# Tree as Infrastructure
Article#1: https://provocations.darkmatterlabs.org/trees-as-infrastructure-1dd94e1cfedf
Article#2:
https://provocations.darkmatterlabs.org/trees-as-infrastructure-aa141acdf227

### Article #1 Note 城市現有植樹政策案例/ 工具:
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- 缺乏養護計畫的植樹政策Ambitious tree-planting targets that cities are announcing & plans fail to construct credible, practical implementation and maintenance strategies:
- [Prague to plant 1 million trees](https://www.themayor.eu/fr/prague-with-a-major-tree-planting-programme)
- [Milan to plant 3 million trees](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/milan-trees-air-quality-pollution-climate-change-stefano-boeri-vertical-forest-italy-a8674906.html#gsc.tab=0)
- [Sydney to plant 5 millions trees](https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/Policy-and-Legislation/Open-space-and-parklands/5-million-trees)
- [England, Tree-planting is falling 71% short of the Gov's target](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jun/13/tree-planting-in-england-falls-72-short-of-government-target)
- [US, 36 millions trees lost due to natural disaster](https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/20/health/iyw-cities-losing-36-million-trees-how-to-help-trnd/index.html)
- [Sheffield, lost 5,000 trees](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/25/for-the-chop-the-battle-to-save-sheffields-trees)
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- Tree warden law, Massachusetts in New England 1896
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- 呼應都市基礎建設的植樹政策 Cities connect trees as green infrastructure with other urban systems:
- [Melbourne, city's canopy cover to double from 22.5% to 40% by 2040](https://www.centreforpublicimpact.org/case-study/urban-forest/), to recycle surface water runoff/ reduce urban temperatures
---> by installing a series of infiltration trenches along sidewalks that direct water runoff to a structural soil system supporting city trees
- [Greater Lyon Authroity, to capture rainwater to enable green infrastructure-based colling strategies.](http://www.tdag.org.uk/casestudies/using-rainwater-for-tree-based-cooling-on-garibaldi-street)
---> Controlled green infra data by installing sensors on trees to monitor and quantify the colling effect of diff. stages of maturity and underdiff irrigation regimes.
- [Cardiff Council, Greener Grangetwon Project, rain water management](https://greenergrangetown.wordpress.com/)
---> use of SuDs for stormwater protection/ rain garden and kerbside trees which financially benefites Dwr Cymru Welsh Water./ extensive public consultation process to transform neibourhood
---> Inception -> Fund -> Design -> Engage -> Build -> Maintain -> Monitor
**--->No tree planting targets set,instead a scope of neighbourhood improvment was developed.
--->此案著重考量植樹帶來的其他社會效益 Community pride, outdoor experience, water quality, health & wellbeing**

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- 植樹養護支出/ 老樹養護的費用高/ Current difficulties for mulnicipalities:
- Trees are registered as cost rather than assets
- Mature trees require more maintenance hence more cost
- 50% of urban trees don't make it to 10 years. (eg, HS2 project in UK, and project in Turkey)
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- **50歲的樹才開始有生態效益 Ecological benefits of trees starts after 50 yrs of existence**
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- London Hackney Councillor Jon Burke suggests to describe urban forest growth efforts differently, like '40% canopy cover on neighbourhoods can effect greatly energy demands for cooling and medical services',
- 'what if we aimed at maintaining a constant stock of urban trees that are between 50 and 200 years of age to reap the most cost-effective benefits.'
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- Measure the well-being of people and planet in natural and social metrics
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- **城市用來計算植樹效益的工具 Tootls that quantify the monetary value of trees**:

- [Helliwell system](https://www.trees.org.uk/Help-Advice/Public/What-is-the-Helliwell-system-and-how-much-is-a-po): monetary value on the visual amenity provided by individual trees

- [CAVAT](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03071375.2018.1454077): capital asset valuation of amentiy trees widely adopted by authorities across the UK

- [i-Tree](https://www.itreetools.org/): NYC used to calculate the ecosystem services flowing from the city’s trees and concluded that the [city’s trees provide $5.60 in benefits for every dollar spent on tree planting and care](https://www.milliontreesnyc.org/html/urban_forest/urban_forest_benefits.shtml)

- Other tools
- [REDD+](https://globalcad.org/en/2019/11/22/the-best-guardians-of-our-forests-what-it-takes-to-protect-forests-effectively/) offset carbon footprints
- [Terra0](https://terra0.org/) and [GainForest](https://www.gainforest.app/#/) tackle growing deforestation and forest degradation
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- Cities are at the core of the climate crisis/ largest environmental polluters
- Amsterdam's City Councillor, Floor Gordon, “It is up to the municipality when it comes to adaptations to public spaces and the construction of a separate sewer. But in order to make Amstelveen climate-proof, we also need our residents and companies”
- “they are the best guardians our forests can have. We cannot effectively conserve our forests without the active participation of the communities.”
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# Article #2 Tree as Infrastructure - Open Source Model

- [Tree as Infrastructure Model](https://treesasinfrastructure.com)
- 1/ pool the necessary financial resources to maintain a thriving green infrastructure
- 2/ develop new practices to care for and maintain our urban ecosystems, and
- 3/ monitor and evaluate the environmental, health and social impacts driving our urban afforestation targets.

- Successful green infrastructures will require:
- Involvement
- Investment
- Care of the many city actors (Development team, Landowners, Gardeners, Urban forests, beneficiaries, investor)
- 

- 1 / Micro-contracting the outcomes of urban forests (smart contract)examples:
- lower peak water runoff --> [reduction in sewer maintenance costs](http://docplayer.net/17125528-Re-greening-washington-dc-a-green-roof-vision-based-on-quantifying-storm-water-and-air-quality-benefits.html)
- water retention capabilities of urban forestries --> fewer fines for sewer overflows
- [reduction in air conditioning cost](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306261907000931)
- people active in tree planting, [social prescribing](https://www.bma.org.uk/news-and-opinion) -->lower mental healthcare costs

- positive ecosystem and social impacts
- urban trees could be seen as **shared civic assets**
- [benefits of urban forests grow exponentially, not linearly](https://www.charteredforesters.org/2017/02/tree-benefits/)
- calculating future projections of the urban forest:
- make more informed decisions about where and how to develop our urban forest
- start understanding the financial incentives for Beneficiaries and investors to support green infrastructures

- civic engagement to establish a new relationship with ecosystem:
- Edible green infrastructure: [communal fruit trees Copenhagen](https://www.intelligentliving.co/copenhagen-communal-fruit-trees/), [Incredible Edible Todmorden](https://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk)
- Melbourne treemail
- Paris’ ‘permis de végétaliser’
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Diagram information references:
(a) There is up to a 24% reduction in particulate matter near a mature tree.
(b) More than 270 people are admitted to hospital each day because of asthma attacks. Of the £1.1b cost of treating asthma in the UK, at least £666 million is spent on prescription costs each year. Other costs include £160m on GP consultations, £143m on disability claims and £137m on hospital care.
© For every 5% of tree cover, stormwater runoff is reduced by 2%.
(d) Different species have different rates of transpiration (water passed from roots to leaves and evaporates into the environment through leaf pores) Conifers transpire 10–12% while Deciduoud Trees up to 25% of precipitation.(e) One tree with 25m2 tree pit will capture 26” of London’s annual rainfall. For every tree with those qualities planted, Thames Water who currently pays £1.5 p/m3 could save £150 a year for every tree planted.
(f) Informed selection and strategic placement of trees and green infrastructure can reduce the UHI and cool the air by between 2°C and 8°C.
(g) Research has shown that temperature decreased nonlinearly with increasing canopy cover, with the greatest cooling when canopy cover exceeded 40%.
(h) Optimally positioned row of trees could help save up to 18% energy for heating office buildings and also help to enhanced pedestrian comfort.

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- https://treesasinfrastructure.com/
- https://vimeo.com/showcase/6628565
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