A unique environmental protection project is currently underway in Madrid. The city, which is home to over six million people, will be surrounded by a 75-kilometer-long green city wall. This will not only store CO2 and alleviate the summer heat, but also create new jobs.
The"Forest of the Metropolitan Region" project takes up the historical idea of city walls, but transforms it into an environmentally friendly initiative. Solarpunk in practice, so to speak. Instead of using stone and mortar, a forest is being planted to surround the entire city. It will not form a smooth border, but rather connect wasteland with existing parks and forests. This will create a natural habitat for the region's wildlife and green highway bridges will also be planted to allow animals to migrate between the forests.
Madrid, a city that suffers from intense heat and poor air quality in summer, is planning to implement this project by 2032. Up to 175,000 tons of CO2 are to be saved every year. Around 500,000 newly planted trees are to form a natural insulation layer and reduce the maximum summer temperatures in the forest by an average of 4 degrees.
Madrid repeatedly faces considerable challenges in summer due to extreme temperatures. In the summer months, temperatures often reach around 40 degrees Celsius. These intense heatwaves not only affect the environment and the city's infrastructure, but also have a massive impact on the quality of life and health of the population. The combination of heat and poor air quality - mainly due to high traffic emissions - also exacerbates health problems, from breathing difficulties to heatstroke. This affects older people and children in particular.
These periods of heat lead to an increased burden on people and nature, known as heat stress. This term refers to the stress that occurs when high temperatures meet a lack of cooling factors such as shade or wind. In urban areas in particular, where concrete and asphalt absorb and reflect the sun's rays, a so-called urban heat island effect occurs, which further increases temperatures in the city.
The urban heat island effect (UHI effect) refers to the phenomenon that urban areas tend to be warmer than the surrounding rural areas. This is due to the concentration of buildings, roads and other infrastructural elements that absorb sunlight and store heat.
Faced with these challenges, the city of Madrid has decided to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to combat the summer heat. The "Forest of the Metropolitan Region" is one such solution. The 500,000 trees provide shade, reduce the reflection of the sun's rays frompathways and buildings and generate oxygen. They also help to cool the city air by releasing moisture, which generates coolness when it evaporates. This significantly reduces the summer heat, which leads to a considerable improvement in the quality of life of city residents and animals.
The"Forest of the Metropolitan Region" is not only an environmental project, but also a significant economic boost for the region. An investment of 75 million euros will create new jobs and boost the regional economy in the long term.
In addition to forestry and landscaping, scientific fields will also benefit from this project. Environmental scientists and technicians will be tasked with making the project sustainable and environmentally friendly. They work hand in hand with ecologists who continuously monitor and evaluate the impact of the project on the local flora and fauna.
In addition, the project creates jobs in the construction and infrastructure sector. Engineers and technicians working on the planning and implementation of green bridges and other infrastructural elements of the project are essential to ensure the success and sustainability of the project.
The project is part of the "Plan Madrid 360", which is a comprehensive strategy for protecting the environment and improving the quality of life. The actions include car-free streets, 30 km/h on single-lane roads in cities and the active involvement of citizens in almost all projects.
The "Plan Madrid 360" is a holistic approach to sustainably improve the quality of life in the Spanish capital. The core factors of the plan include
With the "Forest of the Metropolitan Region", Madrid is setting an important example in terms of urban sustainability and climate protection. By planting native trees that require little water and dispensing with costly park maintenance, the city is showing how resource conservation can be put into practice.
Madrid's green city wall is an inspiring example for cities worldwide that are looking for more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions to improve the quality of life of their residents and combat climate change.