 |
| New York with its magnificent Central Park designed by Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux |
How it all began
We all know that trees are the lungs of a city. They also keep their populations both happier and healthier. Recognising this the National Association of State Foresters and the USA Forest Service began the Tree Cities Program in 1976. Now operated by the Arbor Day Foundation which we spoke about previously, there are 3,400 Tree Cities in the USA. Becoming a US Tree City requires local authorities to meet four criteria:
1. They must have a dedicated tree board or department
2. They must have a community tree ordinance
3. Must commit to spending at least $US 2 per person on trees
(The per capita amount means that small cities are not disadvantaged, and chances are that cities already spend that much on tree management).
4. And must celebrate Arbor Day
Why become a Tree City?
Cities benefit in a number of direct and indirect ways. They
receive recognition for their work and also publicity. They can reduce energy
costs and the cost of storm water management. Mature evergreen can intercept up to 15,000 litres of rainwater per annum and roadside trees reduce nearby air pollution by 50% or more. It also fosters community ties and
civic pride and reduces crime, vandalism and graffiti. Real estate values improve and the
city becomes more attractive, more liveable and more sustainable. (See the Arbor Day Foundation's pages for more) .
Tree Cities of the World
In 2019 the Arbor Day Foundation teamed with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation to establish Tree Cities of the World. The latest report shows that there are now 120 recognised Tree Cities in 23 countries. See them all here.
Hyderabad which planted 24,008,742 is one of the newer ones, as is Koĉevje in Slovenia. Koĉevje only planted 45 trees but I see that it borders onto a UNESCO listed primaeval forest which is home to brown bears, so that should be a good start. I must say it has made me curious about Koĉevje, if we ever get to travel again. Other newcomers include Krasnoyarsk in Siberia and Quito in Ecuador.
 |
| This choice puzzled me as there are very few street trees or greenery within the city itself although there is a big nature park on the outskirts of the city |
While these are certainly attractive cities as are others such as Queenstown in New Zealand, Portland, Oregon or Washington D.C. I can think of hundreds of cities which have magnificent parks, accessible forests and beautiful trees and even wilderness areas, which are not yet listed. I’m thinking of other Russian cities such as Pyatigorsk, Tomsk or Irkutsk with its thousands of lilac trees as well as urban forests.Even St. Petersburg would probably qualify. And where are other towns such as Banff in Canada, Avignon in France, or Copenhagen or some of the charming cities in Germany such as Tübingen. The EU does have its own City of the Trees Awards but they are given for very different reasons (see below). What about China's Forest City and how is Singapore going with its 7 million trees though many are being planted to replace those being lost to development. I am fairly certain that Japan too would have many small to medium size cities which would fit the bill, and that's just for starters.
 |
| Greenery surrounds Krasnoyarsk on the Yenisei River |
When it comes to Australia, our beautifully designed national capital would certainly merit inclusion. Canberra has an abundance of trees, parks, urban forests and nearby wilderness and a strong commitment to becoming carbon neutral. It is also regarded as being Australia’s most liveable city. Even my own city would probably qualify if some would just count all those trees. My guess is that just too few people know about these awards, can't stand the paper work or don't know how to apply. A brief outline of how it's done follows, but for the full details see their resources and checklists.
 |
| With bushland reserves all around, beautiful parks, gardens and street trees, I believe Hobart has the potential to be a Tree City of the World. It just needs a better photographer! |
How to become a Tree City of the World
A prospective Tree City of
the World must have the following -
1. An authority or department responsible for trees
2. Policies, best practice guidelines and industry standards for management
3.
An inventory of all the trees in a municipality (Is there an app for that?)
4. A commitment to allocate resources from the annual budget
5. Celebrate achievements, acknowledge those who do the work and raise awareness about the importance of trees.
Now let’s get those nominations going!
 |
| A city worker rushes through one of Hobart's many green spaces. I really appreciate the city fathers |
European City of the Trees Award
Europe does have its own Cities of the Trees Award given by
the European Aboricultural Council (EAC) but this has a more technical focus. As
well as having the same general aims as the US Tree Cities Program it seems to
have a more educative and professional development function to encourage best
practices. For example, Winterthur was recognised in 2016 for overcoming a longhorn
beetle infestation in its tree population. In 2018 the Dutch city of Apeldoorn
won because of its innovative technique for allowing trees to grow and thrive
despite being placed in inhospitable civic squares. Here too, a local carpenter made seating from old trees past their prime. Tallinn was recognised for its
tree management and its policy of having to replace any tree which has been cut
down. Only one city is recognised each year. The 2019 winner was Moscow for its
“My Street” Planning program.The 2020 and 2021 awards have still to be decided possibly because adjudicators were unable to make site visits because of the pandemic.
 |
| Tallinn,
Capital of Estonia was the 2015 winner of the European City of the
Trees Award for its work in tree conservation and its policy of replacing every tree that has to be removed. One of Tallinn's trees dates from 1648 |
Comments