EFUF2024 – Highlights
After a very successful 26th European Forum of Urban Forestry under the overall theme ‘Urban Forests for All’ in Zagreb, with 170 delegates, a few highlights come to mind. I have organised these according to 10 keywords.
- 1.Rejuvenation
- 2.Globalisation
- 3.Inspiration
- 4.Confirmation
- 5.Innovation
- 6.Participation
- 7.Direction
- 8.Connection
- 9.Expectation
- 10.Celebration
- It was good to see many new faces, young people at this year’s Forum. We need new energy, new ideas, to keep developing. I hope you enjoyed it and will return.
- We spoke a lot about the need to keep our urban forests healthy and resilient, for example through proper tree planting and collaboration with the nursery sector. Keith Sacre’s keynote comes to mind but also Sharon Durdant-Hollamby’s keynote that focused on trees and development.
- The Forum is becoming increasingly global, with participants from 4 continents this year. It is great to see the interest and contributions from colleagues from countries like Australia, Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, the United States.
- Extending beyond a European focus will foster more mutual learning and exchange of ideas.
- Once again, I will leave EFUF feeling very inspired, coming home with many new ideas. I hope you feel the same.
- Robert Hostnik’s keynote address was a great example. Robert showed how past EFUFs have inspired him and his colleagues in his innovative work in Celje, Slovenia. He showed some great examples of collaboration, branding, using storytelling and art. They even have their own urban forest poet!
- The Forum gives us confirmation that what we do is important and helps build a better world. We heard so many examples, success stories.
- We can sometimes feel a bit ‘lonely’ or isolated in our day-to-day work. The Forum shows us that we are part of a strong community of like-minded professionals.
- Many great examples were presented of putting research into innovative practice.
- We learnt about the possibilities offered by technology, AI, mapping, the assessment of the many benefits of urban forests, tree equity, innovations in design, planning, management. We also worked with topics like biosecurity, building novel governance and partnerships, and test areas such as urban climate arboreta.
- Developing new policies, legislation, governance, metrics are all important innovation. Colleagues from Zagreb showed how spatial planning, landscape professions, and foresters can collaborate to build a strong framework for urban forestry.
- Quite some attention was given to engaging with residents, communities, other professionals, and how to do this in meaningful ways. We also learnt that when done right, participation is not easy.
- Tree agency and the role of trees as actors was a new topic this year. We need the participation of trees and to find ways of speaking for the trees. Sharon Durdant-Hollamby stressed the importance of giving trees a name to stress their importance, for example in urban development processes.
- Through engaging with urban residents, as shown by Silvija Krajter Ostoić and Wendy Chen in their keynotes, we can learn about expectation, different perceptions and preferences.
- It is important to develop clear visions and directions for our urban forests. Here we have to take a long-term perspective and describe the desired urban forests of the future.
- Metrics and tools like the Tree Equity Score and the 3+30+300-rule for greener and healthier cities can provide guidance for these strategic efforts.
- We also need to discuss how we see the wider contributions of urban forestry in a time of climate and ecological crises and the development of healthier and more resilient cities. Concepts like that of Biocities, as presented by Giuseppe Scarascia-Mugnozza can help with this.
- Connections are crucial forest urban forestry. Connections between people and trees, communities and nature, research and practice, between different disciplines and professions.
- At this forum we spoke quite a bit about the need to strengthen connections between arboriculture and urban forestry, as shown by Stefania Gasperini when she introduced the European Arboricultural Council.
- Of course EFUF is also about building connections between all of us!
- Because of climate change, public health, and other challenges, attention for urban forests is growing. With this, expectations from the urban forest and urban foresters, as expressed by politicians, urban communities, other professionals, and others is growing too. We need to be ready for this.
- We have to be professional and apply the best knowledge and practices available to us, while also continuing to advance these. EFUF can help.
- EFUF 2024, as every EFUF, is also a time of celebration. Of urban forestry, of urban trees, of ourselves.
- Let’s not forget to celebrate our successes and achievements, big or small. It is easy to forget this.
- We have a lot to celebrate, even when there are many challenges. Contributing to a better world, to better cities, to healthier and happier people and trees, is quite a rewarding undertaking!
EFUF2024 Wrap-up © 2024 by Cecil Konijnendijk & Rik De Vreese is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International