Re-inventing the urban forest: The rise of Arboriculture in Australia

Reform for urban sustainability has commonly focused on either technological efficiency or ecosystem health. Elements of cities that do not fit neatly into either of these concerns, such as trees in urban environments, have often been disregarded. We use thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with eastern Australian urban tree professionals to document the rise of arboriculture over the last 30 years and the implications of this rise for urban sustainability. The framing of urban trees has shifted from adornment or obstruction to a key asset in the delivery of ecological, economic and social services. This transition has been interwoven with the rise of the profession of arboriculture from the ash bed of tree lopping and naive nativism. Arborists are working to improve the sustainability of Australian cities by integrating the management of grey (built) and green (living) infrastructure in a context in which space for trees is in a severe decline. They are pioneering a way of managing urban ecosocial systems that unsettles dichotomies of nature and culture, a way relevant to other urban professions.