Trees in Canadian Cities: Indispensable Life Form for Urban Sustainability

Sustainability 2015, 7(6), 7379-7396; doi:10.3390/su7067379

Author 

Peter N. Duinker ^1,* , Camilo Ordóñez ¹

, James W. N. Steenberg ²

, Kyle H. Miller ³

, Sydney A. Toni ¹

 and Sophie A. Nitoslawski ¹

¹

School for Resource and Environmental Studies, Dalhousie University, 6100 University Ave., Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada

²

Environmental Applied Science and Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada

³

Geography and Program in Planning, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. 

Academic Editors: Tan Yigitcanlar and Md. Kamruzzaman

Received: 25 March 2015 / Revised: 1 June 2015 / Accepted: 3 June 2015 / Published: 9 June 2015

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Planning, Development and Management of Sustainable Cities)

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Abstract 

We argue that a healthy urban forest contributes immensely to the sustainability of cities. The argument is based on a comprehensive array of values elicited from Canadians in several cities. To begin, we define the urban forest as inclusive of all the trees in the city and thus representing the predominant contributor to a city’s green infrastructure. Then we enumerate and explain the broad diversity of ways in which urban people value trees in the city. We, thus, show the myriad pathways by which trees contribute positively to any city’s social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Following a short summary of the ways in which trees may detract from people’s quality of life, we present promising management directions for urban-forest improvement, as we understand the situation in Canada. We conclude that all cities can enhance their sustainability by improving the urban forest. View Full-Text

Keywords: sustainability;  tree;  urban forest;  forest values

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