Cities and forests are in a critical moment. While cities and forests may seem vastly different at first glance, they deeply impact each other and are facing increasingly urgent, converging challenges.

Faced with rapid urbanization, city leaders will need to provide resources for their growing populations while protecting them from the impacts of climate change. At the same time, the decisions they make greatly impact the world’s forests at a time of widespread deforestation and rapid forest degradation. Continued deforestation and degradation can further contribute to the climate crisis, threaten water security, drive biodiversity loss, and worsen human health and wellbeing.

But there is a better way forward. Cities across the world can use their influence across all scales of forests — within cities, near their boundaries, or faraway — to protect, conserve, and sustainably manage forests. With the right support, cities can take immediate action to protect the forests they rely on and harness the benefits they provide.

Better Forests, Better Cities is the only comprehensive resource available on the connection between cities and forests. It synthesizes hundreds of papers and reports to collectively show how different forest types at different levels can deliver a diverse suite of benefits to cities. In particular, the report takes an in-depth look at the benefits related to human health and well-being, water security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation that forests provide to cities.

Key Findings:

  • A growing body of scientific evidence shows that conserving, restoring, and sustainably managing forests can provide robust, low-cost infrastructure solutions to help cities meet the demands of growing urban populations. Many cities are already responding to this evidence to address the challenges they face.
  • The report explores four particularly significant benefits that forests at all scales provide cities and their residents: improved human health and wellbeing, increased water security, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation.
  • This report is the only comprehensive resource available on the connection between cities and forests. It synthesizes hundreds of papers and reports to collectively show how different forest types at different levels can deliver a diverse suite of benefits to cities.
  • In most instances, forests and nature-based solutions at all scales can provide benefits to cities and their residents, but only if they are contextually relevant, well-designed, and maintained.