Treework Environmental Practice Conference XV
Trees and Urban Climate Adaptation
A social agenda for liveable cities
In partnership with the Forestry Commission
19th November 2009
The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
This conference builds upon the success of the 2008 Trees: The Key to Climate Proofing Our Cities conference focusing on the University of Manchester’s research showing the influence of green infrastructure on the urban climate.
Available data underpin the case for ensuring there is no avoidable loss of large-canopy urban trees, providing for future large trees in urban design and planning, and bringing our parks into city streets. To effect necessary change, no change in legislation is necessary – but rather a co-ordination and re-direction of thinking and practice.
This conference aims to mobilise policy makers and the wider community to ensure a sustainable urban forest canopy capable of meeting future climate adaptation needs. The urban canopy agenda will be met by including climate adaptation within the national health and well-being agenda.
Speakers
Professor John Handley OBE, University of Manchester
Conference Chair
Tim Rollinson, Director General of the Forestry Commission
Keynote Address
Neville, Treework Environmental Practice
Arboriculture’s role in trees and climate adaptation
Dr Susannah Gill, University of Manchester
The essential role of trees: Adapting cities to climate change by managing high temperatures and reducing pressure on drainage systems
Isabel Dedring, Mayoral Advisor on the Environment
The spatial framework for London and the importance of London’s urban canopy
Dr Mark Johnston MBE, Myerscough College
Trees in Towns II: Government recognition of urban forest needs
Martin Kelly, MD Capita Lovejoy / Trees and Design Action Group
Big trees in the four-dimensional urban realm
Diane Smith, Town & Country Planning Association
Planning for eco-towns: Water and green Infrastructure, A European perspective
Tony Hutchings, Forest Research
The Forest Research Climate Change and Street Trees project
Eugene Dreyer, Terry Farrell & Partners
The Thames Gateway: The design vision and creating treed infrastructure
Dr Paula Vandergert, Commission for Architecture in the Built Environment (CABE)
Sustainable cities: Creating tools for better green urban design
Pete Stringer, Red Rose Forest
Green infrastructure: A vehicle for working with communities to tackle climate change
Katie Roberts , Trees for Cities
Securing urban trees through community involvement: Planting street and community trees in disadvantaged urban locations
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| Paula Vandergert (CABE); Katie Roberts (Trees for Cities); Eugene Dreyer (Terry Farrell & Partners); Pete Stringer (Red Rose Forest); Martin Kelly, (Trees and Design Action Group); Tim Rollinson (DG Forestry Commission); Dr Mark Johnston MBE (Myerscough College); Neville (Treework); Professor John Handley OBE (University of Manchester); Tony Hutchings (Forest Research); Dr Susannah Gill (University of Manchester); Diane Smith (TCPA) |
The conference demonstrated that the need for increasing tree cover and green infrastructure in addressing our changing climate is unequivocal. However, it was evident through the feedback from the question and answer sessions that a major challenge lies in effectively managing both existing and future tree planting and green spaces.
Communities can help to lighten the burden on local authorities by taking responsibility for watering trees during their establishment period however the long term management of trees is a specialist undertaking and creative thinking is required to help resource this service.
Pete Stringer
Special Projects Manager
redroseforest
Comment by Pete Stringer — 2 December 2009 @ 11:52 am
I’m sure that time will show that this Treework seminar was a turning point in the debate about urban climate adaptation. At long last, trees were put at the centre of this issue – to reflect their place as the most important single element of green infrastructure. The mood of the seminar clearly demonstrated the frustration of the arboricultural industry that insufficient attention and resources are being given to our urban trees.
Dr Mark Johnston MBE FICFor FIHort (Chartered Arboriculturist)
Research Fellow – Arboriculture and Urban Forestry
Myerscough College
Comment by Dr Mark Johnston — 2 December 2009 @ 11:58 am
I think green infrastructure in cities, and the way in which green infrastructure helps to resolve the interface between cities, towns and villages and the countryside will become an increasingly important issue this century from a planning point of view, so the work you are doing is likely to become more and more important.
Eugene Dreyer
Urban Design Director, Farrells
Comment by Eugene Dreyer — 3 December 2009 @ 12:55 pm
In the south west, I’ve taken up an action to get a challenging target for canopy cover in urban areas adopted and achieved. It would seem that a good place to start would be to repeat Susannah Gill’s analysis from Manchester. Bristol? We already have a key piece of green infrastructure in North Somerset threatened by 9,000 houses so we better get going now!
Comment by Simon Bates — 7 December 2009 @ 5:59 pm
The conference bought home the need for a consistent and loud voice to get a national strategy adopted so trees become as expected a part of the planning process as drainage or CCTV in our urban environments. The single largest group of arborists placed to respond to political pressure to generate national tree data to a consistent level are the local Authority Tree Officers. We estimate that we plant only one tree for every four we lose. Is there mileage in pushing for adopting the 10 targets outlined in Trees in Towns II as a baseline that all local authorities must achieve? then build on this the replanting targets to start reversing the trend: most LA’s don’t have a replant budget let alone targets. This could be helped by more robust mitigation planting on developemnt sites.
Comment by Sarah Kiss — 8 December 2009 @ 10:03 am
Could I have Pdf versions of presentations given at the conference please? ta!
Comment by Simon Bates — 8 December 2009 @ 1:34 pm
The PDF versions of speaker presentations are now available for download from our website. Please go to http://www.treeworks.co.uk/seminars.
Comment by Ellen Elena — 17 December 2009 @ 8:04 pm
As a volunteer tree activist in Bristol I have been able to use some of Susannah Gill’s slides at a couple of small public meetings and have to date raised £5,000 to plant some more street trees in our area of Bristol. In my view once you bring the impact of Urban Heat / Floods to the effect on people’s streets and houses then they sit up and take note. Keep up the good work Susannah and colleagues.
Comment by Clive Stevens — 18 December 2009 @ 12:53 pm
At the seminar, after the presentation of erroneous canopy cover figures for London, I arranged with GLA staff to pass a briefing on the LTOAs ideas for accurate canopy cover measurements for London – including historical figures so we might know the direction we are currently travelling in. Isabel Dedring of GLA, expressed a wish to help with this project. I did this a week or so later, so far there has been no response. As many at the seminar also expressed interest this is being pushed forward as a possible theme in the arboricultural research conference scheduled for May 2010.
Comment by Dave Lofthouse — 22 December 2009 @ 4:21 pm