Urban Forestry in Scotland: A vision for greener cities

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By Des Hackett, Urban Forestry Manager

Future Woodlands Scotland envisions that, over the next decade, towns and cities across Scotland will make significant strides toward achieving the “3-30-300” rule. Until now, the charity has primarily focused on the creation and restoration of native woodlands. However, with our Urban Forestry Programme, we are shifting our attention to where the majority of people live and work – our towns and cities.

The 3-30-300 Rule

The 3-30-300 rule, developed by Cecil Konijnendijk of the Nature Based Solutions Institute, sets an ambitious standard: every person should be able to see at least three trees from their home or workplace; every neighbourhood should have a minimum of 30% tree canopy cover; and every home should be within 300 metres of high-quality greenspace. Unfortunately, like much of the UK, urban Scotland is far from meeting this target, with canopy cover still below 16%.

Taking action: Current initiatives

Future Woodlands Scotland is already making a difference. We are excited to be funding a tree warden scheme for the Clyde Climate Forest, an ambitious initiative to plant 18 million trees over the next decade, including 1.5 million urban trees. Tree wardens will soon be assisting in maintaining the 10,000 urban trees already planted across the Glasgow City Region and will play a crucial role in new plantings over the coming years.

Another project we’re funding is Treelink Stirling’s Free Nut and Fruit Tree initiative. Residents in two neighbourhoods with very low tree canopy cover are being offered free trees to plant and care for in their gardens.

Strategic and targeted investment

At the core of these projects is the principle that funding must be targeted and trees must be maintained. It’s not merely about the quantity of trees planted but ensuring they are planted in the right places – neighbourhoods that will most benefit from the diverse advantages trees provide. Targeting our funding effectively is supported by the Tree Equity tool, developed by American Forests and recently adapted for the UK by the Woodland Trust. This tool combines tree canopy cover data with certain ecosystem service data and socio-economic information, making it invaluable for funders like us to strategically allocate resources. It also holds great potential as an advocacy tool for increasing tree presence in neighbourhoods that need it most.

We plan to fund many more projects through our new Urban Forestry Fund, open until 15 November. We’re seeking well-conceived projects, offering up to £100,000 in funding for projects lasting up to three years.

Looking ahead

However, funding projects alone will not be enough to significantly increase canopy cover. We must support efforts to drive a change in approach. That’s why we will allocate a significant portion of the £10m available to us over the next decade to support a more integrated approach to urban forestry, particularly within local authorities and public bodies.

There are positive developments on the horizon. For example, similar to England’s Biodiversity Net Gain, the latest iteration of Scotland’s National Planning Framework introduces a requirement for Positive Effects for Biodiversity in development proposals. However, we need to see this emphasis across a broader range of policies, supported by effective guidance, support, and, where necessary, enforcement. Local authorities and other public bodies must be effectively resourced, with planners and professionals well versed in best practice in green and blue infrastructure and supported by qualified Tree Officers. Services such as housing, transport and education must view their functions through a “green lens”, working holistically to increase canopy cover and implement Sustainable Urban Drainage systems and other green and blue infrastructure.

Challenges and opportunities

The responsibility for managing greener urban landscapes will largely fall to councils. It is unfortunate that, just as the importance of trees and green infrastructure is becoming more widely recognised, the resources available to them is at an all-time low. Nevertheless, the value that trees and green infrastructure provide in urban areas must be acknowledged and matched by appropriate investment and care to maximise benefits. The returns to those living and working in our towns and cities will far exceed the cost of establishing more trees in urban environments. Moreover, people will benefit not only passively, through a healthier environment, but also actively by engaging in the process of establishing and maintaining trees. That’s why community involvement is central to the projects we support.

Collaborating for change

Future Woodlands Scotland is eager to work with partners to drive this change. Whether it’s supporting training and upskilling in sector, helping to develop the data needed to manage our urban forests more effectively or supporting research to make a strong, evidence-based case for increasing tree cover in our towns and cities, we are committed to working together for a greener Scotland.

Do you have an urban forestry project? Applications for the Urban Forestry Fund are open from 24 November 2025 to 23 January 2026. Visit Future Woodlands Scotland for details.

Updated information October 2025:

Our Urban Forestry Challenge Fund has had a very successful first year and there are now 12 projects underway or about to get started. We are supporting community groups, schools, environmental charities and local authorities across urban Scotland and the positive impacts are already becoming evident. At Linn Park in Glasgow the Friends group have created a local community growing area where they are already growing on trees to be planted in surrounding neighbourhoods, contributing to tree equity. At St Mark’s Primary school in East Renfrewshire the children are getting involved in transforming the school grounds through tree planting which will not only make for a healthier learning environment but increase tree canopy cover in a neighbourhood with just 9% canopy cover.

Our next round of funding opens on 24 November and again we’ll once again be looking for projects that contribute to our 3-30-300 vision and address tree equity in Scotland.

Funding of up to £100,000 for projects lasting up to three years will be available for successful bids. For further information on the projects we are funding and for details on how to apply, please visit the urban forestry page on our website: https://futurewoodlands.org.uk/urban-forestry/

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