Description
A steadily increasing proportion of Europeans lives in urban settings, where green infrastructure
is vital for quality of life. Urban trees are a central element, improving air quality, mitigating urban heat,
supporting biodiversity, and offering social, psychological, and economic benefits. However, urban
environments challenge tree health due to pollution, heat, and limited soil. Urban trees risk premature
decline from inadequate management, especially in small and medium cities lacking access to updated,
future-proof information.
FREE3 builds on the COST Action CA20132 (UrbanTreeGuard) and develops a free, open-source “one-stop shop”
platform to support urban tree management. The project will offer a tree inventory tool, risk assessment
resources, and decision-support systems for best practices in urban forestry. It includes training, webinars,
and stakeholder engagement to support implementation and long-term sustainability. The aim is to enhance
resilience, ecosystem services, and livability of European cities.
Action keywords
Urban forestry - Urban tree management - Tree inventory - Climate adaptation - Biosecurity - Ecosystem services - Decision-support tools - Risk assessment - Small and medium-sized cities - Nature-based solutions - Open-source platform - Stakeholder engagement - Resilient cities - Sustainable urban planning
Main Contacts
Action Contacts
COST Staff
Leadership
| Role | Leader |
|---|---|
| Action Chair | |
| Action Vice-Chair |