The Forest and the City: The Cultural Landscape of Urban Woodland (Future City Book 9)

Introduction -- The Spiritual Forest -- The Forest of Fear -- The Fruitful Forest -- The Forest of Power -- The Great Escape -- A Work of Art -- The Wild Side of Town -- The Healthy Forest -- The Forest of Learning -- The Youthful Forest -- The Social Forest -- A Forest of Diversity -- A Forest of Conflict -- A Forest for the Future.;Amsterdamse Bos, Bois de Boulogne, Epping Forest, Grunewald, Zoniënwoud; throughout history, cities in Europe and elsewhere have developed close relationships with nearby woodland areas. In some cases, cities have even developed - and in some cases are promoting - a distinct 'forest identity'. This book introduces the rich heritage of these city forests as cultural landscapes, and shows that cities and forests can be mutually beneficial. Essential reading for students and researchers interested in urban sustainability and urban forestry, this book also has much wider appeal. For with city forests playing an increasingly important role in local government sustainability programs, it provides an important reference for those involved in urban planning and decision making, public affairs and administration, and even public health. From providers of livelihoods to healthy recreational environments, and from places of inspiration and learning to a source of conflict, the book presents examples of city forests from around the world. These cases clearly illustrate how the social and cultural development of towns and forests has often gone hand in hand. They also reveal how better understanding of city forests as distinct cultural and social phenomena can help to strengthen synergies both between cities and forests, and between urban society and nature. Dedication 6 Preface 7 Contents 10 Chapter 1: Introduction 13 Culture, Landscape and Forest 14 The Urban Era 15 Cities and Trees 17 Cities and Forests 19 City Forests as Cultural Landscapes, Place, and Space 23 The City Forest Defined 26 Contents of This Book 28 Chapter 2: The Spiritual Forest 31 Ancient Spiritual Links Between Forests and People 32 Forest and Religion 33 Forest and Myths 38 Modern Spirituality 42 Recreating Spiritual Links 45 Chapter 3: The Forest of Fear 48 Primeval Forest Fear 49 Criminal Forests 51 Nature’s Dangers 55 From Fear to Excitement 57 Chapter 4: The Fruitful Forest 62 Subsistence Forests 62 Appropriation of City Forest Use 65 City Forests and Societal Development 67 The Rise of Municipal Forestry 70 The Fruitful Forest Today 74 Chapter 5: The Forest of Power 77 From Wooded Commons to Elitist Prestige 78 Military Forests 82 City Forests and Democratisation 85 City Forests and City Image 88 City Forests and Environmental Justice 92 Chapter 6: The Great Escape 95 Antidote to the City 95 Recreate and Enjoy 97 Window to the World 101 News Ways of Escaping 102 Different People, Different Escapes 105 Escape from City Rule 107 Chapter 7: A Work of Art 109 City Forests as Inspiration 109 Designed Landscapes 112 Settings for Art 116 Art for Developing Community-Forest Links 117 Chapter 8: The Wild Side of Town 121 City Forests and Nature Conservation 122 Nature Is in the Eye of the Beholder 127 Searching for the Urban Wilderness 131 Working with Nature 133 Chapter 9: The Healthy Forest 137 Views on Nature and Health 138 City Forests and Physical Health 142 City Forests, Mental Health and Well-Being 146 Promoting the Healthy Forest 149 Chapter 10: The Forest of Learning 153 City Forests as Testing Grounds 154 International Inspiration 158 Demonstrating Forestry to the Public 160 Tomorrow’s Forest of Learning 164 Chapter 11: A Youthful Forest 167 Children and Nature 168 Forests as Settings for Play and Adventure 169 City Forests and Education 172 Developing the Youthful Forest 175 Chapter 12: The Social Forest 178 From Wooded Commons to Forests for All 179 Social Forests for Mass Use 182 City Forests as Social Stages 186 Social Forests and Place Making 187 Building Community Identity 189 Chapter 13: A Forest of Diversity 194 Diversity in City Forests Over Time 195 Changing Fashions 197 Growing Diversity in Forest Users, Uses and Preferences 198 Growing Demands for Diversity 200 Managing (for) Diversity 201 Chapter 14: A Forest of Conflict 204 Urban Development Conflicts 205 Conflicts over Forest Management 208 Conflicts over Recreation 211 Other Types of Conflict 212 Managing the Forest of Conflict 214 Chapter 15: A Forest for the Future 216 Challenges in an Urban Era 217 Developing Attractive Urban Landscapes 220 Building Communities 225 Maintaining the Links with Nature 231 Final Thoughts 233 Literature 236 Index 267 Amsterdamse Bos, Bois de Boulognes, Epping Forest, Hong Kong’s country parks, Stanley Park: throughout history cities across the world have developed close relationships with nearby woodland areas. In some cases, cities have even developed – and in some cases are promoting – a distinct ‘forest identity’. This book introduces the rich heritage of these city forests as cultural landscapes, and shows that cities and forests can be mutually beneficial. Essential reading for students and researchers interested in urban sustainability and urban forestry, this book also has much wider appeal. For with city forests playing an increasingly important role in local government sustainability programs, it provides an important reference for those involved in urban planning and decision making, public affairs and administration, and even public health. From providers of livelihoods to healthy recreational environments, and from places of inspiration and learning to a source of conflict, the book presents examples of city forests from around the world. These cases clearly illustrate how the social and cultural development of towns and forests has often gone hand in hand. They also reveal how better understanding of city forests as distinct cultural and social phenomena can help to strengthen synergies both between cities and forests, and between urban society and nature. Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii Introduction (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 1-18 The Spiritual Forest (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 19-35 The Forest of Fear (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 37-50 The Fruitful Forest (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 51-65 The Forest of Power (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 67-84 The Great Escape (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 85-98 A Work of Art (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 99-110 The Wild Side of Town (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 111-126 The Healthy Forest (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 127-142 The Forest of Learning (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 143-156 A Youthful Forest (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 157-167 The Social Forest (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 169-184 A Forest of Diversity (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 185-194 A Forest of Conflict (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 195-206 A Forest for the Future (Cecil C. Konijnendijk)....Pages 207-226 Back Matter ....Pages 227-267