1,2,1,2,1,2- 1School of Computing and Engineering, University of West London, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales (fabio.tosti@uwl.ac.uk)
- 2The Faringdon Research Centre for Non-Destructive Testing and Remote Sensing, University of West London, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
- 3London Tree Officers Association (LTOA), Arboricultural Services - Green Space - Supporting Communities, 4th Floor, 5 Pancras Square, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
- 4Tree Service, London Borough of Ealing, Perceval House, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain – England, Scotland, Wales
Community engagement is a fundamental pillar of sustainable urban forestry, essential for expanding canopy cover and promoting a societal "stewardship for trees". While traditional outreach aligns urban development with local priorities, it often faces challenges in continuity and representation, frequently resulting in "engagement fatigue" [1]. There is currently a major missed opportunity to use digital tools to connect expert tree-care decisions with public input. Although smart-city technologies offer new ways to communicate, complex tech can accidentally reinforce disparities in egagement if it is not managed carefully [2].
To address this, the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) established a Working Party on “Promoting Community Engagement for Trees Through Technology-Informed Practices.” This initiative aims to develop strategic pathways toward new guidelines that empower local stakeholders in tree management, improving socio-economic resilience and environmental stewardship. Central to this mission is the "Technological Level of Preparedness" (TLOP) model, which categorises community groups by technology familiarity to ensure equitable and accessible engagement.
The initiative is driven by ongoing, data-informed collaboration among a diverse range of urban forestry stakeholders. Regular meetings enable the Working Party to integrate expert knowledge with local insights to better understand the environmental and social priorities, such as urban cooling and biodiversity, that guide tree management. Recent deliberations also emphasis that content quality is key to maintaining interest, shifting focus from simple planting to long-term stewardship.
To support the formulation of these guidelines, the Working Party is currently shaping potential case studies to test technologies tailored to different identified TLOP levels. Proposed initiatives include the use of gamification via mobile applications to engage younger demographics; for example, trivia games and interactive digital badges could be implemented to incentivise physical interaction with urban nature [4]. Additionally, the application of immersive technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), is being explored to help visualise urban regeneration, making abstract environmental data tangible [5]. The initiative also explores enhancing visualisations of canopy health through geospatial and remote sensing technologies.
By exploring how to integrate traditional methods, like guided tree walks, with these new digital tools, the initiative seeks to build a strong foundation. This framework aims to provide the groundwork that could eventually lead to formal guidance for practitioners.
Keywords: Community Engagement; Urban Forestry; Digital Inclusion; Immersive Technology; Geospatial Data.
Acknowledgements: This work is supported by the London Tree Officers Association (LTOA) Working Party on Community Engagement.
References
[1] Nitoslawski, S. & Konijnendijk, C. (2022). The Emergence of Smart Urban Forestry: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age. Arboric. & Urban For., 48(2).
[2] Russo, A. Towards Nature-Positive Smart Cities: Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Ecology. (2025). Smart Cities, 8(1):26.
[3] Srinurak, N. et al. (2024). Smart Urban Forest Initiative: Nature-Based Solution and People-Centered Approach for Tree Management in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Sustainability, 16(24), 11078.
[4] Nand, K., Baghaei, N., Casey, J. et al. (2019). Engaging children with educational content via Gamification. Smart Learn. Environ. 6, 6.
[5] Zürcher, R. et al. (2023). Advancing Forest Monitoring and Assessment Through Immersive Virtual Reality. AGILE: GIScience, 4,1-12.
How to cite: Tosti, F., Porter, B., Mortimer, D., Ardakanian, A., Darko, D., Doe Atsakpo, E., Kumari, S., Nesiah, S., Ressin, M., Saadati, P., and Tessema, T.: Promoting Community Engagement for Trees Through Technology-Informed Practices: From Framework to Guidance, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-18556, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-18556, 2026.
