“When we talk about urban forestry in Europe, people still think about forests. In North America, it started with street trees, also called shade trees. It’s a different starting point. Today, these two traditions are merging, and when we talk about urban forestry[, also städtischer Forstwirtschaft] When we speak, we mean all trees in urban areas, including the Vienna Forest for example. So it’s basically the entire forest system of a city. They came from different backgrounds, but today we have already become closer.
Konijnendijk is himself a trained forester. However, it was only over time that urban forestry was recognized as such. Even today, urban forestry can borrow working methods from classical forestry, such as the sustainability perspective, explains Konijnendijk. This involves long-term thinking over periods of more than 100 years. Conventional forestry can, in turn, learn from urban forestry that urban norms and values are important. Demands for leisure activities and climate adaptation are increasing. Plus, cities are already warmer, explains Konijnendijk. Many issues related to climate change and its impact on trees are occurring earlier in the city. Cities are therefore a kind of testing ground for forests in general.
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