<p>Urban trees provide essential provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, such as carbon sequestration, air and water quality regulation, and pest and disease control. However, unregulated urbanization increases the vulnerability of these trees to invasive pests, leading to tree loss and a reduction in ecosystem benefits. While many studies focus on forest ecosystems, limited research exists on the impact of pests and disease in urban settings. This review aims to address this gap by examining the ecosystem services provided by urban trees and the threats posed by pests and pathogens on them. It highlights the negative implications of pests on urban trees, affecting ecological, economic, and cultural factors such as disrupting biodiversity, reducing ecosystem services, increasing management costs, lowering property values, degrading aesthetics and heritage value, and risking human health. It discusses several strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of pests and pathogens and control their spread. Additionally, it characterizes the various stages to detect and manage tree pests (pre-border, border, or post-border) and identifies critical areas for further improvements within each stage before their establishment. The study also highlights strategies like biological control and implementing well-designed landscapes (with high diversity street trees), which can effectively control the spread and mitigate the pests after their establishment. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that effective pest management requires revising existing laws and policies at various administrative levels, necessitating a collaborative and inclusive approach that involves multiple stakeholders, local actors, and the public in creating sustainable and resilient urban environments.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>