https://reasonstobecheerful.world/stockholm-tree-pit-method/
"When Stockholm’s Traffic Office conducted a general assessment of street
traffic in the Swedish capital in 2001, it came to the shocking conclusion that
two-thirds of all trees in the city center were dead or dying.
City authorities agreed that an urgent response was needed to nurse these leafy
urban ecosystem pillars back to health.
Enter Björn Embrén, Stockholm’s first “tree officer.”
Under his leadership, various technologies and materials were tested in an
attempt to create a more suitable living space for trees in the urban
environment.
“I knew that they could grow if the circumstances were right,” says Embrén, a
former professional gardener.
The root of the problem was the fact that many trees in Stockholm were planted
in the 19th century. Back then, the streets were comparatively underdeveloped,
so the trees could grow relatively freely in the space underground. But as
Stockholm has developed over the decades, like many cities across the world,
its streets have been increasingly paved over with concrete, and more pipes —
for plumbing, electricity, internet and beyond — have been laid underneath
them. As a consequence, the roots of the trees have often been damaged through
disruptive building works and, due to the lack of space and impermeable
concrete, they have also been starved of oxygen and water.
“It’s like putting a plastic bag over your head and tightening it over your
neck,” says Embrén. “That’s what happened to the trees in Stockholm. They were
dying.”
Eventually, inspired by railroad embankments — which require only a small
amount of organic matter for healthy trees to grow — Embrén concocted what was
to become known as the “Stockholm tree pit” model.
By 2002, Embrén had drawn up designs. And by 2003, they were already building."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
