3 ms·

I was walking in central London and something felt wrong. I couldn't quite tell what though, but I had this constant feeling of unease. It took me a few days t

I was walking in central London and something felt wrong. I couldn't quite tell what though, but I had this constant feeling of unease. It took me a few days to understand - there are no trees in central London (the City). Sure, you have a small/big park here and there, but no random trees on side walks. It's literally a (beautiful) concrete/glass wasteland. Note: I only walked a few of the main streets, I'm sure I'm exaggerating a bit, but it's quite noticeable compared with other cities after you realize it. And there are random trees in other areas, outside City of London.

mickeyp 4mo ago
What? London is one of the greenest cities in the world.
- luuundonjk 4mo ago
  I'm talking about trees on sidewalks and streets, not about parks.
  - pm215 4mo ago
    The city government tracks data on public realm trees, and has a nice map based visualization of it: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/trees-and-woodlands/london-tree-map https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environm... and if you zoom in you'll see that many of these are streetside trees. Personally I have always felt that most Japanese cities are very devoid of urban greenery compared to UK towns and cities.
    - deleted 4mo ago
      [deleted]
    - garethrowlands 4mo ago
      That map doesn't seem to include the trees in actual parks. Somewhere like Hampstead Heath or Richmond Park has actual woods.
- ndsipa_pomu 4mo ago
  It technically counts as a forest
- drawfloat 4mo ago
  City of London != London, the city The City is indeed pretty non green
jamiecurle 4mo ago
I'm not sure what parts of London you were in, but there's many trees in London on sidewalks. There's even a specific species for it - the London plane (Platanus × hispanica) If you're in the very new, constantly rebuilt, concrete jungle that is the very small part of the city, then OK, greenery is going to be hard to spot. Particularly as they tend to nearly always choose the wrong species to plant and aftercare is an afterthought. But your assessment is factually incorrect. See for yourself. Go to Google maps, drop a good few street view randomly around the city and you'll see that more often than not you'll see trees. Also, I have a networks in arboriculture who work in the city and they're never short on work. I'm not doubting your experience of unease or a concrete/glass wasteland (that's yours and not mine to question) but the facts don't support the statement of no random trees on pavements (side walks). I live in the North, but I'm often in London.
- luuundonjk 4mo ago
  open Google maps at Monument station, find a tree in the area. all the streets in that region of London (let's say 1 sq km) are quite narrow, I would guess there just is not enough space for street trees.
  - jamiecurle 4mo ago
    When I drop a pin to Monument station I see a sign, so I spin the view around. In canon street I see two trees (no leaves - winter). They're hard to see as they're behind a black cab. Clicking once into Canon street towards those trees presents me with the trees. They're now in leaf and look like Sorbus intermedia "swedish whitebeam" and the key id is the margin on the leaf and the green fruits. Photo was taken July/August as prior to that they're in the flowering phase (beautiful to see btw). When I spin the view down Canon street I see three mature trees in full leaf on pavements / sidewalks. As I said in another reply, I'm an arborist and I'm hardwired to see trees and perhaps I subconsciously avoid areas that have none, so maybe that's bias on my part.
  - juntoalaluna 4mo ago
    The article links to the Tree Equity Project (https://uk.treeequityscore.org/map https://uk.treeequityscore.org/map) which has pretty detailed measures for London. Some very central areas do go as low as 2-3%, but they are probably the exception rather than the rule.
jamiecurle 4mo ago
Maybe we're both right and wrong at the same time. Here's a map of the canopy data. https://apps.london.gov.uk/public-realm-trees/explore https://apps.london.gov.uk/public-realm-trees/explore
- garethrowlands 4mo ago
  That's awesome. Though, it doesn't seem to think Hampstead Heath has any trees. Nor Croydon, not even Thornton Heath. The Wilderness in Richmond Park seems to be a missing spot, as are some of the plantations (maybe Isabella Plantation, my map fu is failing me). Maybe the royal parks keep their own records?
almostkindatech 4mo ago
Agreed when it comes to the City of London (for anyone not familiar, this means the financial centre). It can feel pretty grim walking there at times. Elsewhere though, possible to plan continuous walks through greenish spaces. One starting at Victoria: Belgravia back streets, Hyde Park, Grosvenor Square, Marylebone High Street, Regents Park, Primrose Hill, Belsize Park, Hampstead Heath.
- graemep 4mo ago
  I am not sure whether GP means the City or central London in general. It gets greener as you go further out. One of the big problems in the UK has been the rise of low maintenance gardens, replacing plants with decking concrete, gravel etc.
  - adammarples 4mo ago
    They mean the City of London. They capitalised the C and everything, it's a thing.
    - graemep 4mo ago
      > I was walking in central London .... there are no trees in central London (the City). It makes me wonder whether they know which bit is actually the City. later on: > Sure, you have a small/big park here and there What big park is there within the City? The whole of the City is smaller than Hyde Park (including Kensington Gardens).
- TimByte 4mo ago
  The green space exists, but access to it is often something you have to deliberately route yourself through
TimByte 4mo ago
[flagged]
radu_floricica 4mo ago
On the other hand, when I visit Venice - which is as tight a city as can be, small streets with stone in every direction except the sky - they somehow manage to drop trees in stone squares. Same shock, different direction, much nicer.
jjgreen 4mo ago
The City is not central London, horrible place, dead at the weekend. (Shudder)
agumonkey 4mo ago
Different countries / geographies have these very different relationship with nature. I remember coming back from small islands in the caribeans, and there nature is overwhelming, the size and density. Just after landing home (france) I felt suddenly naked from the lack of vegetation, there were trees but one every 400m on large avenues. It felt empty.

mickeyp 4mo ago

What? London is one of the greenest cities in the world.

luuundonjk 4mo ago
I'm talking about trees on sidewalks and streets, not about parks.
- pm215 4mo ago
  The city government tracks data on public realm trees, and has a nice map based visualization of it: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/parks-green-spaces-and-biodiversity/trees-and-woodlands/london-tree-map https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environm... and if you zoom in you'll see that many of these are streetside trees. Personally I have always felt that most Japanese cities are very devoid of urban greenery compared to UK towns and cities.
  - deleted 4mo ago
    [deleted]
  - garethrowlands 4mo ago
    That map doesn't seem to include the trees in actual parks. Somewhere like Hampstead Heath or Richmond Park has actual woods.
ndsipa_pomu 4mo ago
It technically counts as a forest
drawfloat 4mo ago
City of London != London, the city The City is indeed pretty non green

jamiecurle 4mo ago

I'm not sure what parts of London you were in, but there's many trees in London on sidewalks. There's even a specific species for it - the London plane (Platanus × hispanica) If you're in the very new, constantly rebuilt, concrete jungle that is the very small part of the city, then OK, greenery is going to be hard to spot. Particularly as they tend to nearly always choose the wrong species to plant and aftercare is an afterthought. But your assessment is factually incorrect. See for yourself. Go to Google maps, drop a good few street view randomly around the city and you'll see that more often than not you'll see trees. Also, I have a networks in arboriculture who work in the city and they're never short on work. I'm not doubting your experience of unease or a concrete/glass wasteland (that's yours and not mine to question) but the facts don't support the statement of no random trees on pavements (side walks). I live in the North, but I'm often in London.

luuundonjk 4mo ago
open Google maps at Monument station, find a tree in the area. all the streets in that region of London (let's say 1 sq km) are quite narrow, I would guess there just is not enough space for street trees.
- jamiecurle 4mo ago
  When I drop a pin to Monument station I see a sign, so I spin the view around. In canon street I see two trees (no leaves - winter). They're hard to see as they're behind a black cab. Clicking once into Canon street towards those trees presents me with the trees. They're now in leaf and look like Sorbus intermedia "swedish whitebeam" and the key id is the margin on the leaf and the green fruits. Photo was taken July/August as prior to that they're in the flowering phase (beautiful to see btw). When I spin the view down Canon street I see three mature trees in full leaf on pavements / sidewalks. As I said in another reply, I'm an arborist and I'm hardwired to see trees and perhaps I subconsciously avoid areas that have none, so maybe that's bias on my part.
- juntoalaluna 4mo ago
  The article links to the Tree Equity Project (https://uk.treeequityscore.org/map https://uk.treeequityscore.org/map) which has pretty detailed measures for London. Some very central areas do go as low as 2-3%, but they are probably the exception rather than the rule.

jamiecurle 4mo ago

Maybe we're both right and wrong at the same time. Here's a map of the canopy data. https://apps.london.gov.uk/public-realm-trees/explore https://apps.london.gov.uk/public-realm-trees/explore

garethrowlands 4mo ago
That's awesome. Though, it doesn't seem to think Hampstead Heath has any trees. Nor Croydon, not even Thornton Heath. The Wilderness in Richmond Park seems to be a missing spot, as are some of the plantations (maybe Isabella Plantation, my map fu is failing me). Maybe the royal parks keep their own records?

almostkindatech 4mo ago

Agreed when it comes to the City of London (for anyone not familiar, this means the financial centre). It can feel pretty grim walking there at times. Elsewhere though, possible to plan continuous walks through greenish spaces. One starting at Victoria: Belgravia back streets, Hyde Park, Grosvenor Square, Marylebone High Street, Regents Park, Primrose Hill, Belsize Park, Hampstead Heath.

graemep 4mo ago
I am not sure whether GP means the City or central London in general. It gets greener as you go further out. One of the big problems in the UK has been the rise of low maintenance gardens, replacing plants with decking concrete, gravel etc.
- adammarples 4mo ago
  They mean the City of London. They capitalised the C and everything, it's a thing.
  - graemep 4mo ago
    > I was walking in central London .... there are no trees in central London (the City). It makes me wonder whether they know which bit is actually the City. later on: > Sure, you have a small/big park here and there What big park is there within the City? The whole of the City is smaller than Hyde Park (including Kensington Gardens).
TimByte 4mo ago
The green space exists, but access to it is often something you have to deliberately route yourself through

TimByte 4mo ago

[flagged]

radu_floricica 4mo ago

On the other hand, when I visit Venice - which is as tight a city as can be, small streets with stone in every direction except the sky - they somehow manage to drop trees in stone squares. Same shock, different direction, much nicer.

jjgreen 4mo ago

The City is not central London, horrible place, dead at the weekend. (Shudder)

agumonkey 4mo ago

Different countries / geographies have these very different relationship with nature. I remember coming back from small islands in the caribeans, and there nature is overwhelming, the size and density. Just after landing home (france) I felt suddenly naked from the lack of vegetation, there were trees but one every 400m on large avenues. It felt empty.