20 CONTEXT 180 : JUNE 2024 ERIKA DIAZ PETERSEN Everyone needs trees Trees are an intrinsic part of our cultural and natural heritage, and in the urban environment they are part of the history of how places have developed. Trees are crucial to our future in the context of the climate and biodiversity emergencies. They create healthy environments, encourage access to greenspace and support wellbeing. The government has set out ambitious plans for increasing tree cover in the England Trees Action Plan 2021–24. Urban areas have a part to play through incorporating trees along streets and integrating greenspaces into new developments. The mature trees in our urban parks and other green spaces, lining our streets and avenues, were mostly planted from the mid-19th century onwards. Beginning in the 1830s and 1840s, there were calls for the systematic planting of street trees, in part inspired by tree-lined boulevards in continental Europe1. At the same time, the movement to provide public parks was gathering momentum, with objectives to improve public health and recreation. These parks and other green spaces, such as arboreta and garden cemeteries, would become green lungs in polluted industrial towns and cities. The older street trees with which we are most familiar are largely London planes, limes and horse chestnuts. By the time of the creation of garden cities and suburbs in the 20th century, a greater variety of street trees began to be planted. Trees in parks, arboreta, cemeteries and in public and private gardens include diverse species and cultivars. They often relate to trends in planting at different periods, have symbolic associations (in cemeteries in particular) or form part of botanical collections. Trees in parks, green spaces and private gardens make a substantial contribution to our urban forests. Many trees in urban areas survive from, and can help tell the story of, previous pre-urban landscapes. They may be located in commons Richmond Park is London’s largest site of special scientific interest. Some of the oaks seen here predate the enclosure of the park in 1637. (Photo: Rob Cowan) 1 Johnston, Mark (2017) Street Trees in Britain: a history, Windgatherer Press, Oxford
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