Integrating trees into Scotland’s urban infrastructure

Urban Trees as Essential Services in Scotland

What if we treated trees like roads, schools, or hospitals? What if we saw them as essential services vital to the health, resilience, and wellbeing of our cities?

Urban trees clean the air, cool streets, absorb floodwater, and support mental health. In many Scottish towns and cities, tree cover is uneven. Wealthier areas often have more trees than areas with higher social deprivation.

With rising urban temperatures and more frequent flooding, trees can be a frontline defense against climate impacts.

Public Support for Tree Planting

The public already understands their value. The 2025 Public Opinion of Forestry Survey found that 81% of people in Scotland think “a lot more trees should be planted.” Two-thirds want more woodland in their communities. Nearly half would contact their local authority about problems with urban trees, and over a third are willing to plant and care for them themselves.

Future Woodlands Scotland Initiative

At Future Woodlands Scotland, we have spent the past few years listening, learning, and laying the groundwork for change. In 2024, we launched the Urban Forestry Programme, a ten-year commitment to expand Scotland’s urban tree canopy, supported by JERA Nex bp.

Through this initiative, we provide grants of up to £100,000 for tree planting and greening projects through the Urban Forestry Challenge Fund. We work with partners to build skills, knowledge, and capacity for long-term change. This year, we brought together more than 150 planners for a national webinar, part-funded a canopy analysis study across six development sites, and began planning an Urban Forestry Conference for June 2026.

Tree Equity Score Tool

To ensure trees go where they are needed most, we use the Tree Equity Score tool. This tool helps target areas where planting will deliver the greatest benefits for health, climate resilience, and social fairness. We believe this makes us one of the first UK organizations to embed tree equity into funding decisions.

3:30:300 Rule for Tree Equity

Our programme is guided by the 3:30:300 rule, developed by Cecil Konijnendijk of the Nature Based Solutions Institute. The rule sets a vision for tree equity: every person should see at least three trees from their home or workplace, every neighborhood should have a minimum of 30% tree canopy cover, and every home should be within 300 meters of high-quality greenspace.

The 3:30:300 principle is gaining momentum worldwide. Malmö in Sweden adopted the guideline in 2023 as a cornerstone of its city plan. All local services, from housing to transport, must work towards these goals, making green spaces a shared responsibility.

In Flanders, the rule is used in the region’s climate and health strategy. In the Netherlands, political parties are including the 3:30:300 model in national and local election programmes.

Local Implementation of Tree Equity

Closer to home, East Lothian Council has set a 30% canopy target and will include the principle in its Open Space Strategy. It is committed to making green spaces and increased canopy cover core to how land is planned and managed across its streets, housing developments, and public spaces.

Aberdeenshire Council has also mapped the town of Inverurie using the 3:30:300 formula to guide tree planting where it matters most.

Benefits of Urban Trees

Trees in towns and cities do more than look good. They clean air, cool streets, and reduce flooding. Mature trees can remove up to 150 kg of pollutants each year, including harmful particulates and nitrogen dioxide. By providing shade, they can cut city temperatures by up to five degrees Celsius, reducing heat stress and energy demand. Trees also slow rainfall and help water soak into soil, reducing surface runoff and flood risk. They raise property values and create habitats for wildlife, even in dense city centers.

A Forest Research study (2021) estimated that UK woodlands save around £185 million each year in avoided mental health costs, such as GP visits, prescriptions, inpatient care, social services, and lost workdays linked to mental health issues. Based on population size, woodland recreation is estimated to save £26 million in Scotland.

Community Involvement in Tree Planting

One of the projects funded by our Urban Forestry Programme is the Clyde Climate Forest Tree Warden Scheme. This scheme has expanded its recruitment to include 52 volunteers across eight councils in the Glasgow City Region. Volunteers have planted more than 6,200 trees in 16 neighborhoods and care for young trees through training and maintenance. This hands-on approach builds local ownership and ensures trees thrive long after planting.

Need for Stronger National Policy

It is clear that urban forestry is gaining momentum, but it needs stronger backing in national policy. The Scottish Government’s Forestry Strategy promotes woodland expansion, but the focus remains largely rural. Urban trees, and the communities that rely on them, deserve equal attention.

Expanding tree cover at scale means rethinking how we plan and manage our towns and cities. Trees must be seen as part of the same essential systems that keep cities running, alongside transport, drainage, and power. This shift demands better coordination between councils, infrastructure planners, and communities, as well as long-term investment and leadership.

Ongoing Support for Urban Forestry

We will continue supporting communities, schools, and local groups through the Urban Forestry Programme, which is open to funding applications until 23 January 2026. We invite planners, policymakers, and developers to get involved in our Urban Forestry Conference in June 2026.

When we plant trees, we create healthier, more connected places where people and nature thrive.