bureau B+B proposes planting 3 million trees to rejuvenate the city of rome

with the intent to rejuvenate the city of rome, in italy, architectural bureau B+B introduces ‘rome reforested – the tree as a cure for the urban streetscape’. the proposed idea is a long-term plan that focuses on enriching the urban fabric with 3 million trees, one tree per inhabitant. 

all images courtesy of bureau B+B

‘in a recent report by the wuppertal institute, rome scored poorly in road safety, mobility management, and active mobility. it also scored below average in air quality and public transportation’ bureau B+B shares. the proposed strategy encourages a mobility transition towards new sustainable models, parallel to the gradual development of nature in the city. the architects suggest slowly planting the trees into the current street profiles. in order to achieve that, other uses, like parking, will have to be minimized, as each tree will take equal space to a parking spot. in this way, generous, comfortable space will be introduced for pedestrians, while the city will appear refreshed. 

via tuscalana’s transition towards a resilient urban forest

‘from a scientific viewpoint, any negative aspect of urbanization can be countered with the strategic integration of trees’ the architects share. an increase in the number of trees within the city will help reduce the heat island effect and retain runoff water in streets, in case of flooding events. in addition, it will also improve people’s health and well-being, while interconnecting all existing open spaces within a new larger green network.

porta sangiovanni

this proposal is a long-term strategy to be developed in different phases. the first phase is to start planting trees along the consular roads, which are fundamental connections between the inner city and the surrounding areas. since they are mostly used by cars, placing trees in this area will have direct benefits on the region; improving the quality of the air, reducing urban heat islands, and mitigating flooding events.

‘we understand how sensitive this change is in a city like rome, where individual motorized transport is a part of people’s identity’ bureau B+B mentions. with this in mind, the architects have developed mock-up demonstrations as a way for inhabitants to truly experience the effect of the upcoming change before it happens.‘to truly experience the effect of the upcoming change before it happens’ they explain. 

 
long term strategy developed in different phases

technical solutions about how to plant a tree in a street profile

project info:

name: rome reforested – the tree as a cure for the urban streetscape
architects: bureau B+B
location: rome, italy

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edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom