Many countries promote urban greening & quot;good-looking" and & quot;healthy" (international viewpoint)

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Source: People's Daily

Core reading

Greening is an important means of beautifying cities, an important symbol of urban economic development and the quality of life of residents, and is of great significance in protecting urban ecology, improving the living environment and promoting sustainable development.

As an economic and effective solution to enhance environmental comfort, good-looking "but also" healthy, which has become a consensus in many countries. Some countries select suitable tree species, make and update the list of greening seedlings, and create personalized greening programs in different areas to create a pleasant and comfortable urban environment, taking into account the geographical conditions and cultural background.

France-

Each tree has an "electronic ID card"

Every spring and summer, Paris residents will face a lot of trouble, sycamore trees are the main source of pollen allergies of local people. Especially in April and May, the fluttering flakes of sycamore trees stimulate people's nose and eyes, easily triggering rhinitis and conjunctivitis.

In response to this situation, the French National Air Biomonitoring Network Association (RNSA) recommends planting other tree species with lower or zero allergenicity, such as maples and cherry trees. The French city of Lyon has significantly reduced the number of sycamore trees. Data show that from 1992 to 2011, Lyon's share of sycamore trees in the city's greenery dropped from 52% to 26%, and currently accounts for 21.7%. The Paris municipality has also removed sycamore trees from some areas and replaced them with species that are faster growing and less likely to bring about allergic reactions.

It is important to note that the RNSA does not require the city to stop planting allergenic trees such as sycamores altogether, but only recommends that too many trees with irritating pollen not be concentrated in the same area, given the workability of land use planning. For aesthetic and historical and cultural reasons, some streets in Paris have not been completely removed, such as the Champs Elysees, where the neatly trimmed sycamore trees have become an important part of the city's landscape culture. It is understood that the city of Paris planted more than 160 kinds of trees, including street trees to sycamore, chestnut, linden and acacia trees, parks and gardens planted mainly linden, maple and chestnut trees.

For the management of urban trees, France has formed a relatively complete and orderly system, and has established a database with the help of information technology. For example, since 2014, the Paris city government has created an "electronic ID card" for each tree in the city, collecting information such as planting date, watering, pruning, health status, etc., so that the growth status of each tree can be tracked in real time. For trees to be cut down, the reasons for pathology, structural defects and other aspects need to be indicated, as well as the planned replacement species.

According to the Paris City Council's plan, another 170000 trees will be planted in Paris from 2020 to 2026. Matilda Lerner, head of the Soil and Plant Department of the City of Paris, said that the diversification of tree species is an effective and sustainable way to reduce plant diseases, and that in the future the Paris City Council will try to alternate different tree species on the roads and make the species more diverse when renewing trees. Regarding tree species, more species adapted to dry weather and Parisian climate will be chosen, such as the drought-tolerant Proven ç al Park, Byzantine Hazelnut, Bohemian Olive, etc.

Many countries promote urban greening & quot;good-looking

Argentina-

Regularly updated list of seedling species

The streets of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, are full of greenery and vegetation. The city's latest tree census shows that more than 430000 trees grow throughout the metropolitan area and, when viewed from the air, 30% of the city's area is covered by a tree canopy, ranking it among the world's largest cities.

Buenos Aires embarked on a new wave of urban landscape transformation from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The city government invested heavily in the introduction of special trees and flowers from all over the world, including tropical banana trees, cold cedars, North American ash and Southeast Asian weeping ficus. Argentina plans to turn the capital into an open "Garden of the Nations".

The pleasant geographical environment has created favorable conditions for the growth of urban trees, but the adverse effects of blindly pursuing the number and novelty of species have gradually become apparent. The first is the incompatibility between tree characteristics and urban features. In Buenos Aires, for example, there are a large number of European-style checkerboard grid neighborhoods with narrow roads and limited space, and the root growth of banyan trees poses a serious threat to houses and road foundations. Secondly, exotic species such as plantain trees have subjected local residents to pollen allergies and other problems.

To solve the problem, the City of Buenos Aires has been improving its policies and regulations to optimize the selection of tree species, including giving priority to native species adapted to the city's environmental conditions and planting locations when planting or replacing public trees in the city; public tree master plans must guarantee biodiversity; the presence of thorns or spikes, juicy, large and heavy fruits, toxic or allergenic, and morphologically specific tree species that are not suitable for planting in public spaces. In addition, the municipality has updated a more detailed list of seedlings for the street, with a corresponding range of street widths for each tree.

Facundo Carrillo, secretary of urban planning management in Buenos Aires, explained that the municipality improved the plan in a timely manner by conducting a tree census and collecting residents' opinions. "We are adapting to local conditions, constantly adding species that are popular with the public and creating a more livable green environment."

A series of initiatives have brought new changes to the city. The number of trees such as maple, blue carpets and lime trees, which have a strong ability to purify and reduce noise and have both aesthetic and ornamental value, has increased significantly. Especially when the local species of bluebonnet blooms, the whole city is immersed in a purple romance, which becomes a bright city card.

Singapore-

Tailor-made personalized greening plan

Not long ago, a 51-story office building in Singapore's central business district was officially opened. The most striking feature of this office building is the internal sky garden, including the rooftop garden on the top floor and the "Oasis in the City" from the 17th to the 20th floor. Among them, the "City Oasis" is planted with 38000 plants, covering more than 70 species.

Singapore has a limited land area and a high density of urban buildings. How to improve the living environment of the people through greening? In 2009, Singapore launched the "Green City and Greenery in the Sky" program to encourage building developers to incorporate greenery into the interior and exterior design of their buildings. Under the program, more and more buildings are creating rooftop gardens and green belts, and planting vertical green beds on the building facades.

The trees on each road in Singapore are not only carefully planned, but the species are also carefully selected to create a personalized green environment for different places. Singapore has developed a Street Greening Master Plan, which is the responsibility of the National Parks Board to determine the appropriate greening scheme based on the location and cultural background of the street. For example, in the Punggol HDB area in the northeast of Singapore, trees common to the sea are planted to blend in with the coastal landscape. The East Coast Parkway, which runs from Singapore Changi Airport to the city, is neatly lined with rainforest trees. In addition, palm trees, red millipedes and other tree species are also common.

The National Parks Board of Singapore has also launched the Nature Link pilot scheme, where selected trees and shrubs are planted along the roadside to attract birds and butterflies to different green spaces such as nature reserves and parks. The Nature Link simulates the multi-layered structure of a forest, with the top layer consisting of rainforest trees for nesting eagles and other raptors, and the bottom layer planted with shrubs for butterflies and some bird species. Currently, there are 44 nature trails in Singapore, with a total length of 170 km.

In addition, Singapore has engaged the community extensively in urban greening, and in April 2020 launched the Million Tree Campaign, which plans to plant one million trees in the next 10 years. Singapore has also launched the Kinko's Community Program, in which residents are responsible for caring for trees in their communities under the guidance of professionals, so that each tree has a responsible person. Thanks to the efforts of many, Singapore's greenery coverage has increased from 36% in the to over 50% today.