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Here in Utrecht the Netherlands they are trying to greenify the city to reduce heat stress during the hot months. They try to plant as much trees and plants as

Here in Utrecht the Netherlands they are trying to greenify the city to reduce heat stress during the hot months. They try to plant as much trees and plants as possible, they try not to mow grass often and let it grow, they encourage homes to remove tiled gardens and add green, they have programs to turn roofs into green roofs. I like it, the city feels nicer to life in. https://healthyurbanliving.utrecht.nl/fileadmin/_processed_/d/b/csm_Integrale-aanpak-van-de-openbare-ruimte-ENG_6265a924bb.png https://healthyurbanliving.utrecht.nl/fileadmin/_processed_/... https://healthyurbanliving.utrecht.nl/our-vision-for-utrecht-in-2040/ https://healthyurbanliving.utrecht.nl/our-vision-for-utrecht... https://aiph.org/floraculture/news/utrecht-is-crowned-the-netherlands-greenest-city/ https://aiph.org/floraculture/news/utrecht-is-crowned-the-ne...

ctenb 2y ago
I live there as well, and while I'm sure it could be worse, it's nothing compared to Johannesburg. I would like to see much more green throughout the city. Hopefully they will keep up the trend.
- jurmous 2y ago
  Well they are still in transition. My street is next. They will plant quite a bit more trees and plant areas. Looking forward to them :)
config_yml 2y ago
Same in Zurich, where the city tries to establish a “Schwammstadt”. But the tree growth is actually negative, because on private properties people are chopping down their trees to build lucrative housing.
- BSDobelix 2y ago
  If you look at bellevue i personally think it's disgusting, that loveless massive sechseleutenplatz, lot's of cars always using the horn, what a waste of that iconic place constricted between traemli and a always busy street, tbh even Delhi is less stressful, let alone Vienna. EDIT: Do you mean Schwanstadt right? That lovely smell of birdshit in the sommer plus the massive stink of piss and puke after (and up to 10 days) streetparade is the pure soul of Zurich ;)
  - Xylakant 2y ago
    No, he means "schwammstadt" (sponge city), the concept idea that you need to create the capacity to soak up excess rainfall and store it like a sponge instead of relying on drainage entirely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_city https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_city
    - jajko 2y ago
      Which isn't a bad idea generally, but for cities like Zurich (and its sister city Geneva which is the same also in this regard) there isn't much need - it sits at the end of a massive lake, most of the city center isn't much higher than lake itself. Effect of the lake subsides somewhat with distance form it, but it definitely creates its own micro-climate thats always colder and more humid than further away from it. To have more high trees that prevent all that tarmac, concrete and stone from heating up during day is definitely a plus, but these cities are not some scorched Phoenix, AZ equivalent.
      - Xylakant 2y ago
        Berlin, one of the leading cities in Germany on those concepts is located on two rivers, plenty of canals and between a few lakes. Hamburg is another very active place and it's close to the seaside, with a huge river and plenty of water in the city. A lot of concepts refer back to city planning that Kopenhagen started after a massive rainfall event in 2011 - a city which is fairly flat, has a large river front and plenty of canals. Still, there's need to evaluate such city planning concepts because the lakes and rivers do not solve all of the problems associated with heavy rainfalls and drought cycles. They do nothing to handle the runoff if you get massive rainfalls in a short period of time because the water management gets overwhelmed. Also, city trees do not benefit substantially from the high ground water level and still suffer in drought. So while not all of the concepts ideas may be applicable to Berlin, Hamburg, Kopenhagen, Zurich or Geneva, concepts like green roofs, local water storage etc. are still required to respond to the incread frequency of high rainfall events and increasing summer temperatures.
    - BSDobelix 2y ago
ctrlMarcio 2y ago
that made me want to live there lol
agumonkey 2y ago
I live at the boundary between city and forests and in summer the temperature drop is really 'incredible'. The amount of energy wasted by urban areas is as much so. But at the same time it's nice because we can restore more trees for shade easily
- jajko 2y ago
  I live in foothills of a lower range of hills (European Jura), and it has numerous effects. The air is normally blowing down the mountains towards us in the evening (katabatic wind), so it doesn't matter how hot the day was, evenings are pleasantly cool and night gets colder than expected. This wind also cools hot surfaces pretty effectively. Even just entering a dense natural forest during the day, one can sense drop in temperature around 3-4C during summer, and increase in humidity during dry periods.
  - fergonco 2y ago
    Lived in French Jura for 5 years. It is so beautiful. And I am not the only one to have noticed. The Last Man or Frankenstein have also the Jura mountains as landscape. I miss that place... (except its prices)
  - agumonkey 2y ago
    > katabatic wind I've noticed this while doing evening walk, I didn't know it was a named phenomenon.
    - jajko 2y ago
      Paragliders like me (or similar sports) have to be very familiar with meteorology and wind, its the most important but largely invisible force that can literally make you or break you. I love that overreach expected by a passion like that, meteorology is fascinating to engineer in me and its effects are very much visible every day and affect us all.
      - agumonkey 2y ago
nxobject 2y ago
Portland, OR, has similar green roof code mandates, as well as tree replacement laws as well... although there is pressure from "developer-friendly" electeds to suspend these mandates. Boo for being short-sighted.
seoulmetro 2y ago
Sounds nice but it seems to be all at the cost of personal freedom of movement. That's a shame.

ctenb 2y ago

I live there as well, and while I'm sure it could be worse, it's nothing compared to Johannesburg. I would like to see much more green throughout the city. Hopefully they will keep up the trend.

jurmous 2y ago
Well they are still in transition. My street is next. They will plant quite a bit more trees and plant areas. Looking forward to them :)

config_yml 2y ago

Same in Zurich, where the city tries to establish a “Schwammstadt”. But the tree growth is actually negative, because on private properties people are chopping down their trees to build lucrative housing.

BSDobelix 2y ago
If you look at bellevue i personally think it's disgusting, that loveless massive sechseleutenplatz, lot's of cars always using the horn, what a waste of that iconic place constricted between traemli and a always busy street, tbh even Delhi is less stressful, let alone Vienna. EDIT: Do you mean Schwanstadt right? That lovely smell of birdshit in the sommer plus the massive stink of piss and puke after (and up to 10 days) streetparade is the pure soul of Zurich ;)
- Xylakant 2y ago
  No, he means "schwammstadt" (sponge city), the concept idea that you need to create the capacity to soak up excess rainfall and store it like a sponge instead of relying on drainage entirely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_city https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge_city
  - jajko 2y ago
    Which isn't a bad idea generally, but for cities like Zurich (and its sister city Geneva which is the same also in this regard) there isn't much need - it sits at the end of a massive lake, most of the city center isn't much higher than lake itself. Effect of the lake subsides somewhat with distance form it, but it definitely creates its own micro-climate thats always colder and more humid than further away from it. To have more high trees that prevent all that tarmac, concrete and stone from heating up during day is definitely a plus, but these cities are not some scorched Phoenix, AZ equivalent.
    - Xylakant 2y ago
      Berlin, one of the leading cities in Germany on those concepts is located on two rivers, plenty of canals and between a few lakes. Hamburg is another very active place and it's close to the seaside, with a huge river and plenty of water in the city. A lot of concepts refer back to city planning that Kopenhagen started after a massive rainfall event in 2011 - a city which is fairly flat, has a large river front and plenty of canals. Still, there's need to evaluate such city planning concepts because the lakes and rivers do not solve all of the problems associated with heavy rainfalls and drought cycles. They do nothing to handle the runoff if you get massive rainfalls in a short period of time because the water management gets overwhelmed. Also, city trees do not benefit substantially from the high ground water level and still suffer in drought. So while not all of the concepts ideas may be applicable to Berlin, Hamburg, Kopenhagen, Zurich or Geneva, concepts like green roofs, local water storage etc. are still required to respond to the incread frequency of high rainfall events and increasing summer temperatures.
  - BSDobelix 2y ago

ctrlMarcio 2y ago

that made me want to live there lol

agumonkey 2y ago

I live at the boundary between city and forests and in summer the temperature drop is really 'incredible'. The amount of energy wasted by urban areas is as much so. But at the same time it's nice because we can restore more trees for shade easily

jajko 2y ago
I live in foothills of a lower range of hills (European Jura), and it has numerous effects. The air is normally blowing down the mountains towards us in the evening (katabatic wind), so it doesn't matter how hot the day was, evenings are pleasantly cool and night gets colder than expected. This wind also cools hot surfaces pretty effectively. Even just entering a dense natural forest during the day, one can sense drop in temperature around 3-4C during summer, and increase in humidity during dry periods.
- fergonco 2y ago
  Lived in French Jura for 5 years. It is so beautiful. And I am not the only one to have noticed. The Last Man or Frankenstein have also the Jura mountains as landscape. I miss that place... (except its prices)
- agumonkey 2y ago
  > katabatic wind I've noticed this while doing evening walk, I didn't know it was a named phenomenon.
  - jajko 2y ago
    Paragliders like me (or similar sports) have to be very familiar with meteorology and wind, its the most important but largely invisible force that can literally make you or break you. I love that overreach expected by a passion like that, meteorology is fascinating to engineer in me and its effects are very much visible every day and affect us all.
    - agumonkey 2y ago

nxobject 2y ago

Portland, OR, has similar green roof code mandates, as well as tree replacement laws as well... although there is pressure from "developer-friendly" electeds to suspend these mandates. Boo for being short-sighted.

seoulmetro 2y ago

Sounds nice but it seems to be all at the cost of personal freedom of movement. That's a shame.