Smarter ecosystems for smarter cities? A review of trends, technologies, and turning points for smart urban forestry

Abstract Smart cities are increasingly part of urban sustainability discourses. There is a growing interest in understanding how citizen engagement, connected technology, and data analytics can support sustainable development. Evidence has also repeatedly shown the importance of green infrastructure such as urban forests in addressing diverse urban challenges. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether green space and urban forest management are gaining significant traction in smart city planning. It is thus timely to consider whether and to what extent urban forests and other green spaces can be effectively integrated into smart city planning, to maximize green benefits for all city dwellers. We address this gap by exploring current and emerging smart city trends and technologies, and highlight practical applications for urban forest and green space management. Current “smart urban forest” projects reveal a focus on open data and citizen engagement, particularly through the use of mobile devices, applications (“apps”), and open-source mapping platforms. We propose a definition and promising approach to “smart urban forest management”, emphasizing both the potential of digital infrastructure to enhance forest benefits and the facilitation of citizen stewardship and empowerment in green space planning. Cities are getting faster and smarter – can the trees, and their managers, keep up?