Welcome to the refreshed VCL website!

Start your journey in urban forestry

Begin with the Roadmap

Urban Forestry Roadmap

This roadmap provides a starting point and guide wherever you are on your journey to move toward a vibrant urban forest that will enrich your city for generations.

Build an Inclusive Coalition

Set Priorities

Engage

Plan the Future of Your Forest

Funding Tree Equity Programs

Strategies to Achieve Tree Equity

Planting: Putting the Right Tree in the Right Place

Monitoring and Maintenance

Resilience and Forest Health

About VCL

The USDA Forest Service and American Forests created Vibrant Cities Lab to serve as a free hub of the latest research, best practices, and tools from urban forestry experts.

Learn more

Featured Case Studies

  • Case Studies

Beating the Heat
  • Case Studies

How Perception of Green Infrastructure by Municipal Officials Affects Adoption and Implementation
  • Case Studies

Drought Resistance in Santa Monica Park
  • Case Studies

Drivers of Tree Canopy Loss in a Mid-Sized Growing City: Case Study in Portland, OR
Case studies

Featured Research

  • Research, Resources

Extreme Weather and Transportation Equity
  • Research, Resources

Shadow Surveys: How Non-Target Identifications and Citizen Outreach Enhance Exotic Pest Detection
  • Research, Resources

Age Matters
  • Research, Resources

Invasives species contacts and resources
  • Research

Developer Perspectives on Incentives to Save Trees
  • Research

Why Opt-in to a Planting Program? Long-term Residents Value Street Tree Aesthetics
  • Research

Centering Community Perspectives to Advance Recognitional Justice for Sustainable Cities: Lessons from Urban Forest Practice
  • Research

The Disparity in Tree Cover and Ecosystem Service Values Among Redlining Classes in the United States
Research

Featured Tools

  • Tools

Sustainable Forestry Initiative’s Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard
  • Tools

Ten-Year Urban Forestry Action Plan (2016-2026)
  • Resources, Tools

Conversation Starters
  • Resources, Tools

Assess your ordinances and policies
  • Resources, Tools

Enforceable ordinances
  • Resources, Tools

Municipal policies that affect your urban forest
  • Resources, Tools

Common ordinance provisions
  • Forest Health Action Guide, Tools

State forest health programs
Tools

Featured Guides

  • Guides

Cool Corridors Action Guide
  • Guides

Tree Equity Funding Action Guide
Guides

Featured Organizations

  • Organizations

Sustainable Forestry Initiative
  • Organizations

State Urban and Community Forestry Coordinators
  • Organizations

Urban Wood Network
  • Organizations

National Drought Information Center
  • Organizations

Alliance for Community Trees
  • Organizations

National Association of State Foresters
  • Organizations

Utility Arborist Association
  • Organizations

Urban and Community Forestry Society
Organizations 

Vibrant Cities Lab has a new look, new resources and new ways to get involved in greening your city. We’re introducing several new digital resources including a Cool Corridors Guide, Urban Forestry Roadmap and Forest Health information that will help urban foresters and related professionals build thriving programs for their communities. 

On December 31, 2025, old.vibrantcitieslab.com (note the new URL) will close. Make sure you download any resources or action guides you don’t want to miss.

Get involved with us by sending your feedback on the new website or sharing your best urban forestry success stories with us at info@vibrantcitieslab.org.