About Us

Vision

To create resilient and healthy cities by enhancing the ways in which people understand, access, plan and manage urban forests

Aim

To advance the science of urban forestry and the stewardship of sustainable urban ecosystems by conducting cutting-edge research across multiple scales

Principles

INTERDISCIPLINARY

We adopt an interdisciplinary and applied approach to understand the social, biophysical and technological aspects of urban forestry.

COLLABORATIVE

We partner with non-academic agencies, organizations and communities to inform policy and practice.

INCLUSIVE

We practice inclusivity and consider the relationships between all human and non-human nature, regardless of social, physical, intellectual or sensory conditions.

DIVERSE

We consider social and ecological diversity and design our methods to reflect this.

ENGAGED

We mobilize relationships with diverse partners through meaningful engagement, co-production and sharing of knowledge.

Our Story

The Urban Forests Research Hub is a dynamic, interdisciplinary collaborative that brings together experts committed to advancing urban forest research and practice. Our work is anchored in core themes of equity, climate resilience, urban ecology, biodiversity, accessibility, and human well-being.

Housed within the Faculty of Forestry at the University of British Columbia, the Hub connects multiple research labs and fosters partnerships with municipal, regional, and national government agencies, grassroots organizations, private-sector actors, and other stakeholders across North America and beyond. Through these collaborations, we inform research-driven policies, raise awareness of pressing challenges affecting urban forests, and equip students and early-career scholars with the knowledge and skills to lead meaningful change in communities worldwide.

Looking ahead, the Hub seeks to broaden its impact by engaging a diverse network of collaborators in high-impact projects across Canada, and globally. Within UBC, we are committed to strengthening interdisciplinary connections, positioning the Hub as a central platform for knowledge exchange and cooperation in shaping the future of urban forests.