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Open Climate Resilience Policies
OCRP

Urban Forest Management Policy Model

A comprehensive framework for managing urban forests as essential infrastructure, emphasizing conservation, equity, and strategic planning based on the Cities4Forests Policy Library guidance.

Overview

This model policy provides a comprehensive framework for urban forest management based on best practices from the Cities4Forests initiative’s “Urban Forests for Healthier Cities: Policy, Planning, Regulations, and Institutional Arrangements” guide. Urban forests are recognized as essential infrastructure that provides critical services including heat reduction, flood control, air purification, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity support.

The framework is built on four pillars: Policy Principles, Planning, Regulations, and Institutional Arrangements, designed to help cities effectively manage and expand their urban forest canopy while prioritizing equity and resilience.

Policy Principles

1. Conserve First, Restore Second

Rationale: Protecting existing mature forests is more effective and less costly than planting new ones. Old trees provide significantly more ecosystem services (carbon storage, cooling, biodiversity habitat) than young saplings and can take decades to replace functionally.

Implementation:

  • Prioritize preservation of existing mature trees in all development and planning decisions
  • Create protected status for heritage trees and mature forest stands
  • Limit urban expansion into surrounding forest zones
  • Account for the “forest footprint” of city procurement decisions (timber, food, materials)

Examples in Practice:

  • Oslo, Norway: Protects the “Marka” forest ring from development sprawl and tracks deforestation impact of goods purchased by the city (Oslo Climate Strategy 2030)
  • Mexico City, Mexico: Focuses on preventing illegal logging and sprawl in the “Suelo de Conservación” (conservation land) that serves as the city’s primary water source (Green Infrastructure Strategy)

2. Treat Forests as Essential Infrastructure

Rationale: Urban forests should be managed with the same level of investment, maintenance, and legal protection as roads, water systems, and utilities, given their critical role in providing ecosystem services.

Implementation:

  • Integrate urban forest management plans into official climate action and adaptation strategies
  • Allocate dedicated municipal budgets for tree maintenance and expansion
  • Establish departments or positions specifically responsible for urban forest management
  • Use infrastructure planning methodologies (asset management, lifecycle costing) for tree management

Examples in Practice:

  • Sacramento, California, USA: Trees are legally recognized as a form of utility and infrastructure for cooling and air quality, integrated into the city’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (Sacramento Urban Forest Plan)
  • Jakarta, Indonesia: Utilized infrastructure mapping approaches to target tree planting in flood-prone areas where trees act as natural water management systems (Cities4Forests Jakarta Project)

3. Prioritize Equity

Rationale: Tree cover and green spaces are often inequitably distributed, with low-income and marginalized neighborhoods suffering from heat islands and lack of canopy. Environmental justice demands equitable access to nature’s benefits.

Implementation:

  • Map existing tree canopy distribution and identify underserved neighborhoods
  • Set specific targets for increasing canopy cover in priority communities
  • Ensure community engagement in tree species selection and placement
  • Target public investment in areas with the greatest need and least existing coverage

Examples in Practice:

  • Vancouver, Canada: Set a goal to double street tree density in specific low-income neighborhoods like the Downtown Eastside to address inequity (Urban Forest Strategy)
  • Glasgow, Scotland: Adopted a “10 trees for every person” target with explicit focus on urban areas to ensure residents in “grey” areas have access to green space (Clyde Climate Forest)

4. Use the “Right Tree, Right Place”

Rationale: Tree survival and benefit maximization depend on matching species to site conditions, considering both current environment and future climate projections.

Implementation:

  • Develop species selection guides based on local soil, water, space, and climate conditions
  • Consider future climate scenarios when selecting species (heat tolerance, drought resistance)
  • Avoid conflicts with built infrastructure (power lines, sidewalks, buildings)
  • Plan for mature tree size to ensure adequate growing space

5. Promote Biodiversity

Rationale: Monocultures are vulnerable to pests, diseases, and climate change. Diverse forests with native species are more resilient and provide better habitat for wildlife.

Implementation:

  • Establish minimum species diversity targets (e.g., no single species exceeds 10% of total canopy)
  • Prioritize native species that support local ecosystems
  • Plant a mix of age classes to ensure continuous canopy cover
  • Create habitat connectivity corridors for urban wildlife

Planning Best Practices

Inventory and Assess

Action: Conduct comprehensive inventories to understand the location, species, health, size, and condition of existing urban forest assets.

Methods:

  • Ground-based tree surveys with GPS tagging
  • Remote sensing using satellite imagery or LiDAR
  • i-Tree or similar urban forest assessment tools
  • Regular updates (every 3-5 years)

Metrics to Track:

  • Total canopy cover (%)
  • Number of trees by species, size class, and condition
  • Canopy distribution by neighborhood
  • Economic value of ecosystem services provided

Set Clear Targets

Action: Establish measurable, time-bound goals for urban forest expansion and maintenance.

Example Targets:

  • Canopy cover: “30% canopy by 2030” or “40% citywide canopy by 2050”
  • Access: “Every resident within 300 meters of a green space”
  • Equity: “Minimum 20% canopy in all neighborhoods”
  • No net loss: “Replace every tree removed with 2-3 new trees”

Develop a Strategic Management Plan

Action: Create a comprehensive urban forest master plan that outlines strategies, responsibilities, timelines, and budgets.

Plan Components:

  • Vision statement and guiding principles
  • Current conditions assessment
  • Canopy goals and targets
  • Planting priorities and species lists
  • Maintenance schedules and standards
  • Risk management (storm damage, disease, pests)
  • Budget projections and funding strategies
  • Implementation timeline with milestones

Monitor and Evaluate

Action: Track progress against goals using data and adjust strategies based on results.

Evaluation Methods:

  • Annual reporting on canopy change and tree planting
  • Periodic re-inventory to measure progress
  • Performance indicators (survival rates, growth rates, maintenance costs)
  • Community surveys on satisfaction and access

Regulatory Best Practices

Tree Protection Ordinances

Purpose: Establish legal protections for existing trees to prevent unnecessary removal.

Key Provisions:

  • Protected tree definitions (e.g., trees over 50cm diameter, heritage trees, trees in sensitive areas)
  • Prohibition on removal without permit on both public and private land
  • Criteria for permit approval (health, safety, unavoidable conflict)
  • Penalties for unauthorized removal

Examples in Practice:

  • Toronto, Canada: Private tree protection bylaws require permits to remove trees of certain diameter, with significant fines for violations (Strategic Forest Management Plan)

Development Standards

Purpose: Ensure new construction protects existing trees and provides space for new planting.

Key Provisions:

  • Tree protection zones during construction (root protection areas)
  • Minimum setbacks from protected trees
  • Tree canopy requirements for new developments (% of lot area)
  • Permeability standards to ensure adequate soil volume
  • Street tree planting requirements for new streets

Replacement Mandates

Purpose: Achieve “no net loss” of canopy by requiring compensation for removed trees.

Key Provisions:

  • Replacement ratios (e.g., 2:1 or 3:1 based on size of removed tree)
  • Payment-in-lieu option if on-site planting is not feasible
  • Minimum tree size and species requirements for replacements
  • Monitoring and enforcement of replacement obligations

Examples in Practice:

  • Toronto, Canada: Developers and homeowners must pay for replacement trees when removal permits are granted, enforcing “no net loss” principle

Institutional Arrangements

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

Purpose: Break down organizational silos to integrate urban forestry across all relevant city departments.

Implementation:

  • Establish inter-departmental working groups or steering committees
  • Integrate tree considerations into transportation, water, planning, and health department projects
  • Shared data systems and mapping platforms
  • Joint planning for capital projects (e.g., adding trees to street redesigns)

Key Departments to Coordinate:

  • Parks and Recreation (tree maintenance)
  • Public Works (street trees, utilities)
  • Planning and Development (zoning, development review)
  • Water/Stormwater (green infrastructure)
  • Climate/Sustainability (mitigation and adaptation)
  • Public Health (heat response, air quality)

Community Engagement

Purpose: Involve residents in planning and stewardship to ensure projects meet local needs and build a culture of tree care.

Engagement Strategies:

  • Public consultation during plan development
  • Community tree planting events
  • Adopt-a-tree or tree steward programs
  • Educational programs in schools and community centers
  • Grievance mechanisms for tree removal decisions
  • Community representation on urban forestry advisory boards

Benefits:

  • Increased tree survival through community watering and care
  • Projects aligned with neighborhood preferences
  • Enhanced social cohesion and environmental awareness
  • Reduced vandalism and improved tree protection

Collaboration Across Jurisdictions

Purpose: Manage connected ecosystems that cross municipal boundaries, such as watersheds and wildlife corridors.

Implementation:

  • Regional urban forest strategies or compacts
  • Shared funding mechanisms (e.g., regional tree planting funds)
  • Coordinated species selection and habitat corridor planning
  • Joint monitoring and data sharing
  • Alignment of regulations across jurisdictions

Co-Benefits

  • Climate Mitigation: Carbon sequestration through tree growth
  • Climate Adaptation: Urban heat island reduction, stormwater management, reduced flood risk
  • Air Quality: Particulate matter and pollutant filtration
  • Public Health: Reduced heat-related illness, improved mental health, increased physical activity
  • Biodiversity: Habitat for birds, insects, and small mammals
  • Economic: Increased property values, reduced energy costs, job creation in urban forestry sector
  • Social Cohesion: Community gathering spaces, neighborhood identity, environmental justice

Implementation Considerations

Funding Strategies

  • Dedicated line items in municipal operating budgets
  • Capital project integration (tree planting with infrastructure projects)
  • Developer contributions and payment-in-lieu fees
  • Grants from regional, national, or international climate funds
  • Carbon credit programs
  • Public-private partnerships with utilities or corporations

Capacity Building

  • Training for city staff in urban forestry best practices
  • Certification programs for arborists and tree care workers
  • Partnerships with universities for research and monitoring
  • Technology adoption (GIS, remote sensing, tree inventory software)

Adaptive Management

  • Regular plan updates (every 5-10 years)
  • Flexibility to respond to climate change, invasive species, or disease outbreaks
  • Incorporation of new science and technologies
  • Learning from other cities’ successes and failures

Measurement and Reporting

Key Performance Indicators:

  • Total canopy cover (% and hectares)
  • Number of trees planted annually
  • Tree survival rates (1-year, 3-year, 5-year)
  • Canopy equity (distribution across neighborhoods)
  • Ecosystem service value (calculated using tools like i-Tree)
  • Public satisfaction with urban forest
  • Budget allocated per capita for urban forestry

Reporting Frequency:

  • Annual progress reports
  • Full urban forest re-assessment every 5 years
  • Public dashboard with real-time data

Official Sources

Primary Guidance Document:

Cities4Forests Network:

Example City Implementations:

Additional Resources

Official Sources

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