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

Support our work

News

Call for Papers Issued for Trees, People and the Built Environment 3
A call for papers has been issued for a major triennial international urban trees research conference. Trees People and the Built Environment 3 (TPBE 3) will take place on 5-6 April 2017, at the University of Birmingham, and follows on from acclaimed events in 2011 and 2014. This third edition of the conference will focus on two significant areas of research: Roads to Place – Why trees are an integral part of highway transport design on Day 1 and The Health Crisis – the role of trees in improving human health (Mental, physical, social and cultural) on Day 2. Click here for more details on paper submissions.

French version of Trees in Hard Landscapes now available
Thanks to VAL'HOR, the umbrella organisation representing the landscape and horticulture sector in France, Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for Delivery has been translated into French and was launched on Tuesday 31 May at the 99th French Congress of Mayors.
After a send-off by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, an 8-strong team led by the research and knowledge UK Charity Fund4Trees has cycled all the way from London to Paris to come and present the translated version to representatives of the French Association of Mayor's Environment Committee. To download the french version, click here or on the cover image left.

Take part in our survey on tree selection
For more background on this project, see our Research page.
Please also help us spread the word to your colleagues and contacts, encouraging them to take part - this survey will take only 5 minutes to fill!

All ready for the London2Paris charity bike ride that will bring the French translation of Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for Delivery to the 99th Congress of French Mayors!
At the end of May, the London2Paris charity ride organised by Fund4Trees in partnership with TDAG and key other national arboriculture organisations will "deliver" the newly completed french translation of Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for Delivery to a high profile audience of French local elected officials gathered at the 99th French Congress of Mayors to be held Porte de Versailles, in Paris. The translation of the guide was made possible through funding provided by VAL'HOR, the umbrella branch organisation for ornamental horticulture and landscape in France. For more details, see our press release.

The funds and resources raised through the London2Paris ride will contribute to fund urban tree research. To make donations visit: http://fund4trees.org.uk/donate/

TDAG & academic partners awarded NERC research grant to explore 'Tree Selection for Green Infrastructure': get ready to participate!
Myerscough College, Lancaster University and TDAG have just been awarded a research grant by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) to develop some guidance on tree selection for green infrastructure. Crucially, this project involves knowledge exchange. Therefore, there will be lots of opportunity for you to contribute to the outcomes of the project. The research results will then be used to develop some TDAG guidance on tree selection. It is hoped that this will be a valuable decision making tool for you to use when making tree selection decisions. Have a look at our Research page for more details on upcoming opportunities for participation (the first of these will be in the form of a survey of current selection practices). We will of course be posting some updates as the project progresses!

How to approach the inclusion of trees in an MfS/MfS2-based Highways Design Guide?
The 8Cs and TDAG join forces to explore ways forward

Last 17 February, 49 East-Midlands-based highways engineers, planners, tree specialists, designers and developers took part in “Roads to Places – integrating green infrastructure for highways” at the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall. Building upon the content of Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for Delivery, this ICE- and CIHT-endorsed one-day workshop was organised by TDAG to facilitate an informed cross-disciplinary discussion among local Highways Authorities on how to make the most of trees and wider contemporary green infrastructure solutions in highways design.

Having come together into a local partnership initially called the 6Cs, Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Leicestershire County Council, and Leicester City Council jointly issued in 2004 a Highways Design Guide to deal with highways and transport infrastructure for new developments in their areas. Despite numerous benefits since publication, the guide now falls short of embracing modern design principles and design processes.

The 8Cs (now including Blackpool Council and Cheshire East) have therefore embarked on a rewrite of the guide, with the objectives of:

Establishing a clear connection with national guidance such as MfS and MfS2, and
Creating a framework for stronger collaborative working with all stakeholders involved in the way residential developments are designed and built, including county and local planning departments, public health authorities, major house builders and developers, and special interests groups.

The 17 February 8Cs/TDAG workshop offered the opportunity to explore the roles trees could play in supporting both the place and movement functions of highways, key success factor for achieving successful long term integration of trees and grey infrastructure, and delivery mechanisms – especially funding via commuted sums payments. The recommendations workshop participants identified in discussions together with the ideas and examples TDAG workshop facilitators raised in presentation make an informative read – all are captured in the workshop notes available below. Please feel free to circulate widely.

The 17 February 8Cs/TDAG workshop was made possible thanks to the generous support of Nottingham City Council, who provided the venue free of charge, and of Carbon Gold, Geosynthetics, GreenBlue Urban and InfraGreen Solutions, who covered food and refreshments, as well as provision of one hardcopy of Trees in Hard Landscapes: A Guide for Delivery for each delegate.

Roads to places_interating green infrastructure_workshop notes.pdf
File Size:	391 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

A great deal can be learned from London's Green Infrastructure Task Force's recommendations!
In 2014, London launched its first Infrastructure Plan 2050 to identify, prioritise and cost London’s future infrastructure. Green infrastructure is a key consideration in the plan, on par with transport, energy, water and waste.

To build upon this work, the Mayor of London established a Green Infrastructure Task Force bringing together a wide range of interests and expertise to identify how to encourage a more strategic and long-term approach to investment in and delivery of green infrastructure.

The Task Force report – Natural Capital: Investing in a Green Infrastructure for a Future City was released on 9th December 2015. It identifies why long-term investment in green infrastructure is necessary, and the changes to policy, governance, valuation and funding that are needed to sustain the required investment... At a time when most major cities in the UK are gearing up to green their approach to infrastructure provision (Biophilic City Birmingham, Greater Manchester Natural Capital approach, etc.), the London report provides city leaders around the country with a useful blueprint to go beyond declarations of intent, and tackle the issues associated with operationalising their vision.

i-Tree Eco project: full report on the extent and benefits of London's urban forest now available!
Valuing London's Urban Forest, the report presenting the findings from London i-Tree Eco Project, was launched on 2nd December 2015 at the House of Lord by Lord Framlingham, with warm support from Environment Minister Rory Stewart MP. A free copy of the report can be downloaded here, while the raw data is available here (scroll all the way down on the left to find the download buttons).

The report puts monetary values to some of the benefits that London’s trees provide such as air quality improvement, flood attenuation and carbon storage. It also offers for the first time a comprehensive picture of the size, age structure and species composition of the London tree population, providing an unprecedented evidence base for future management.

The report also calls for everyone to make their own contribution to protecting and enhancing London’s tree cover. This will help ensure that London continues to be a green city for future generations by protecting and planting trees in gardens, supporting tree planting by others, supporting organisations that promote and protect London’s trees. More information can be found on on the Forestry Commission's London i-Tree Project webpage and on the Treeconomics website (Treeconomics led the report writing). See also this Guardian article published on Monday 7th December 2015 by Patrick Barkham.

The updated SuDS Manual (C753) includes a chapter on trees!
TDAG welcomes the updated SuDS Manual, which introduces a brand new chapter on trees! Trees and tree rooting environments can be used as key building blocks for sustainable drainage, while improving quality of life and urban space by making them more vibrant, visually attractive, sustainable and resilient to change by improving urban air quality, regulating building temperatures, reducing noise and delivering recreation and education opportunities. The updated SuDS Manual (now C753) incorporates the very latest research, industry practice and guidance on SuDS delivery. To to download your free copy, visit the CIRIA website.

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.

Guides

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.