Cities will become ever more crowded. To remain liveable, they will, above all, need to plant trees. This was the subject of discussion at the second World Forum on Urban Forests in Milan.
The sharp scent of pine needles. The fragrance of resin, which clings to your fingers when you brush against rough bark. The glimmer of ferns, the softness of moss, the dampness of dew grazing your skin. All around, a muffled silence that teems with life. The heartbeat slows, the mind clears.
It has been proven that walking in woods is good for you. It inhibits the formation of negative thoughts, preventing serious conditions such as depression. So why will two thirds of the global population be living in cities within a decade or so, apparently far removed from the only chance of salvation in a world where – to use the metaphor of London illustrator Steve Cutts – we live like rats crushed by alienating work, addictions and unfulfilled desires? Because of industrialisation, of course, and the better services that cities undeniably offer compared to rural areas. That is why "the urban strategy we pursue will be decisive for our future."
This is the clear message that the President of the Council of Ministers, Giuseppe Conte, wished to leave with the audience gathered at the Triennale di Milano on 21 November for the second World Forum on Urban Forests (Wfuf). A three-day event to discuss how to reconcile humanity's dual need: to live in cities without giving up contact with nature. The key? Just one. Urban forestry. "Cities must embrace projects of this kind," Conte continued. "This is an economic opportunity, but above all an ethical imperative. That is why we have established the Capitale verde d'Italia award, which will be conferred each year on the municipality that has put forward the most innovative and effective green regeneration projects."
The benefits that plants provide, even in urban settings, are clear. They are not only "the only means we have to absorb CO2" – as Stefano Boeri pointed out, president of the Triennale and the architect who designed the Bosco Verticale, a residential complex consisting of two towers that together house nine hundred trees and two thousand plants. They also regulate temperature, mitigating cold winds in winter and providing coolness in summer; at the same time, they "increase the aesthetic value of residential areas, and therefore of their properties," according to Ermete Realacci, president of Symbola. Trees also guarantee an increase in biodiversity, offering shelter to many bird species and ensuring the wellbeing of organisms that are essential to our survival, such as bees.
This is the first, crucial step. After that, "we need to simultaneously introduce a series of long-term measures that look at the territory, the community, resource savings, recycling and emissions reduction," stressed Alessandra Stefani, head of the General Directorate for Forests at the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. Measures that extend beyond cities and protect all of Italy's forests, which currently cover almost twelve million hectares – 39 per cent of the national territory – and are in constant expansion. Fortunately they are in good health, but "we must counter the management neglect that makes them more vulnerable to fires and climate change," recommends Marco Marchetti, president of the Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (Sisef). To assess the effectiveness of environmental policies, we must not be afraid to assign "an economic value to the benefits provided by woodlands," Stefani concludes.
The day of 22 November drew to a close with the Forest open night, a public event introduced by Simone Molteni, scientific director of LifeGate. His address was followed by that of Anuela Ristani, deputy mayor of Tirana, in Albania, who brought the virtuous example of her city. Only 20 per cent of residents own a car. The city centre has been transformed into a pedestrian area; "oases" have been created to encourage social interaction, tree-lined playgrounds for children, and forty kilometres of cycle lanes have been built. And Tirana is not the only city heading in this direction. Perhaps the most striking example comes from Oslo, a "car-free" city that is working towards having fully electric public transport in the coming years (ferries included), but Italy too has cases like this, with Parma, Bologna and Milan leading the way.
Watch the video interview with Giorgio Vacchiano, researcher in Forest Planning
As for the rise in temperature, "we're going to get at least two degrees more, even if we act immediately. If we do nothing, we'll get five. Right now we are in the warmest moment in the history of civilisation." We close with the pessimistic observation of climatologist Luca Mercalli because we want to turn it into an optimistic one. We are in a hot moment in the metaphorical sense, too. People have finally woken up; sustainability is no longer a niche topic, but something discussed every day; young people are loudly demanding change and, to achieve it, are making use of the most established forms of protest, from strikes to civil disobedience. Proof that we find ourselves in an unprecedented historical moment: that of the fight in defence of the Planet.
