Urban forest governance and community engagement

This chapter focuses on concepts, issues and practices of governance and public participation and how these apply to urban forestry. It highlights trends in governance and community engagement to date, and explores how emerging challenges and opportunities in a changing world may influence governance and engagement for urban forestry in the future. The chapter also introduces a framework for understanding and analysing urban forest governance. This is followed by a description of the range of regulatory, policy and guidance instruments typically used in urban forest governance. Several scholars have applied the so-called policy arrangement approach originally developed by Van Tatenhove et al. specifically to the context of forest governance and even urban forest governance. Next, the chapter examines community engagement and participatory processes applicable to urban forestry. Selected case studies illustrate how urban forestry governance issues are being addressed in various countries. Finally, the chapter summarizes the current state of urban forest governance, and identifies needed and promising new approaches.