Trees and Design Action Group

The Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) is a world first
TDAG brings together a pioneering group of individuals, professionals and organisations from wide ranging disciplines in both the public and private sectors to increase awareness of the role of trees in the built environment. Learn about what we do

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News

Urban trees will be in focus at Futurebuild, 3rd-5th March 2020, ExCel, London: Plan your visit!

This year, a lot is on offer about urban trees at Futurebuild, including an Urban Forest Pavilion gathering a range of urban tree-related exhibitors:

Don’t miss the Urban Forest Pavilion workshops:
TDAG has designed a rich three-day programme of interactive workshop sessions led by experts in their fields to look at a broad spectrum of issues relating to urban trees and invite participants to put the questions and seek advice. Topics to be covered include: tree species selection, citizen engagement, tree planting strategies, trees and SuDS, trees and planning, trees and the climate emergency, tree pit design, forest bathing… and more.
Click HERE to download Urban Forest Pavilion Workshops programme.

Visit the TDAG Stand (G149) and get one-to-one attention from experts on hand
Located in the Urban Forest Pavilion next to the Critical Infrastructure Keynote Stage, the TDAG stand (G149) will provide opportunities to see our latest work and learn about some of our work in progress (we have a big publication coming up on Trees, Planning and Development in July 2020). A wide range of experts will also be on hand to discuss on a one-to-one basis any questions that is brought to them.
Click HERE to download the TDAG stand roster.

Check-out the Critical Infrastructure seminar programme
A number of TDAG members will also take part in the seminars offered on the Critical Infrastructure Keynote Stage (next to the Urban Forest Pavilion and the TDAG’s stand). Critical infrastructure seminars featuring TDAG members who will address how to better work with trees include:

On 4th March:
“Exploring natural solutions for urban sustainability” (10.45-12.00), featuring among other Dr Emma Ferranti (University of Birmingham) and Anne Jaluzot (Green Infrastructure Consultant) who will present the short TDAG guide they co-authored on valuing trees and other green infrastructure.

“Small changes, better places: re-imagining our cities in a zero carbon world” (16.00-17.15), featuring among others Jim Smith (National Urban Forestry Advisor, Forestry Commission) who will offer a perspective on how much urban canopy cover can be increased.

On 5th March:
“The collaboration challenge” (12.30-13.45), which will feature representatives from wide ranging industries, including Jim Smith (National Urban Forestry Advisor, Forestry Commission) who will explore the importance of collaboration in urban tree planting.

“Maintenance and retrofitting – a crucial and creative challenge for today” (14.15-15.30) which, among other topics will cover issues related to tree roots and infrastructure conflicts, with Jeremy Barrell (MD, Barrell Tree Consultancy).

Further details about the Critical Infrastructure Seminars can be found at:
www.futurebuild.co.uk/whats-on/keynote-stages?&filters.STREAM=critical-infrastructure

TDAG is a Landscape Institute Awards 2019 finalist!

We are very proud that our first digital guide – Tree Species Selection for Green Infrastructure – has been shortlisted in the Landscape Innovation Award category. The guide could not have been realised without the generous support of its primary funder NERC, together with our other project partners: Lancaster University, University Centre Myerscough, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Arboricultural Association, the Horticultural Trade Association and the Royal Horticultural Society.

For further details: https://awards.landscapeinstitute.org/award-categories/open-categories/innovation-award/

Now available: First Steps in Valuing Trees and Green Infrastructure

Many tools and methods are now available for valuing trees and other green infrastructure assets. How do they compare? Can they all be used for the same purpose? Can the use of valuation really help achieve better decision-making on environmental assets?

This short guide produced in partnership with the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR) and the School of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Science of the University of Birmingham aims to provide some basic, accessible answers.

It introduces the scenarios where valuation can be used as a mechanism to deliver a positive change in the way that policy, investment, design and management decisions affect environmental assets. It provides a range of tips and questions to consider when embarking on a valuation project, explains the applicability, strengths and limitations of some of the main valuation tools available in the UK, and offers some case studies illustrating good practice.

The guide is free to download. Share it widely!

New data reveals the power of big trees, and the impact of tree management on the benefits we derive from trees

Forest Research has compiled extensive datasets on tree benefits arising from UK-based i-Tree Eco studies together with literature from academic, industry, central and local government sources to investigate how ecosystems services provided by trees vary across 30 species commonly found in the urban landscape, and how management decisions further impact benefits derived.

Findings from this excellent work illustrate that management practices significantly influence ecosystem services delivery by urban forests through selection of the trees planted, how trees are maintained, and when and for what reasons trees are removed. This research also demonstrates that healthy large trees provide the greatest quantities of ecosystem services per tree, emphasising the importance of urban forest management that values and protects these trees.

This work is available in three separate publications by Forest Research:

Research Note: Understanding the role of urban tree management on ecosystem services, which provides an overview of the findings, summarising key figures presented in the two research reports listed below, while drawing clear conclusions on practical implications for urban tree management.

Research Report: Ecosystem services delivery by large stature urban trees reviews the provision of four ecosystem services by 12 large stature tree species using the i-Tree Eco model and compares the performance of trees in different age classifications and climate regions.

Research Report: Ecosystem services delivery by small and medium stature urban trees reviews the provision of four ecosystem services by 18 small and medium stature tree species using the i-Tree Eco model and compares the performance of these trees in different age groups.

Greater Lyon Tree Charter: a must-read!

The Greater Lyon Tree Charter is now available in English. The Charter was designed by the Greater Lyon Authority as a partnership-building tool to enhance the long-term management of trees across France's third largest city. It offers a set of common principles, together with a powerful rationale for action and a rich set of ideas for implementation for wide ranging audiences. So far, over 100 local and national stakeholders (including Greater Lyon's 59 boroughs, utility companies, the French equivalent of the UK's Landscape Institute, some tree nurseries, etc.) have signed the Charter, committing themselves to adhere to its Principles and to develop their own action plan for implementation. Both the approach and the recommendations featured in the Greater Lyon Tree Charter are highly relevant and directly applicable to the management of trees in towns and cities on this side of the Channel! Click here to download your copy.

...More News here!

Guides

Compiles accessible information and advice about the use of economic valuation approaches for trees and green infrastructure, which tool or method to choose and how to get started.

Provides clear, robust information together with a decision-making tool to enable appropriate tree species selection for a wide range of urban planting sites and aid the diversification of the urban forest.

Compiles the basics built environment professionals need to know about urban air quality and how urban infrastructure design – including green infrastructure – determines where air pollution is produced, and how it disperses.

Explores the practical challenges and solutions to delivering trees in 21st century streets, civic spaces and surface car parks, detailing process, design and technical options.

Offers 12 principles of best practice for all those involved in local decision making to ensure that our 21st century towns and cities are underpinned by a 21st century approach to urban trees, for maximum economic, social and environmental returns.

Videos

We filmed international guest speakers Dr Kathleen Wolf and Björn Embrén at our June 2015 seminars.