Introduction

This first module of the course provides the wider societal background for the field of urban forestry, by focusing on the history of urbanisation and current societal trends. This Module I then introduces urban forestry history, presents the concept of urban forestry, and discusses the different components of urban forests and ways to assess these.

Outcomes

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• Discuss the history of urbanization and the wider societal context of urban forestry.
• Define and describe the concept of urban forestry, and elaborate on the key characteristics of this field.
• Debate the interdisciplinary nature of urban forestry and present arguments for the need to involve multiple disciplines and perspectives.
• List and compare the different components of urban forests, from street trees to peri-urban woodland.
• Describe different ways and methods for inventorying and monitoring urban forests.