Urban reforestation
Urban reforestation is the practice of planting trees, typically on a large scale, in urban environments.[1] It sometimes includes also urban horticulture and urban farming.[2] Reasons for practicing urban reforestation include urban beautification,[1] increasing shade,[1] modifying the urban climate,[3] improving air quality,[4] and restoration of urban forests after a natural disaster.[5]
Programs
Large scale urban reforestation programs include New York City's Million Tree Initiative,[6] and TreePeople in Los Angeles, which planted 1 million trees in preparation for the 1984 Summer Olympics and continued planting thereafter.[1]
Grassroots efforts include Friends of the Urban Forest in San Francisco which advocates the planting of street trees[1] and the Urban Reforestation organization in Australia, which focuses on sustainable living in urban places.[2]
Criticisms
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.[6]
References
- Gary Moll, Sara Ebenreck (1989). Shading Our Cities: A Resource Guide For Urban And Community Forests. Island Press. ISBN 978-0-933280-95-3.
- Green thumbs and high-rise ambitions, The Age, June 11, 2010, See also urbanreforestation.com website.
- Hall, Justine M.; John F. Handley; A. Roland Ennos (15 March 2012). "The potential of tree planting to climate-proof high density residential areas in Manchester, UK". Landscape and Urban Planning. 104 (3–4): 410–417. doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2011.11.015.
- Taha, Halder (May 2008). "Urban Surface Modification as a Potential Ozone Air-quality Improvement Strategy in California: A Mesoscale Modelling Study". Boundary-Layer Meteorology. 127 (2): 219–239. Bibcode:2008BoLMe.127..219T. doi:10.1007/s10546-007-9259-5. S2CID 119573663.
- Lisa L. Burban, John W. Anderson (1996). Storms Over the Urban Forest: Planning, Responding, and Regreening - A Community Guide to Natural Disaster Relief. DIANE Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7881-2948-3.
- Corso, Phil. "Avella opposes mayor's Million Trees effort". TimesLedger. Retrieved 31 January 2013.