feature is the book's nine appendices, which offer valuable information covering a broad range of topics from A Disaster Plan for Oak Park, Illinois to Tree Walks in Madison, Wisconsin.
