Finding the forest among all the trees

Victor Göransson, PhD candidate at SLU, will present findings from his national survey conducted in spring 2025. The study investigates how urban residents perceive different types of forests in relation to aesthetics and recreational suitability – and how these perceptions relate to Nature Connectedness, a concept describing individuals’ emotional relationship with nature.

The survey includes respondents from Umeå, Västerås, Gothenburg, and Växjö, selected to represent a north–south gradient and varying access to peri-urban forests.

• What parameters matter most?
• Do residents in northern Sweden prefer different forest qualities than those in the south?
• What do these findings mean for planners and managers of peri-urban forests?

This webinar is particularly relevant for professionals working with management, planning, and policy related to urban and peri-urban forests, as well as researchers and practitioners interested in human–forest relationships.

Participants will gain an updated understanding of forest preference research in a Swedish context and insights into where the field is heading.

Welcome to a discussion on how social values can be better integrated into forest planning.