Client Cambridge DPW, Reed Hilderbrand
Location Cambridge, MA
Tags Communications Public Engagement Brand Identity
Status Completed 2020

A healthy forest is a vital part of a healthy city. Landscape architects Reed Hilderbrand lead the creation of the City of Cambridge’s first Urban Forest Master Plan, which then developed into the Healthy Forest, Healthy City initiative. The goal of this initiative is to help reshape the City’s relationship with its own urban forest and to provide opportunities for the community to play a key role in keeping the urban forest healthy and strong.

OverUnder shaped the graphic language of the 400+ page master plan document, which then evolved into a wider public engagement effort for Healthy Forest, Healthy City: a new logomark, a public-friendly summary report, yard waste bags for residents, social media graphics, a graphic wrap for Cambridge DPW trucks, in addition to mailers and graphics advertising related initiatives like Forest Friends. A collaboration with Libretto.

This project won a BSLA Excellence Award in 2021. From a selected jury comment: "It is the kind of document that changes the way people think about landscape architecture and can make fundamental changes to the city."

  • Cambridge Urban Forest
    • Changing with the seasons, the logomark promotes the adaptability and integrality of the city's urban forest
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
    • The summary report of the Urban Forest Master Plan needed to directly engage the public, as well as government officials
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
    • Yard waste bags with a handful of different designs will be distributed to residents to promote awareness of the urban forest
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
    • Forest Friends is a volunteer program for tending to urban trees
  • Cambridge Urban Forest
    • Social media graphics emphasize action in addition to awareness