Zurich: Paradeplatz to be greened
As part of a pilot project, the city is installing tree tubs with young trees up to eight meters high on Bahnhofstrasse and especially on Paradeplatz.
With the "Green Guest Performance" pilot project, the city of Zurich wants to temporarily place young trees in various public spaces before they are finally planted. "The aim is to make greenery visible and to test new design options," writes the administration in a press release. The trees are placed in so-called air pots on specially developed platforms with integrated water reservoirs and fastening options. This construction enables flexible greening even on sealed surfaces. Chairs, benches and loungers are placed around the trees. "Temporary measures like these could establish themselves in the long term as a complementary urban design tool, as they demonstrate solutions on the way to a permanently greener city," says Christine Bräm, Director of Grün Stadt Zürich.
The first almost 50 young trees will be planted along Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse - most of them on Paradeplatz, some on Züghusplatz and Herkulesplatz. The trees, which are up to 8 meters tall and 2.5 meters wide, will remain there for around three months before they are either planted in the Stadthaus complex or moved to another interim location in November. The trees include native species such as hornbeams, lime trees and elms as well as magnolias and ironwood trees.
Pilot project over four years
The measure is part of the four-year pilot project "Green guest performance". During this time, various locations will be tested and the impact of the measures evaluated. The population will be involved in the evaluation, it is said. (aw)
