What is an Urban Forest?

An urban forest encompasses the trees and shrubs in an urban area,¹ including trees in yards, along streets and utility corridors, in protected areas, and in watersheds.⁵
This includes individual trees, street trees, green spaces with trees, and even the associated vegetation ² and the soil beneath the trees.¹

In many regions, urban forests are the most extensive, functional, and visible form of green infrastructure in cities. Green infrastructure is the natural and semi-natural infrastructure within a city that provides ecosystem services like stormwater management or air pollution abatement.⁴