Trees for Life: Barcelona Tree Master Plan 2017-2037

The participatory design process of the plan has been an important factor in the success of its development and has increased the acceptance and support of the different stakeholder groups that are relevant to successful implementation. The extensive environmental awareness campaigns to inform the public about the services that healthy trees can provide, which supported the implementation of the plan, were an important step towards acceptance by citizens and stakeholders. Tree planting and maintenance in itself is only an effective measure with multiple environmental and social benefits if it is integrated into the sustainable urban planning of a city. Therefore, one of the success factors is that the plan is integrated into the city's broader activities on climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation. It serves as an important planning tool to translate the overall ambition of the Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan until 2020 into concrete actions to increase climate resilience and achieve more environmental and social benefits. With its measurable targets, detailed work plan and robust monitoring arrangements, the Plan can serve as an example for other cities on how to break down systemic strategies into measurable actions. However, it is important to note that trees do not equate to green space per capita. Barcelona has a relatively small amount of green space per capita despite already having more street trees than most European cities. o Perhaps the value of green space per capita is highlighted. o This was interesting from the "instrument design" section: "During the participatory process, there were also proposals for organizational improvements that will also be taken into account as part of the continuous improvement process."