Description

Book Synopsis

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.



Table of Contents

Preface

1) Introduction

· Culture, landscape and forest

· The urban era

· Cities and trees

· Cities and forests

· City forests as cultural landscapes, Place and Space

· The city forest defined

· Contents of this book

2) The Spiritual Forest

· Ancient spiritual links between forests and people

· Forest and religion

· Forest and myths

· Modern spirituality

· (Re)Creating spiritual links

3) The Forest of Fear

· Primeval forest fear

· Criminal forests

· Nature’s dangers

· From fear to excitement and adventure

4) The Fruitful Forest

· Subsistence forests

· Appropriation of city forest use

· City forests and societal development

· The rise of municipal forest

· The Fruitful Forest today

5) The Forest of Power

· From wooded commons to elitist prestige

· Military forests

· City forests and democratisation

· City forests and city image

· City forests and environmental justice

· City forest governance

6) The Great Escape

· An antidote to the city

· Recreate and enjoy

· Window to the world

· New ways of escaping

· Different people, different escapes

· Escape from city rule

7) A Work of Art

· City forests as source of inspiration

· Designed landscapes

· Settings for art

· Art, forests and community

8) The Wild Side of Town

· City forests and nature conservation

· Nature is in the eye of the beholder

· The quest for urban wilderness

· Working with nature

· Native versus alien

9) The Healthy Forest

· Views on nature and health

· City forests and physical health

· City forests and mental health and wellbeing

· The Healthy Forest in practice

10) The Forest of Learning

· City forests as testing grounds

· International inspiration

· Demonstrating forestry to the public

· Forests and landscape laboratories

11) The Youthful Forest

· Children and nature

· Forests as settings for play and adventure

· Forests as nearby nature

· Forests for children’s education

12) The Social Forest

· From wooded commons to forests for all

· Social forests for mass use

· City forests as social stages

· City forests and place making

· Building social cohesion and community identity

13) A Forest of Diversity

· Diversity in city forests over time

· Changing fashions

· A growing diversity in forest users and preferences

· Managing for diversity

14) A Forest of Conflict

· Urban development conflicts

· Conflicts over forest management

· Recreational conflicts

· A range of opinions and interests

· Managing conflicts and creating new opportunities

15) A Forest for the Future

· City forests in the Anthropocene

· City forests as part of green infrastructure and urban landscapes

· City forests and our place in nature

· Governance, design and management

· Final thoughts

Literature

Index

The Forest and the City: The Cultural Landscape

    Product form

    £132.99

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £139.99 – you save £7.00 (5%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Wed 1 Jul 2026.

    A Hardback by Cecil C. Konijnendijk

    1 in stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Forest and the City: The Cultural Landscape by Cecil C. Konijnendijk

      Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG
      Publication Date: 23/03/2018
      ISBN13: 9783319750750, 978-3319750750
      ISBN10: 3319750755
      Also in:
      Urban and municipal planning and policy Ecological science, the Biosphere Forestry and silviculture

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      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.



      Table of Contents

      Preface

      1) Introduction

      · Culture, landscape and forest

      · The urban era

      · Cities and trees

      · Cities and forests

      · City forests as cultural landscapes, Place and Space

      · The city forest defined

      · Contents of this book

      2) The Spiritual Forest

      · Ancient spiritual links between forests and people

      · Forest and religion

      · Forest and myths

      · Modern spirituality

      · (Re)Creating spiritual links

      3) The Forest of Fear

      · Primeval forest fear

      · Criminal forests

      · Nature’s dangers

      · From fear to excitement and adventure

      4) The Fruitful Forest

      · Subsistence forests

      · Appropriation of city forest use

      · City forests and societal development

      · The rise of municipal forest

      · The Fruitful Forest today

      5) The Forest of Power

      · From wooded commons to elitist prestige

      · Military forests

      · City forests and democratisation

      · City forests and city image

      · City forests and environmental justice

      · City forest governance

      6) The Great Escape

      · An antidote to the city

      · Recreate and enjoy

      · Window to the world

      · New ways of escaping

      · Different people, different escapes

      · Escape from city rule

      7) A Work of Art

      · City forests as source of inspiration

      · Designed landscapes

      · Settings for art

      · Art, forests and community

      8) The Wild Side of Town

      · City forests and nature conservation

      · Nature is in the eye of the beholder

      · The quest for urban wilderness

      · Working with nature

      · Native versus alien

      9) The Healthy Forest

      · Views on nature and health

      · City forests and physical health

      · City forests and mental health and wellbeing

      · The Healthy Forest in practice

      10) The Forest of Learning

      · City forests as testing grounds

      · International inspiration

      · Demonstrating forestry to the public

      · Forests and landscape laboratories

      11) The Youthful Forest

      · Children and nature

      · Forests as settings for play and adventure

      · Forests as nearby nature

      · Forests for children’s education

      12) The Social Forest

      · From wooded commons to forests for all

      · Social forests for mass use

      · City forests as social stages

      · City forests and place making

      · Building social cohesion and community identity

      13) A Forest of Diversity

      · Diversity in city forests over time

      · Changing fashions

      · A growing diversity in forest users and preferences

      · Managing for diversity

      14) A Forest of Conflict

      · Urban development conflicts

      · Conflicts over forest management

      · Recreational conflicts

      · A range of opinions and interests

      · Managing conflicts and creating new opportunities

      15) A Forest for the Future

      · City forests in the Anthropocene

      · City forests as part of green infrastructure and urban landscapes

      · City forests and our place in nature

      · Governance, design and management

      · Final thoughts

      Literature

      Index

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account