Urban trees are being increasingly recognised for the many benefits they provide, such as removing carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, providing habitats for wildlife, and making our urban areas more attractive, enjoyable and healthy places to live and spend time in. To help manage and understand this important resource, Trees for Cities, Brillianto, Woodland Trust and Forest Research have hosted a citizen science project to map the canopy cover of towns and cities across the England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Contributors have helped to build this canopy cover map for the UK by measuring the canopy cover across the UK.
Using the i-Tree Canopy tool, the canopy cover for 283 towns and cities in England was assessed in 2016 as part of a baseline study. Canopy cover was assessed at the town or city level, and an average canopy cover of 15.8% was estimated. For full results of the study please see The Canopy Cover of England’s Towns and Cities: baselining and setting targets to improve human health and well-being (Trees People and the Built Environment 3, 2017).
