http://www.duke.edu/~asp9/NewEngland-submitted.pdf

from here:

http://greeneconomics.blogspot.com/2009/01/urbanization-and-reforestation.html

Urbanization and Reforestation

Around the world, people are moving to cities. The U.S historical experience shows that an environmental benefit of moving people from the countryside to the cities is that the rural trees grow back. See Alex Pfaff’s nice work on this point.

A similar dynamic is now playing out in Central America’s and South America’s Rainforests. History provides some useful lessons! New York Times Piece on trees