Urban forests include all trees, shrubs, understory plants, and their soils on public and private lands within municipal boundaries.
Urban forests provide numerous benefits for our society and economy, playing a crucial role in the green infrastructure network.
Urban forests contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation, reducing air and water pollution, and storing carbon. They are also linked to improved mental and physical well-being.
The urban forest also plays a vital role in the Natural Heritage System in highly urbanized landscapes such as the Greater Toronto Area where natural forests are scarce.
Parks
Parks can serve as vital connections between urban and rural ecosystems, safeguarding biodiversity, migratory routes, and pollinator habitats.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) conservation parks and lands offer places to have fun, relieve stress, and connect with nature.
Projects
TRCA engages in a wide variety of projects supporting urban forestry initiatives – both for partner municipalities and for our own watershed planning process.
We work on urban forestry at the neighbourhood, municipal, regional, and watershed scales.
NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECTS
TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) works to enhance the urban forest in selected neighbourhoods, creating opportunities for residents to plant trees and discover their benefits.
MUNICIPAL PROJECTS
TRCA collaborates with municipalities to develop assessments of the distribution, structure, and health of the urban forest.
This helps municipalities manage, protect, and enhance the urban forest set and understand the benefits that urban forest provides to residents, especially in the face of climate change.
Studying and monitoring the urban forest provides important information to support its protection and enhancement through evidence informed management and policies.
Urban forests are typically monitored through canopy cover assessments using remotely sensed data such as satellite imagery and field data collection which provides detailed information on species, size, and condition.
Canopy cover is an important indicator of the extent and health of the urban forest.
Regular assessments can help track and establish trends in land cover and canopy cover, as well as support the evaluation of the effectiveness of efforts to increase canopy cover, which can guide future management decisions, including where to focus protection and target enhancements.
TRCA projects with municipalities include:
York Region Forest Studies, 2021 – 2025
Between 2021 and 2025, TRCA and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA), working with York Region and local municipalities, conducted i-Tree Eco urban forest field studies in all nine local municipalities in York Region.
In 2025, TRCA will integrate these data and findings to assess the distribution, structure, composition, and health of urban forests and quantify the ecosystem services provided across the Region.
York Region Canopy Cover Assessments and State of the Forest Reporting
TRCA was retained by York Region to support detailed mapping of land cover and canopy cover across the Region between 2009 and 2016, and again in 2021.
A new update is planned in 2025 to be completed in 2026.
Canopy cover assessments allow York Region and its local municipalities to track progress towards canopy cover goals (if set), assess changes in canopy cover and causes thereof, and identify potential tree planting opportunities.
Canopy cover assessments are also reported in York Region’s State of the Forest reports. TRCA is working with York Region to prepare the 2026 State of the Forest Report.
View the 2021 State of the Forest Report.
Peel Natural Green Infrastructure Asset Inventory and Condition Assessment, 2022 – Ongoing
Peel Region has partnered with TRCA and Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) to complete a natural green infrastructure inventory and condition assessment.
Data is being collected for individual trees, tree and shrub clusters (including forests, hedges, and clumps) and larger tree and shrub communities that fall into regional road rights-of-way and on regionally owned and managed properties.
The data collected will support regional asset management planning as well as urban forest health and maintenance objectives.
Field teams collect data on tree species, size, and health. They also collect data on invasive plants, pests, and tree diseases.
Peel Canopy Cover Assessment, 2007, 2015, 2021
Peel Region, City of Mississauga, City of Brampton, Town of Caledon, Credit Valley Conservation (CVC), and TRCA have worked together to update canopy cover data approximately every five years.
The first canopy cover assessment was completed in 2007, and only included urban areas. The next canopy cover assessment was completed in 2015 and covered the entire Region.
In 2021, the most recent assessment was undertaken, which involved mapping canopy cover, assessing canopy cover change, and identifying opportunities for future canopy cover enhancements.
Peel Best Management Practice Guides, 2021
TRCA has helped to develop a series of applied urban forest best practice guides for building resilience in Peel Region and southern Ontario in the context of climate change.
The Best Management Practice Guides highlight:
- The importance of investing in the urban forest
- A comprehensive framework and principles for urban forest adaptation
- Fostering diversity at multiple scales
- Embracing a multi-disciplinary and integrated approach
THE GUIDES:
Select the thumbnail images below to download the guides.
Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition and Greenbelt Large Parks Research
TRCA partnered with the Green Infrastructure Ontario Coalition and the Greenbelt Foundation on a series of reports about large parks in the Greater Golden Horseshoe of southern Ontario.
This research focused on identifying existing large parks and the need for additional park creation to address growing populations and equitable access:
- Improving Access to Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe (2022)
- State of Large Parks in Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe (2019)
- Integrating Private Lands in Large Park Networks (2023)
Select the thumbnail images below to download the reports.
The latest report, Integrating Private Lands in Large Park Networks – Case Studies and Recommendations, written by TRCA, Cambium Indigenous Professional Services, and the Greenbelt Foundation, further examines the potential for incorporating private lands into large park and trail systems to increase greenspace access for all.
WATERSHED PROJECTS
TRCA has recently completed the Etobicoke Creek Watershed Plan and is working on the Humber River Watershed Plan.
These plans include an assessment of the urban forest’s impact on watershed health. They characterize the current state of the urban forest and how it is changing, and present different land use scenarios for canopy cover.
This assessment helps us make management recommendations to improve watershed heath.
APPLIED RESEARCH
TRCA conducts applied research on urban forests.
For example, TRCA published Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review in partnership with University of Washington, Government of Canada, University of British Columbia, and Tree Canada.
This review provides a comprehensive summary of literature on the health impacts of urban trees that can inform future research, policy, and nature-based public health interventions.
Contact
TRCA Watershed Planning and Ecosystem Science: wpes@trca.ca