Urban Forests as Infrastructure for a Sustainable South
Greg Levine is the executive director of Trees Atlanta, where he has dedicated over two decades to protecting and expanding Atlanta’s urban forest. With a background in horticulture and a passion for environmental conservation, Greg leads efforts in tree planting, education, and community engagement. His work helps build a greener, healthier, and more resilient city for future generations.
Seth Hawkins is a community forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, serving within the Sustainable Community Forestry Program. A graduate of UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Seth gained hands-on experience through internships in Athens, GA and Chattanooga, TN. He is passionate about urban forestry and advancing healthy, sustainable tree canopy in Georgia’s communities.
William Park is the Urban Forest Coordinator for the City of Sandy Springs, where he integrates forestry and conservation into urban planning. A certified arborist with a background in environmental science, he specializes in land-use policy, habitat restoration, and green infrastructure. William champions community engagement and cross-sector collaboration to advance resilient, sustainable development and enhance urban ecosystems.
Dr. Jason Gordon is an Associate Professor of Community Forestry at the University of Georgia. With a focus on urban and community forestry, he conducts research and outreach on tree management, land-use planning, and public engagement. Jason is passionate about educating future natural resource professionals and helping communities make informed decisions to enhance urban forests and green infrastructure.
This session brought together four leading voices in urban forestry to explore how Southern cities can integrate trees into the core of planning, infrastructure and equity strategies. The panel featured Greg Levine, Executive Director of Trees Atlanta, Seth Hawkins, Community Forestry Coordinator at the Georgia Forestry Commission, William Park, Urban Forest Coordinator for the City of Sandy Springs and Jason Gordon, Associate Professor at the University of Georgia. From treating trees as critical infrastructure to investing in soil health and workforce development, the discussion offered a compelling vision for a greener, more resilient urban South.
Trees Are Infrastructure—Not Amenities
One of the panel’s central arguments was that trees should be treated with the same seriousness as water lines or transit systems.
The panelists emphasized that trees provide quantifiable services—cooling urban heat islands, managing stormwater, improving air quality and reducing energy use.
Yet most city planning frameworks still categorize trees as secondary features, vulnerable to removal under development pressures. The speakers stressed the need for cities to formally codify the role of urban forestry in zoning codes, capital budgets and departmental staffing. Without this policy backing, tree canopies continue to shrink even as the need for their benefits grows.
Soil First: A Hidden Factor in Canopy Health
While trees are the most visible part of urban forests, their survival depends on what lies beneath. Urban soil is often compacted, sterile, and unfit for long-term tree health. One panelist emphasized that planting new trees without addressing poor soil conditions is a short-sighted strategy that can lead to canopy loss within a few decades. Solutions like soil decompaction, mycorrhizal enhancement, and suspended pavement systems were offered as essential tools. The panel stressed that tree health must be planned as a lifecycle investment—from planting through maturity—not just a box checked for development compliance.
Growth and Conservation Can Coexist
Rather than viewing green infrastructure and development as competing interests, the panel urged planners to see them as interconnected. One speaker discussed the importance of integrating tree preservation early in development design, not as an afterthought. Smart zoning, thoughtful species selection, and strategic canopy placement can allow urban growth without sacrificing long-term environmental stability. The panel also emphasized species and age diversity to mitigate risks of mass die-offs due to pests or disease, reinforcing the importance of resilience over uniform aesthetics.
Beyond environmental benefits, the panel outlined the multifaceted public health value of urban forests. Trees help reduce respiratory issues, lower mental health stress, and even correlate with reductions in urban violence. But access to these benefits is not distributed evenly. The speakers described how mapping tools are being used to identify heat-vulnerable and underserved areas, directing investment to where trees can have the greatest impact. Programs that prioritize community hiring, multilingual training and shared governance were highlighted as models for equitable urban forestry. Community engagement isn’t a bonus—it’s foundational to building long-term support and resilience.
Sustaining Momentum Through Funding and Workforce Investment
Funding gaps remain a persistent challenge, especially for ongoing maintenance and community outreach. While federal and philanthropic grants are valuable, panelists noted they often lack permanence. The speakers called for cities to embed forestry priorities in long-term planning and budgeting to avoid backsliding once initial funding ends. Workforce development was also highlighted as a key opportunity. By training and employing people from the communities most affected by heat and pollution, urban forestry can become not just a climate solution but an economic one.
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