The Symposium on Sustainable Management in the Urban Forest will be held in Brisbane, Australia in 2014 during the International Horticultural Congress (IHC2014). It is widely accepted that trees provide many benefits to the urban environment: some tangible (aesthetics, shade, wind, storm-water and pollution reduction), and some less so (carbon sequestration, mental well-being, ecological biodiversity). Trees are increasingly seen as assets that should be managed as such; however, management practices (generally) are often reactive and fragmented. A holistic approach to tree management - which begins at the nursery and continues for the life of the tree - is essential if the benefits which trees provide are to be fully realised and incorporated successfully into modern, high-density towns and cities. This symposium aims to present an overview of the current situation and its inherent challenges, and to provide examples of how these challenges can be addressed. This is a one day symposium. The Queensland Arboricultural Association (QAA) expects that the symposium will appeal to Urban Foresters, Arboriculturalists, Arborists, Horticulturists, Ecologists, Architects, Landscape Designers, Town Planners, Developers and anyone with a strong interest in the sustainability of our increasingly urban lifestyle.