Urban forestry is emerging as a distinct practice in city planning and urban development. However urban forestry is not an entirely new field of research and the history and development of the practice can further the understanding of its current state. Urban forestry is most aptly defined by Miller (1997) as the “art, science, and technology of managing trees and forest resources in and around urban community ecosystems for the psychological, sociological, economic, and aesthetic benefits trees provide society”. Through the course of this essay, I will examine the benefits to citizen wellbeing derived from urban forestry on the city dwelling population. Forestry practices within the city have many documented positive effects on the physical and cultural wellbeing of the population. This is where urban forestry as a practice becomes a unique discipline in forestry. Most forestry practices focus on bio-diversity, environmental impact, and sustainability practices- to name a few- urban forestry, however, is directly related to the physiological wellbeing of the people. This allows an urban forester to expand into other disciplines, most notably psychology, to evaluate the impact of forestry on the population. Physical benefits are also important to consider when talking about urban forestry. A decent urban forest program allows for the cooling of the cityscape, as well as provide clean air. As urban forestry continues to develop as a comprehensive discipline, the public will see the effects of new forest policies in urban settings. The first chapter of Happy City opens with Christopher Alexander’s quote “the fact is, a person is so far formed by his surroundings, that his state of harmony depends entirely on his harmony with his surroundings.” (Find date). The expansion of urban forestry as a discipline of study will allow for a greater degree of happiness and psychological wellbeing for the increasingly urban population.
Mental health benefits have been the driving force of urban forestry practices being implemented by city and urban planners on a large scale. Currently, urban forests are the primary contact that the general population has with greenspace on a daily basis (Barbosa 2007). This means that in order for the population to get the full psychological benefit of forestry, urban forest practices are the most needed. Greenspace has been explored and documented extensively as positively correlated with increase in mental health conditions (Parr P. 2005) Recent studies conducted by Roe et al. have explored the benefit of greenspace on urban dwellers with mental illness to gauge the positive effects that they have. In one study they measured the hedonic tone, efficacy, and stress levels two groups, those who have mental health problems those who do not (Roe 2011). Both groups showed significant positive effects on hedonic tone, efficacy, and stress, however they concluded that the group with poor mental health benefitted more than the healthy group when they were exposed to a green setting. Similar tests conducted by Roe et al. explored the effect of greenspace on youths with behavioural issues (2011). These tests placed urban youths in a natural forest setting for their schooling and recorded the results of these kids in rural setting. A similar connection to the previous experiment was made, the more behavioural disadvantaged youths experienced a higher level of positive benefit. Both of these studies support that improvements in mental health can be derived from greenspace and urban forest practices can actively create opportunities for the urban population to gain easy access to forest settings. The European Environment Agency (EEA) suggests that urban planners should allow for every person to be within 15 minute walk from a park at any given time (Roe 2007).
The inherent benefits of greenspace in mental health creates incentive to implement a more comprehensive urban forestry program in cities. With greenspace benefiting mentally healthy individuals significantly and helping people suffering from mental health problems even more, it is apparent that in order to organize a happy urban setting, forestry practice is needed. Arboriculture and parks can go so far as lessen the effects of schizophrenia on an individual (Roe 2007). Urban forestry also makes its mark on the mental health of the city population because it offers a community setting for diverse groups to interact. Urban greenspace programs allow for a communal ground where communities come together to take advantage of sports fields, hiking trails, playgrounds and other amenities. These parks offer significant benefit over private gardens because they not only have the provided benefit of interacting with greenspace, but also community involvement and interaction (Barbosa et al. 2007). Social interaction is also a key component alongside greenspace in aiding mental health. This means that active urban greening is needed to enhance mental health in the city. It cannot be left to the development private gardens because they do not allow for the communal and social benefits of a public park. Urban forestry has the advantage to create urban greenspace that benefit the mental health of the city not only through viewing greenspace, but also promoting social interaction of diverse groups.
This essay aimed to expand on the benefits of urban forestry on the wellbeing of the urban dwelling population. I did not go into the different problems that face urban forestry practice or the different means of properly implementing it. The problems involved with creating a sustainable urban forest and urban greening program will be left for further research. Having reviewed the evidence, I believe that the benefits is stress reduction, mental health, and mood and physical health prove that urban greening should be a key policy integrated into city planning. The inherent benefits of urban forest practices can make a stronger and more cohesive city. The psychological benefits of urban greenspace will inevitably trickle down into all aspects of an individual’s life. This means that a happier and healthier city will continue to develop and grow.