The trees and the city

Israel is considered one of the world’s most crowded countries, with 92% of its population currently living in cities. Population density in urban areas is, in fact, the most ecological way living, incorporating a series of values such as the ability to preserve open spaces, make mobility more effective and therefore saving on distances traveled by car, and promoting advanced models of sharing and saving economy.

Therefore, planting of trees in built-up spaces, where it is truly needed, provides an especially hefty return – both in improving the ecosystem in cities and in improving the quality of life of most residents of Israel.

The challenge in finding an appropriate location

The great need for tree planting conflicts with the complexity of finding open spaces for planting, particularly in crowded urban areas. After an in-depth examination with a team of professionals, it was found that there is in effect segnificant potential in planting forests inside cities, in abandoned public spaces within or on the margins of the city. While in many cases, these may be “marginal areas” – relatively small spaces, if we connect them, we find that they actually amount to a tremendous amount of unused space that which chose to put to work for the environment and turn into a Climate Forest.

What are marginal spaces?

“Marginal spaces” are city spaces that generally go unseen. Roadsides, traffic islands, neighborhood margins, hidden and neglected areas in industrial zones, unkept courtyards of community centers, old age homes or educational institutions. All these and many others are an extensive part and not insignificant space in the city. Forestation of these spaces contributes not only to the air and climate, but also encourages caring for and nurturing of neglected areas, prevents trash and waste from being dumped in the towns. Any marginal urban space that is transformed into part of the climate forest receives all the approvals of the relevant agencies in the local authority/municipality.

How do we select spaces that are right for planting?

All potential spaces are inspected thoroughly to ensure that they meet the following criteria:

Can be connected to an irrigation system.
Can be planted in terms of the zoning (an area not zoned for construction or business, but as a green public space).
The local authority commits to care for the area according to the following guidelines:
- Ongoing repair of the irrigation system.
- Commitment to handle the water cost for the space.
- Full and ongoing communication with the climate forest team regarding malfunctions/problems.
- Performing basic maintenance in the space.