Cities are growing rapidly. An estimated 75 percent of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. ‘How do I keep the city livable and durable for others and myself? ‘as well as: ‘ How can we create happier citizens?’ are questions we get more to do with, especially in the future.
How can we improve our quality of life and the environment when cities are so crowded? A solution for this problem could be the ‘PopUp Forest: Time Square’.
What is it?
1/8 of New York City is forests, marshes and meadows. NYC has more nature than any other city in North America. Unfortunately, many New Yorkers have no idea that these kinds of places/nature exist.
To give people the experience of the nature that lives close by (to get to know their floral and faunal neighbors) and to redefine cities with nature in mind, the PopUP Forest: Times Square helps to achieve this.
The PopUp Forest: Times Square is a temporarily large-scale installation of real nature in the heart of New York City. This is a lively green space, which will support wildlife and delight urbanites. In about a couple of weeks it will disappear.
Urban ecologist Marielle Anzelone started the PopUp Forest campaign on Kickstarter. Anzelone’s purpose and wishes are to build a resilient and livable city together with citizens. With the PopUp Forest, Anzelone shows us how important it is to protect the remaining natural areas in the city.
Anzelone’s plan is to ship containers loaded with soil, trees and flowers along, with sounds of birds and wildlife to one of the world’s most crowded places. Anzelone wants to create an immersive natural experience in what the campaign page calls ‘the most unnatural place on the planet’.
After three weeks, the PopUp Forest would be removed and the greenery used in small parks and schoolyards around the city.
The Kickstarter campaign was launched on March 16th and the hope is that funds will help to enable to start a design for the Times Square installation in 2016 and create a prototype in Gowanus, Brooklyn for summer 2015.
Small funders will see their name on the website, while higher donations come with access to other cool things.
You can find and follow the project on Kickstarter: www.kickstarter.com/projects/popupforest/build-a-popup-forest-in-times-square-nyc
Below Marielle Anzelone tells about the idea of the PopUp Forest: Times Square.
Why is it cool?
Forests can now just pop up somewhere. I think this is why it makes it such a great and inspirational idea. If a forest can make it in Times Square, it can make it anywhere. Besides, this forest connects people to nearby nature. Design, education, and government are interwoven to promote this relationship.
I’m quite sure, this PopUp Forest will inspire people to come with other durable initiatives and ensures a better future for crowded cities.
The PopUp Forest ensures that the nature will be into people’s everyday lives.
Let’s work together and fight against climate, environmental and globalization/urbanization problems, to work on a livable and durable city for the future. Our quality of life will increase by this on different aspects, like for example on the emotional wellbeing. In a sustainable city of the future we may be the happiest.
Places will get greener and hopefully there will be a balance between crowded places and nature.
Sources:
http://popupcity.net/a-pop-up-forest-at-times-square/
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/times-square-pop-up-forest-hits-goal-article-1.2168448
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/popupforest/build-a-popup-forest-in-times-square-nyc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=110&v=m-seRYjYehE
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