The tree outside your window, next to your apartment, in a park or on your street, is all part of the urban forest where you live, work or play. Decades of research shows that the urban forests in our backyards deliver measurable economic benefits, reduce strain on hard infrastructure and improve people's health and quality of life.

Urban forests are economical and effective. The Vibrant Cities Lab is an evolving, free tool that provides practical case studies, research, data and a tool kit on how urban forests can help make cities and communities more sustainable (i.e. bolster stormwater management plans etc.) and healthier for all residents - big and small.

The purpose of the Vibrant Cities Lab is to help policy makers, visionaries, business owners, and on-the-ground practitioners create and maintain places that people want to live, work, learn and play at.

There is no cost to access the Vibrant Cities Lab website, www.vibrantcitieslab.com. It is a joint project of the U.S. Forest Service, American Forests and the National Association of Regional Councils. The site merges the latest research with the best practices for implementing green infrastructure projects in your community.