The city of Berlin is getting ready to start a big project to green up its streets, in response to a major citizen initiative launched last year. The initiative, called BaumEntscheid, got support from over 30,000 citizens in 2024. The aim is to mitigate rising temperatures, improve air quality and create cool spots in the capital. The project has just been approved by the municipal authorities with the support of almost all political parties. The new plantings will be added to the approximately 439,000 trees already recorded in the city. But reaching the goal of one million trees by 2040, as initially set by the initiative’s promoters, could face significant obstacles. The implementation of the project is likely to face strong resistance and operational challenges, and funding remains uncertain. The cost of the project is estimated at €3.2 billion and relies on a federal climate adaptation fund, which is also being used for other initiatives. Finally, in order to leave enough space for the trees to develop deep and extensive roots, the entire space allocated to trees in the capital needs to be redesigned, which could cost more than the €3.2 billion initially budgeted. To be continued…
