Urban Forestry: Growing a Fuller Canopy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i4.3485Keywords:
Urban Forestry, Trees, Oakland, Tree Canopy, Climate Change, Forestry PolicyAbstract
This paper reports on the discipline of urban forestry (UF), including an assessment of the current state of UF globally and in Oakland, California as the primary case study. It identifies and analyzes prominent international, national, state, and municipal bodies and presents an original framework for UF success. Oakland is assessed against this framework. The paper concludes with suggestions for how UF can progress in the future. The findings are informed by primary and secondary research, including interviews with government and community actors, analysis of papers written by established bodies like the United Nations, and the author’s personal experience participating in grassroots UF efforts in Oakland.
The paper asserts that urban forestry is at an inflection point. It is quickly gaining worldwide prominence for its potential to address climate change and improve a multitude of issues facing urban life. The case of Oakland reveals that the city is also hitting an exciting moment with the creation of an Urban Forest Master Plan that is set to dictate UF goals for the next fifty years. While there have been challenges in maintaining and expanding tree canopy in cities like Oakland, the prospect of a fuller canopy seems achievable and imperative.
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