Urban Forests for Healthier Cities: Policy, Planning, Regulations, and Institutional Arrangements
- Introduction
-
PART I: DEFINING URBAN FOREST CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS
What is an Urban Forest? - What Challenges Do Urban Forests Face?
- Why Do Urban Forests Matter?
- Consider Context
- Multiple Stakeholders, Multiple Scales
-
PART II: POLICY, PLANNING, AND REGULATIONS
Introduction to Policy for Urban Forests - Public Space Interventions
- Case Study: Greening Kuala Lumpur
- Introduction to Planning for Urban Forests
- Case Studies: Urban Planning
- Comprehensive and Strategic Plans
- Urban Forest Management Plans
- Case Study: San Francisco, CA, USA
- Case Study: Greening for Resilience in Melbourne, Australia
- Introduction to Regulations for Urban Forests
- Zoning
-
PART III: FUNDING AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Institutional Arrangements: Part I - Institutional Arrangements: Part II
- Case Study: Evolving Urban Forest Management in Seattle, WA, USA
- Funding and Valuation
- Case Study: Expanding Urban Forests in Curitiba, Brazil
- Challenges
- Gaps in Knowledge
-
PART IV: SUMMARY AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Summary - Selected Resources
- Credits
- References
MENU
- Introduction
-
PART I: DEFINING URBAN FOREST CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS
What is an Urban Forest? - What Challenges Do Urban Forests Face?
- Why Do Urban Forests Matter?
- Consider Context
- Multiple Stakeholders, Multiple Scales
-
PART II: POLICY, PLANNING, AND REGULATIONS
Introduction to Policy for Urban Forests - Public Space Interventions
- Case Study: Greening Kuala Lumpur
- Introduction to Planning for Urban Forests
- Case Studies: Urban Planning
- Comprehensive and Strategic Plans
- Urban Forest Management Plans
- Case Study: San Francisco, CA, USA
- Case Study: Greening for Resilience in Melbourne, Australia
- Introduction to Regulations for Urban Forests
- Zoning
-
PART III: FUNDING AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
Institutional Arrangements: Part I - Institutional Arrangements: Part II
- Case Study: Evolving Urban Forest Management in Seattle, WA, USA
- Funding and Valuation
- Case Study: Expanding Urban Forests in Curitiba, Brazil
- Challenges
- Gaps in Knowledge
-
PART IV: SUMMARY AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Summary - Selected Resources
- Credits
- References
Case Studies: Urban Planning

In 2004, the government of China instituted its National Forest City program to encourage the establishment and maintenance of urban forests across the nation. To earn the distinction of “National Forest City,” a city must submit a 10-year urban development plan that explicitly includes urban forests.55
Photo: Stefan Wagener, Flickr.

In Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa City Structure Plan 2017-2027 Draft outlines goals to protect riparian areas with 50-meter buffer zones and to prevent erosion on slopes with an incline greater than 30% by creating conservation forests.52 In the next two slides, we’ll explore two types of municipal plans related to urban forests in greater detail.