The Value and Urgency of Transportation Forestry

The community and ecological benefits of trees and forests along roadways and other transportation infrastructure are important. Historically, the dialogue surrounding trees in transportation systems has focused on safety and crash reduction. We propose the sub-field of “Transportation Forestry” to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of trees and supporting green infrastructure along transportation corridors. Transportation Forestry intersects urban/community forestry, landscape architecture, transportation and urban planning, civil/automotive engineering, and environmental/public health. These disciplines and fields collectively enable appropriate siting, selecting, planting, and maintaining green infrastructure proximal to transportation infrastructure while emphasizing prevention and remedy of injustices. We describe the value of establishing this sub-field and call for action that promotes a Transportation Forestry workforce. Essential research questions are provided to build a foundation of evidence for best practices. We demonstrate that this sub-field can advance healthy transportation development and climate change adaptation/mitigation.