The presence of trees in the urban landscape has multiple benefits. In addition to beautifying the city and improving public space, trees purify the air and reduce dirt, acting as a filter for pollution and dust. They also combat stress and noise pollution, due to their acoustic screen effect. They provide shade and shelter, and protect urban environments from potential flooding. In the face of the adverse consequences of climate change, they can help make cities more resilient.

With these and other benefits in mind, cities like Barcelona and Manchester have announced ambitious projects to increase their tree mass and add value to it. In the case of the city of Barcelona, ​​the City Council has announced that it will increase the annual investment in trees by 16% within the framework of the Master Plan for Trees 2017-2037 “Trees to live”, according to La Vanguardia. The Catalan capital currently has 1.4 million trees, and the project aims to increase the city’s wooded area by 5% in the next 20 years. However, the idea is not just to plant more, but to enhance the variety of species and opt for more functional and resilient specimens to climate change. Thus, they want to reverse the monoculture of bananas, which in 1992 accounted for 50% of the urban tree mass, with the consequent problems of pests and diseases, and ensure that it does not exceed 15%, nor does any species. Therefore, current species will be replaced by new species, selected for being better adapted to the urban environment – ​​more resistant to high temperatures, water stress, pollution, etc.–, due to its attractiveness, shade and attractiveness to fauna.

As for Manchester, the authorities have announced a project to plant as many as three million trees in its metropolitan area over the next 25 years, one tree for every inhabitant. As told to the BBC, it is intended to plant on mass land existing forestry, in new plots, in corridors that connect the tree masses to benefit biodiversity, but also with the focus on streets, parks and private gardens. According to those responsible, to plant new trees it is necessary to be able to adequately manage the current ones, and a fundamental part of the project is to involve citizens in the planting and management of areas, increasing awareness of the benefit of trees in the urban landscape.