About EUFORIC EUFORIC stands for European Urban Forestry Research & Information Centre. This 'centre without walls' should assist urban forestry scientists and professionals across Europe by offering a portal to actual and comprehensive urban forestry information. An EFI Initiative EUFORIC is a Project Centre (PC) of the European Forest Institute. EFI is an independent international organisation with over 130 member organisations in 35 countries.

The institute has established itself as the leading forest research capacity at the European level. EFI has established (at the time 6) Project Centres hosted by member institutes with internationally recognised expertise within a certain area of forest research. These Centres should promote and coordinate international and state-of-the-art R&D activities within their respective domains.

Objectives and Activities

Objectives
EUFORIC aims to co-ordinate, promote and develop urban forestry research, practice and education in Europe by:

• Strengthening networks among urban forestry research capacities in Europe.
• Compiling, analysing and distributing information on urban forestry research findings in Europe.
• Promoting and developing urban forestry research and education, and its direct link with practice and policy-making in Europe.

Activities
During the years 2004-2009, the centre will meet its objectives by dividing its activities over the following 6 Main Tasks:

1. Networking among urban forestry research capacities in Europe. Through e.g. COST, IUFRO, ISA, SNS, and of course the EFI PC EUFORIC, this activity is ongoing and is to be further developed by operating within the frame of EFI and its large member base. Networking activities include the organisation of seminars and meetings, the distribution of relevant information, and the setting up of easy-access databases on urban forestry. The latter includes a database of research, development and policy capacities in European urban forestry.

2. Compilation and dissemination of data on urban forestry in Europe. Mainly through COST Action E12 and the associated ‘Review of Research and Knowledge on Urban Forests and Urban Trees in Europe’, a large amount of data on urban forestry research and higher education has been collected. EUFORIC will actively disseminate these results. The earlier reviews have also shown, however, that more comprehensive data is needed, for example on urban forest resources in Europe. Together with e.g. FAO, possibilities for developing ways of inventorying and monitoring urban forest resources will be explored.

3. To identify and develop best urban forestry theories, practices and tools in the areas of: a) Policy-making, planning & design; b) selection, establishment & tree care; and c) management. Largely based upon Work Package 2 and on a number of research and coordination projects carried out under the EUFORIC umbrella, these best practices can be defined and developed. Within a series of research and development projects, a wide range of research methods will be applied, including those of policy analysis and planning science, social science approaches, and field experiments.

4. Acting as European urban forestry information centre. With the help of EFI, information services are to be developed further, e.g. using the Internet. EUFORIC aims to improve its role as information centre for both urban forestry science and practice. It will be a ‘one stop shop’ for a) relevant information and b) contact information on where to get additional information. Research findings and best practices will be actively communicated, particularly at the interface of science and practice. The relevance of EUFORIC’s role as clearing house has been confirmed by daily information requests from Europeans as well as non-Europeans interested in urban forestry.

5. Stimulate establishment of (higher) education in Urban Forestry in Europe. During COST Action E12, an overview was made of higher education in urban forestry in Europe. This overview showed the lack of existing programmes, and suggested a need for new programmes. EUFORIC and its partners actively contribute to the establishment on new programmes in urban forestry in Europe. As specific activity, it assists with the setting up of a new international Master education on urban forestry in the Øresund region (Denmark/Sweden).

6. To identify areas of future urban forestry research, in order to provide for continuity after the existence of EUFORIC.