The benefits of urban trees have been well established in the scientific literature. Generally, larger and longer-lived trees in good condition provide the greatest societal benefits. The “tree right, right place” is a succinct phrase meant to favor management strategies for the sustained, long-term growth of trees in the built environment. Biometric modeling of urban trees provides arborists and urban foresters with estimates of tree size, improving tree and site selection to achieve sustainable urban forests. Tree rings provide an objective measure of tree performance in ever changing and developing urban forests. Recent research on trunk flare diameter modeling (Hilbert and North, et al.,  2020) and an objective assessment of tree response to, and performance in urban environments using tree ring analysis (North, D’Amato, and Russell 2018) will be presented and future research will be briefly discussed.