In preparation for the first World Forum on Urban Forests promoted by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), which will be held from November 28 to December 1, 2018 in Mantova, Italy, Stefano Boeri Architetti has launched a global call for action regarding projects, strategies and ideas in relation to urban forestry.
We, designers of the first Vertical Forest in Milan, invite architects, urban planners, botanists, agronomists, forestry corps, tree growers, geographers, ethologists, landscape scientists, technicians, researchers and experts in green care and urban forestry, real estate developers, administrators and representatives of local institutions and civil society, members and representatives of international organizations, funding agencies, universities and research institutes, and NGOs,
To consider that:
– By 2030, 60% of the global population is projected to live in urban areas.
– Cities consume 75% of the world’s natural resources and account for more than 70% of global CO2 emissions.
– Cumulative emissions of CO2, together with methane and other greenhouse gases, largely determine global mean surface warming of the planet, causing ice melting, biodiversity loss and rising sea levels.
And to consider also that:
– Forests and trees—which are at risk of continuous erosion all over the world— absorb nearly 40% of fossil fuel emissions largely produced by our cities every year.
– Leaves and roots of a mature tree absorb CO2 through photosynthesis and help reduce the pollutants (responsible for a high percentage of respiratory diseases and premature deaths) present in the air.
– If a single tree can bring great benefits to the city and its inhabitants, an urban forest can be an extraordinary help to improve the quality of health and life in a city.
