Belfast, United Kingdom
City population: 276895
Duration: 1992 – 2010
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Residential, Protected Area, Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature, Cultural Heritage Area, Public Greenspace Area, Central Business District / City Centre
Last updated: October 2021

The Forest of Belfast is an imaginative label for urban tree initiative launched in the 1990s with the aim of conserving and managing existing trees, increasing the planting of suitable trees, particularly in places of public access like parks, and in promoting an interest in and an appreciation of trees and forestry(Ref 3). The project was officially launched in June 1992 (Ref 1). It is active throughout the urban area of Greater Belfast, including Belfast City. It brings together partners from the statutory sector, voluntary groups, businesses, and individual residents who become volunteer Tree Wardens. It shows how urban forestry can forge partnerships between central and local government, environmental organizations and city dwellers. (Ref 1). Forest of Belfast initiative was wound up towards the end of 2010 (Ref 6).

Belfast forest
https://www.wri.org/blog/2016/03/3-cities-taking-urban-forestry-next-level

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Alley or street trees and other street vegetation
  • Green playgrounds and school grounds
  • Institutional green space
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social cohesion
  • Social interaction
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Improving physical health
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Protection of natural ecosystems, Knowledge creation and awareness raising

Project objectives

The goals of the project include: • To conserve and manage existing trees; • To increase the plantation of native species of trees, particularly in public spaces, as well as protected spaces; • To promote urban forestry; • To involve the local community, private sector and volunteer organisations in tree plantation and management program; • To review, monitor and publish results of the initiative ( ref1 )

Implementation activities

1. During this first planting season (1993), the FoB's partner organisations planted a total of just over 160,000 trees (ref1). 2. In 1998, nearly 200,000 trees have been planted across parks, playing fields, streets, schools, factories, and along streets and river banks (ref5). 3. 300 groups planted over 90,000 trees (ref 5). 4. The government recognized the initiative and include it in Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 (ref4).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Promote environmentally-sound development in and around protected areas
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Biodiversity offsets
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
  • Restore native species
  • Restore valued species
  • Restore ecological connectivity
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • EU body
  • National government
  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality
  • Non-government organisation/civil society
  • Business association or network
  • Private foundation/trust
  • Citizens or community group
  • District/neighbourhood association

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Forest of Belfast’s management has brought together partners from local and central governments, environmental organizations and local citizens who become volunteer Tree Wardens. (Ref 5) 1. Central government agencies (Roads Service, Environment & Heritage Service, Forest Service, Planning Service) 2. Non-departmental public bodies (Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Laganside Corporation) 3. Local government (Belfast, Lisburn, Castlereagh and Newtownabbey Councils) 4. Voluntary sector organisations (nine NGOs involved in urban tree planting and tree care) (Ref 1) It was approved under the European Union's Peace and Reconciliation Fund for over a 3-year period. This grant aid was 75% funded by the Peace and Reconciliation Fund, 20% funded by Belfast City Council and 5% funded from the resources of the Forest of Belfast project. (Ref 4)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (European Union's Peace and Reconciliation Fund for Stg £120,000 ('Sterling pound' currency) over a 3-year period boost the program The Forest of Belfast (Ref 4).)
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (It's later included in the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2021(Ref4).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (the establishment of an extensive urban forest was included as an objective in the Belfast Urban Area Plan 2001 (Ref 4))

Financing

Total cost

€100,000 - €500,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public local authority budget
  • Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Reduced emissions
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increased green space area
  • Increase in protected green space areas
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
  • Other

Economic impacts

  • Attraction of business and investment

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Improvement in people’s connection to nature
  • Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Other

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

Ref. 1. National Urban Forestry Unit. (nd). Urban Forestry in Practice: Developing city-wide partnerships. [Website unavailable in 2020]
Ref. 2. Johnston M. (1995). The forest of Belfast: Healing the environment and the community. Arboricultural Journal: The International Journal of Urban Forestry. 19:1, 53-72, DOI: 10.1080/03071375.1995.9756448 Source: Source link [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref.3. The Forsest of Belfast. The Irish Times. Source link [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref. 4. Johnston, M. (1998). The development of urban forestry in Northern Ireland. Irish Forestry, 55(1), Source link. Source: Source link [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Weber S. (2016). 3 Cities Taking Urban Forestry to the Next Level. World Resources Institute. Source: Source link [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Belfast Telegraph (2010) Ireland’s oldest tree branches back into history. Source: Source link [Accessed 21 September 2020]