Urban forests provide numerous benefits to human health and wellbeing, the local urban environment and biodiversity conservation. As a result, many cities now have urban forest strategies to increase their tree canopy coverage. Despite this, in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, many inner and middle-ring suburbs are experiencing declining urban forests. In this report, we explore different spatial concepts for improving canopy coverage using the Perth middle ring Local Government Area of Bayswater as a case study. We employ a Delphi method assessment of the concepts, about their respective benefits and feasibility. The report concludes that while experts often focus on the technical dimensions of urban forest plans, there is substantial support for schemes that embody a narrative that can help engender community support that is crucial for successfully implementing such policies.
© Australian Urban Design Research Centre 2020
Green dreams
A Delphi analysis of suburban forest concepts