Talking Dutch: Smarter than the average tree
A giant rectangular ‘tree’ has appeared in the centre of Brussels, ready to do the job of 275 real one
Derek Blyth on the smart tree of life
Een hoogtechnologische boom is aan de trappen van de Kunstberg geplaatst – A high-tech tree has been placed on the steps of the Kunstberg, announced Bruzz. De City Tree heeft een luchtzuiverend vermogen – The City Tree has an air-purifying potential dat gelijk is aan dat van 275 bomen – equivalent to 275 trees.
Designed by a Berlin company, Smart City Trees have been popping up in cities across Europe, from Oslo to Paris. Now Brussels has its own, which is about the size of a bus shelter, with two benches where you can sit down to breathe the purified air.
De City Tree heeft een oppervlakte van 2,80 meter bij 2,80 meter – The City Tree measures 2.8 metres by 2.8 metres waarin maar liefst 1.682 afzonderlijke planten groeien – within which a whopping 1,682 plants are growing.
Dat is samen goed voor 16 vierkante meter groene oppervlakte – That represents a total of 16 square metres of green space die invloed uitoefent op de directe omgeving – which has an impact on the immediate environment.
Concrete jungle
And that’s not all. De City Tree is in staat om zichzelf van energie te voorzien – The City Tree is able to provide its own energy dankzij zonnepanelen die een besproeiingssysteem en meetapparatuur aandrijven – thanks to solar panels that control the irrigation system and measuring apparatus.
We might even start to see some wildlife returning to the concrete jungle of the Kunstberg. Dit initiatief versterkt het groene netwerk van de stad – This initiative reinforces the city’s green network en zal ongetwijfeld tal van insecten en kleine diertjes aantrekken – and it will inevitably attract lots of insects and small animals die er vrolijk in zullen kunnen gedijen – who will be able to live happily inside.
The smart tree is part of Brussels’ klimaatplan – climate plan, bedoeld om de Europese doelstellingen inzake energie en klimaat te realiseren in 2030 – aimed at achieving the European energy and climate targets by 2030, according to the city’s website.
So will we be seeing more smart trees in future? De boom wordt drie maanden opgesteld in het hart van de stad – The tree will remain in the heart of the city for three months om de effecten ervan op het stadsmilieu te meten – to measure its impact on the urban environment, said Brussels city alderman for green spaces Ahmed El Ktibi.
But of course Brussels City is only one of 19 municipalities that make up the Brussels Region. So you might need 19 smart mayors before we can have a smart city.
Photo courtesy Brussels.be
