Paris to plant mini urban forests to combat climate change

Earth is home to approximately 3 trillion trees, but most of them are far from urban centers where they’re most needed to cool down pavement and air temperatures. Paris has a plan to change that.

The city just announced that it will be planting a series of urban forests as a way to combat climate change. The mini forests will center around the Gare de Lyon, the Palais Garnier, and pathway along the banks of the Seine river, according to Dezeen.

APUR/Céline Orsingher

The goal, says Paris’ mayor, Anne Hidalgo, is to decrease carbon emissions and curb rising temperature, which have already been rippling across Europe this summer. Though Paris’ efforts will be just a dent in the amount of trees needed to make a meaningful impact on carbon dioxide emissions, it’s an important model for how cities could spur major change if they all adopted the same mindset.

APUR/Luxigon

Plans show canopies of lush trees surrounding some of Paris’ most popular sites. The city worked with UNESCO to ensure the trees didn’t block the view. And in the case of the Seine, the city is opting for planting native grasses along the banks, replacing the all-stone pathways with something a little more green. It turns out planing trees isn’t just an opportunity to mitigate climate change—it’s a way to make an already beautiful city even more livable.