More than 8 in 10 people in the United States live in urban areas, and these areas continue to grow. Having nature integrated in cities supports the health and well-being of communities by offering benefits including improved health outcomes, energy conservation, recreation opportunities, and stormwater management.
Climate change brings substantial risk to urban forests including increased pests and diseases, unpredictable precipitation patterns and more extreme heat events. However, the value of urban forests is heightened in the context of climate change, as urban trees provide a host of benefits that specifically protect residents from the impacts of climate change such as cooling urban heat islands and cleaning the air.
