We are proud to have commissioned the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) for Birmingham with the City Council, in conjunction with Treeconomics and Nature Based Solutions Institute.
What is this?
An Urban Forest Master Plan is a strategic document that states the intentions for the green space and natural capital of the city. A long-term approach with an action-based strategy. It focuses on how the city will develop and manage its urban forest in the years to come. The plan defines the aspirations of the council, its urban forest managers, and key stakeholders.
The plan is based around key performance indicators. Each with specific actions, targets, and milestones to measure progress. It brings existing policies and frameworks together, offering a comprehensive guide to urban forest practices. It can help build a greener, healthier urban forest.
Why an Urban Forest Master Plan?
BTP and our partner organisations are targeting priority wards in Birmingham with low tree equity, to increase canopy cover for the many benefits it can bring those areas.
Canopy cover is just one of the issues that we plan on tackling within this new master plan, in order to reduce urban heating and improve air quality, and the iTree Eco survey is just one piece in the puzzle of the Urban Forest Master Plan.
The UFMP intends to accomplish:
Increasing canopy cover and species diversity by planting more trees in priority urban areas.
Improving inter-departmental communication about trees within the council, using citizen science.
Addressing environmental justice work more closely, with local green industries and partnerships.
Birmingham’s treescape is a legacy of both city planning and the philanthropic work of notable residents, who bequeathed land for public parks and open spaces. This history of joint working for the benefit of all, is something we are continuing today with the UFMP: a truly co-created document for the long-term protection and advancement of the urban forest.
Simon Needle, BCC, BTP