We are pleased to announce our publication of a 12 page guide to the benefits of urban trees.  The guide has been created to help educate policy and decision makers on the numerous and often remarkable ways in which trees can improve urban environments, as well as providing useful ammunition for existing advocates of urban tree planting.

The guide is broken up into two main sections.  The first of these gives a concise overview of the benefits that urban trees create, considering aspects such as carbon reduction, air quality, physical and mental health, community cohesion and the all important economic factors.  The second section looks at the difficulties that trees face in urban environments, discussing basic principles for the design of tree pits that can help to significantly reduce urban tree mortality rates and allow trees to thrive in challenging surroundings.

Urban forests have a vital role to play in the creation of sustainable futures for our towns and cities.  Campaigns such as the Mayor of London’s ‘Street Trees’ and the government’s ‘Big Tree Plant’ are helping to publicise the importance of urban tree planting, and we hope that our guide will also help to raise awareness with regard to the benefits of maintaining and expanding our urban tree populations.  

Copies of the Greenleaf Guide to the Benefits of Urban Trees will be sent to some 3,000 councillors and local government officers involved in the planning process.  Additionally, you can download a pdf version of the guide from this website.

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