Trees in urban areas bestow many benefits. They give shelter from the wind and shade from the summer sun. They filter noise and dust, and help remove pollutants from the air. They also give privacy and seclusion, soothing greenery and a natural texture to offset the artificial surfaces of roads and buildings. They provide a home for wildlife, and, through old coppices, pollards, and mature native trees, a direct link with the past. Trees are a natural play feature for children, for climbing and swinging, and providing sticks, nuts and leaves for play. Trees make us all feel better. Patients in hospital rooms with a green view recover more quickly than those looking onto buildings, possibly because such views are soothing and invoke feelings of hope.
Trees in cities and towns are generally associated with the affluent areas, which had the luxury of space and alternative fuel supplies so that existing mature trees could be retained, and new trees planted. Green views can thus invoke feelings of security and affluence, shown by the fact that mature trees enhance property values. Developers of new ‘executive’ homes pay premiums for existing wooded sites.
Trees in urban areas also have disadvantages. Trees too close to buildings can block sunlight and views. Summer transpiration can dry out clay soils causing subsidence and damage to pavements, pipes and walls. Honeydew from aphids and autumn leaf fall can be seen as causing a nuisance. High hedges, copses and dense woodland growth can create a fear that the seclusion they offer will conceal criminal behaviour, both against property or person. Perhaps the fact that these woodland features are accepted in affluent areas is because there is less fear of crime against the person, although property crime may be high. You may feel comfortable walking through a woodland surrounded by houses with burglar alarms, because the fear of personal attack is low. In a similar woodland in a less affluent area, crimes against the person, thus fears of suffering it, are higher.
Urban woodland design
To bestow these benefits, while reducing the disadvantages, perceived or actual, attention needs to be given to the following:
- Balance of tree cover with open space: People’s fear of woodland can be addressed by careful design of urban woodlands so that there is plenty of open space, with wide rides and avenues and areas of rough and mown grass.
- Management of trees and woodland shrubs: Areas of natural woodland growth, with shrubs and thick cover which is beneficial for wildlife, need balancing with areas of clear-stemmed trees with open ground beneath, where most people will feel more secure. This open type of woodland can be achieved by careful choice of species and by pruning of the lower branches of trees.
- Use of the woodland: Wide, clear paths in attractive surroundings will encourage daily use of woodlands. Special events, frequent management, use by school groups and other activities will ensure that the woodland is inviting to all legitimate users.
- Choice of species: near buildings, paths and car-parks suitable species need to be chosen which will minimise problems with roots, honeydew and leaf fall. non- native species may be appropriate for small woodlands, parks and other areas planted for amenity and wildlife purposes.
Tree and woodland projects
There are two main types of volunteer work associated with trees in urban areas:
- Establishing new trees: This can vary from individual trees in gardens, through small copses up to areas of many thousands of new trees.
- Managing existing trees, from small copses to large woodlands: Volunteer involvement in managing existing woodlands covers a range of work, from clearance of rubbish, improvement of footpaths or other access work, through to the strictly ‘woodland’ work of coppicing, tree felling and planting.
- Thinning of trees and clearance of undergrowth to ‘open up’ woodlands is often part of this work, because of the desire for fairly open, user-friendly woods, where people feel safe. Glades, meadows and ponds within woodlands are also valuable. Management of woodlands may therefore include much of the work described in other chapters of this handbook.
This chapter first describes the basic rules for successful tree establishment, which are common to all tree planting, from gardens up to large woodlands. The remainder of the chapter is mainly concerned with the establishment and management of small woods.
