Urban forests through space and time

Urban trees and forests play an important role in both the physical and cultural environment of the UK's towns and cities [Davies et al., 2017]. However, our understanding of the way this role has evolved over time is limited by a lack of direct observations of canopy coverage [Doick et al., 2020]. This project will shed new light on changes to the extent of tree canopy cover, and access to the benefits provided by trees, in UK cities through a fusion of data sources spanning the past two centuries.

The project will focus on two case study cities, Leeds and Edinburgh, with contrasting development histories. The local authorities governing both cities have declared climate emergencies; as part of their climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies, Leeds has ambitions to double its current tree canopy cover by 2050 and Edinburgh has a commitment to become a 'million tree city' by 2030.

Understanding the historical evolution of canopy coverage, and access to it, in the two cities will help inform the purpose, scale and location of future tree planting.