An urban forest encompasses the trees and shrubs in an urban area, including trees in yards, along streets and utility corridors, in protected areas, and in watersheds. (Escobedo, Kroeger, & Wagner, 2011; Miller, Hauer, & Werner, 2015)

This includes individual trees, street trees, green spaces with trees, and even the associated vegetation and the soil beneath the trees. (Konijnendijk et al, 2006; Escobedo, Kroeger, & Wagner, 2011)

In many regions, urban forests are the most extensive, functional, and visible form of green infrastructure in cities. Green infrastructure is the natural and semi-natural infrastructure within a city that provides ecosystem services like stormwater management or air pollution abatement. (Lafortezza et al, 2017)