Key messages

• Forests and trees store carbon. This helps mitigate the impacts of climate change in and around urban areas.
• Strategic placement of trees in urban areas can cool the air by up to 8 degrees Celsius, increasing thermal comfort and reducing air conditioning needs by up to 30 percent.
• Trees can protect buildings from cold winds, helping to save energy used for heating by 20-50 percent.
• Urban trees are excellent air filters, removing harmful pollutants and fine particulates from the air.
• Trees reduce noise pollution, as they shield homes from nearby roads and industrial areas.
• Trees in cities can represent an additional source of fruits, nuts, wood, and natural remedies for the local population, either for use in the home or as a source of income.
• Woodfuel sourced from urban trees and planted forests on the outskirts of cities provide renewable energy for cooking and heating, improving the livelihoods and nutrition security of local communities, while reducing pressures on natural forests and reliance on fossil fuels.
• Forests in and around urban areas help to filter and regulate water, contributing to high-quality freshwater supplies for hundreds of millions of people. Forests also protect watersheds and prevent flooding by storing water in their branches and soil.
• Well-managed forests and trees in and around cities provide habitats, food and protection for many plants and animals, helping to maintain and increase biodiversity.
• Forests in cities and surrounding areas generate tourism, create jobs and encourage city beautification schemes, building dynamic, energetic and prosperous green economies and attracting investment.
• Urban green spaces, including forests, encourage active and healthy lifestyles, improve mental health, prevent disease, and provide a place for people to socialize.

Videos

Sustainable wood: Housing a growing population A growing population means more buildings to fit everyone. By 2030, we will have to house an additional 3 billion people. Using wood from sustainably managed forests means we can create homes that don’t cost us the Earth. [more]

Sustainable wood: Climate-friendly cities Built with wood, cities could become extensions of our forests, helping to combat climate change and keep the planet healthy. Wood is renewable and stores carbon for its lifetime, helping to keep it locked away from the atmosphere. Buildings and the construction sector currently emit almost 40% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions globally. [more]

Forests and sustainable cities More people live in cities than ever before and by 2050, 6 billion people or as much as 70% of the global population is expected to live in urban areas. But rapid urbanization does not need to result in polluted urban sprawl. Trees and urban forests can make our cities greener, healthier and happier places to live. [more]

Benefits of urban trees Large urban trees are excellent filters for urban pollutants and fine particulates. Trees can provide food, such as fruits, nuts and leaves. Spending time near trees improves physical and mental health by increasing energy level and speed of recovery. [more]

Publications

Urban forests: a global perspective This report provides a region-by-region overview of the current state of urban forestry worldwide, and also includes case studies of how some cities and regions are investing in green infrastructure and solutions to achieve better outcomes for all residents in the face of global warming [more]

Urban forestry and urban greening in drylands Citing examples and case studies from dryland cities worldwide, the report shows how urban greenery can offset the impact of growing urban populations on drylands by cooling ambient temperatures – and adjacent buildings – cleaning the air, sequestering carbon and contributing to soil and water quality. For communities, urban green spaces can also provide social cohesion and increased well-being, promote cultural values and support livelihoods and local economies. [more]

More publications

Press releases and editorials

Green spaces for everyone, everywhere 20 October 2023 Urban greening must be more equitable so that everyone can benefit from urban forests, trees and green spaces, FAO Forestry Director Zhimin Wu explains in this opinion editorial. [more]

New FAO report calls for action to bridge ‘green social divide’ in cities 16 October 2023 Washington DC – Urban forests, trees and green spaces play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of urban life, but their benefits are still not equally accessible to all, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. [more]

More press releases

Expert interviews

Innovative urban forestry practices for greener and heathier cities 11 April 2018 Stefano Boeri, architect, urban planner and designer of the “Vertical Forest” in Milan, Italy, explains the integration of new vertical urban forestry practices with more conventional horizontal approaches in a global effort to make cities greener and healthier places to live. [more]

Planting forests and trees: a British national health “green prescription” 10 April 2018 Rachel Stancliffe of the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare, Oxford, UK, talks about an innovative programme associated with the British national health service, using the natural environment for health benefits. [more]

More interviews

Audio

International Day of Forests - Making cities greener, healthier, happier places to live
Greening cities can greatly improve the Indian urban life and contribute to climate change mitigation