Zurich First-HandTwice as much tree canopy over the streets by 2050 – one tree per 100 square metres
The new street tree plan replaces the avenue plan of 1991. The hottest neighbourhoods are to get more shade first: Industriequartier, Aussersihl, Altstetten and Oerlikon.
Today, tree crowns cover 12.5 per cent of public street space. By 2050, the target is 25 per cent. The city executive has adopted a new street tree plan for this, which is binding for all street planning.
Key points
- One tree per 100 square metres of public street space, where conditions allow.
- Keeping existing large trees takes priority over new planting.
- Tree axes link important public spaces and neighbourhood centres, and gaps along them are to be filled. Tree quarters are residential streets with many trees and a large canopy.
- Success is measured by canopy area, number of street trees, length of new avenues and planting density.
Where first
The city’s analysis shows big differences between neighbourhoods. Canopy is to grow first in areas that suffer most from heat: Industriequartier (Kreis 5), Aussersihl (Kreis 4), Altstetten (Kreis 9) and Oerlikon (Kreis 11).
It is not easy: sealed ground, heat, drought and underground pipes and cables all make trees harder to grow. How much hotter Zurich has become is shown on Zurich in numbers.