Trees provide a wide range of benefits to urban society (for a useful summary see, for example, Delivery of Ecosystem Services by Urban Forests). The mechanisms by which many of these benefits are delivered is not fully understood, and the steps required to optimise delivery are poorly defined beyond increasing tree cover. This project aims to increase understanding in the contribution that trees make to urban environments.
The role of urban trees and greenspaces in urban climate regulation programme has worked extensively to understand the role of greenspaces in cooling the urban realm, and is now considering the effects of street trees on local air temperatures and thermal comfort of residents.