OB Kuhn said: “Throughout the city, there are trees, forests and meadows that often exist unconnected next to each other. This is where our ‘New Green’ project comes in. Our goal is to link individual locations and systematically create a green infrastructure to bring more green into the city month by month.” The new CityTrees are a reference project, he said, and are intended to show what green oases in urban areas could look like. “Green islands like the CityTrees not only enhance their immediate surroundings, they also make an important contribution to the discussion on air pollution control and climate management. Plants can improve air quality, while at the same time providing cooling in the hot summer months,” the OB continued.
According to the manufacturer, Green City Solutions GmbH, one CityTree provides the environmental performance of up to 275 city trees. Commenting on the implementation of the project, Technology Mayor Dirk Thürnau said: “Greening a city means more than simply planting a tree. The local conditions and the special requirements of the plants must be taken into account. A new tree location is thus also always a technically demanding project.” CityTrees offer a solution that is relatively easy to implement, he said. “They are not anchored in the ground, have no static impact on their environment, and are equipped with their own water tank. This makes CityTrees an option for more greenery where trees are not possible,” Thürnau said.
The city has signed a maintenance contract with Green City Solutions GmbH for four years. It is investing 115,000 euros for the purchase, installation and maintenance. Between the CityTrees, the Garden, Cemetery and Forestry Department has also planted three new trees, hop hornbeams, as part of the “New Green” project. In total, the city is spending around 240,000 euros on the greening of Esslinger Straße.
Four new tree locations with gleditschias were also created and planted in Stiftstraße. At Rotebühlplatz, eight tree locations were established to enhance the recreational area in front of the City Plaza. Of these, seven are planted with gleditschias and the location in the direction of Sophienstraße with a columnar hornbeam.
The state capital Stuttgart is investing an additional eleven million euros in the city’s “green infrastructure” this year and next year: it is planting new trees, maintaining parks and playgrounds better than before, and promoting “urban gardening”. Over 3 million euros will be invested in “New Green” alone by 2023.
Press
OB Kuhn presents the first CityTrees in Stuttgart
Stuttgart now also has two CityTrees: This street furniture with bench is a real eye-catcher. They enhance the cityscape and also function as air filters with a purifying and cooling effect. Mayor Fritz Kuhn presented the new elements for city greening on Monday, June 11. They are located in Esslinger Strasse, between Kanalstrasse and Rosenstrasse.