Stadtluft aims to investigate the role of city trees, parks and
forests in metropolitan areas, using the examples of Berlin, Vienna
and Winterthur in the Canton of Zurich. City trees suffer just as
much as forests from the hot and dry summers of recent years. Yet it
is precisely trees and green zones that play a central role in
regulating temperature and improving air quality in urban areas. In
addition to fresh air supply and rising temperatures, the issue of
rainwater storage is also increasingly becoming the focus of urban
planning, which is outlined by the term "sponge city".
In general, the question is whether and how climate change is
altering urban planning in Central Europe, when climate, water
balance, temperature and air quality are increasingly playing a
central role.
And do trees shape a city? Do they exude poetry and joie de vivre?
Or is the urban walk under trees celebrated by many writers long
passé in the age of cars, shopping malls and "smart cities"?
However one may perceive trees, parks and forests, a walk in the
shade of an avenue is one of the most pleasant amenities that
metropolitan areas have to offer. This includes a visit to a park or
a walk in an urban forest. Nature is never as beautiful as when it
is confronted with civilisation.
If today we increasingly perceive trees and green spaces as air
filters and cooling machines for our overheating cities, for many
years trees were the last of the Mohicans that disturbed the
car-oriented cities of the post-war decades.
At 28,500 ha, Berlin's historic city forest is the largest in
Germany. In addition, there are 430,000 city trees in the German
capital.
Vienna has a green space share of 53 percent and calls itself "the
greenest city in the world" with around 500,000 city trees. Every
autumn, around 4,500 trees are planted.
Winterthur is considered a "garden city" and is the most wooded
municipality in Switzerland with around 15,000 trees in the city
area. 38.7 percent of the city area is covered by forest. The total
woodland area in the canton of Zurich is around 50,000 ha.
The past, present and future of trees, parks and green spaces in
Berlin, Vienna and Winterthur will be analysed systematically.
Decision-makers from the worlds of politics, administration and
lobby groups in the three cities will all exchange views. The
exchange will be enriched by input from artists, scientists and
members of the public. By invitation only.
The team Winterthur/Kanton Zurich presents the location/situation of
the three selected planning examples and goes into the history and
current situation of the planning, presents the problems and the
selected or envisaged Winterthur solutions, which are based on the
laws and canton of Zurich. Then the colleagues from Berlin and
colleagues from Berlin and Vienna then take the floor and analyse
the Winterthur situation from their point of view and present ad-hoc
"Berlin" and "Vienna" solutions.
Programme
(PDF).
Introductory speech by the Swiss-French bestselling author Alex
Capus.
Discussion at BauForum with decision-makers from politics, city
administrations and interest groups from Berlin, Vienna and
Winterthur.
Registration (PDF).
Media release on Stadtluft of the City of Winterthur dated 23 August
2023
(PDF).
Preliminary interview with panel guest Alex Capus in the Landbote
newspaper of 8 September 2023
(PDF).
Regionaljournal radio report on the Stadtluft issue, broadcast on 16
September:
"Bäume in der Stadt: Wie Winterthur von Berlin lernt".
Switzerland's Sunday newspaper with the highest circulation, Schweiz
am Wochenende, will print Alex Capus' keynote speech on 23 September
2023.
(PDF).
Final report of the Office for Urban Development dated 27 October
2023
(PDF).
