citree: Planning software for tree selection in urban areas

During the next decades, humanity will have to cope with climatic changes and increasing urbanisation. To facilitate urban planning in the face of these issues, we developd a software tool for the selection of trees in urban areas. The tool not only incorporates the characteristics particular to each tree species but will accounts for common planning practices, health issues (particularly in regard to air quality and allergy potential), and subjective assessments of city residents.

Result

The software is freely available at: http://citree.de

Project description

Which trees are to be planted where within a city? What are the criteria used to make these decisions? How can tree selection be both economically efficient and ecologically beneficial? What makes urban green attractive for city residents, and how can it provide benefits to their health?

Taking all these aspects of urban forestry into account is a difficult and complex challenge for urban planners. We will therefore build a database serving as an information base and decision-making aid for planners — addressing these questions and overall hoping to contribute to quality enhancements of urban green. Improving urban green can considerably enhance quality of life for city residents and increase floristic urban biodiversity.

Interdisciplinary collaboration

An approach this complex calls for interdisciplinary collaboration: Thus, the Chair of Forest Botany, the Department Forest Biometry and Systems Analysis (both: Faculty of Environmental Science, TU Dresden), and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Technological Development (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, TU Dresden) have joined efforts. — Within this project, researchers from different academic backgrounds will collaborate in developing a viable solution for urban forestry at the intersections of environment, health and urban planning.