As part of advancing any urban forest strategy, it is worth considering whether public land might be increased by converting land from private to public. In urban areas, public land is initially designated at the time of creating a new subdivision, when part of the subdivided land is ceded to the Crown, free of cost, for use as public open space. Around Australia, the base contribution levels vary from 5% to 12.5% of the developable land area. Land values are often high and courts deal with many disputes over this contribution. Private urban land may also be purchased or compulsorily acquired for public purposes by governments or statutorily designated authorities. These mechanisms involve payment of a purchase price or compensation as well as various ongoing costs, and obtaining funding is often difficult. The emerging concept of environmental infrastructure offers potential as a way of improving the allocation, design and funding for the conversion of private land to public open space.