De Gamles By, oasis or building site?

Our politicians are these days planning to develop in De Gamles By (City of the Elderly), building parking lots, a school, businesses and a diabetes center. The latter on Nordpolen (The North Pole), the last remaining part of the old commons and home to the magical old hawthorn, older than Nørrebro itself. The wildest thing we've got. The political majority are either oblivious to the importance of history and nature, or they just don't care.

Nørrebro is the most densely populated part of Copenhagen (times three the average!) and at the same time has the lowest amount of m2 green pr citizen. Now it makes sense why they felled so many trees along the years, for no apparent reason, "opening up" from all sides. An effective way to minimize the resistance, come building time.

The big decisions are made in city hall these days. Save the Urban Trees will work closely together with the green forces to keep the North Pole safe from developing, and have it protected as a park. The citizen's movement Forsvar De Gamles By (Defend the City of the Elderly) are keeping us updated on the development, and it is all happening at warp speed right now.

A look at the father of Nørrebro, the old hawthorn complete with arms, legs a face and a powerful personality.

Amber alert on Islands Brygge

Tomorrow TMU decides if funds will be granted to fell the ENTIRE cherry avenue on Islands Brygge. A mad plan from the administration, who have offered the trees living conditions so poor that 14 of them over time have died and been felled. They now wish to fell the remaining 131 trees: 122 cherry trees (about 20 years old), 4 rowans, 4 poplar trees and the big chestnut on the corner.

Photo: Jan Oster, Islands Brygges Lokalråd (local council).

From the meeting material.

None of the trees are sick, but they have been subjected to poor living conditions which is reflected in their growth. Last year the city added another layer of compacted gravel, all the way up to the trunks, which among other things robs the trees of water. And recently the city itself increased heavy traffic on the roots, which makes it even harder for the young trees to thrive.

Rather than improving the living conditions and adjust their own behavior, the administration prefers to fell all and start from scratch with a new avenue. This goes against the new Tree Policy stating that trees "only be felled where absolutely necessary" and that "ensures good living conditions for existing trees".

The proposal hides in a bigger plan to renovate and improve the Harbour Park. Miraculously, the local council Islands Brygges Lokalråd discovered it in the nick of time, and this buys the citizens exactly one day to stop it. The decision is made tomorrow.

Links (Danish):

Islands Brygges Lokalråd/Local Council's letter to the politicians, with documentation and relevant information.

Bilag 2 TM1, Renovering og forbedring af Havneparken, Budgetnotat (meeting material)

Battle plan for the lake chestnuts

We have now entered the winter season, and the tormented chestnut trees on the road side of the lakes have not been pardoned. The Winter Service even denies that the trees are affected by the salt at all. That it is simply flushed out into the sewer system, without causing any harm. It makes no sense. The city knows perfectly well that salt is poison and that caliumformiat makes a huge difference.

The reason for not protecting the lake chestnut trees: they are already having a hard time (!?!).

It is very hard to get employees in the city to contradict the management on this, as their livelihoods depends on obeying orders. This is why the pressure must come from the citizens, with nothing to lose (except the urban trees). If we as citizens don't protest, we will lose our lake chestnut trees much faster than need be. This will happen because the trees are denied life prolonging care and further the decay by salting.

This is what we can do right now:

1. Argue for the political board on their last meeting before the election, decide whether the funds for caliumformiat can be granted for the road side of the lakes. The Winter Service informs us that it will only be done by direct political order.*

2. Sign the petition for the funds, allowing tree care specialists to prolong the lives of the old trees, over the next three years, and for the salt to be replaced with caliumformiat on the above mentioned stretch.

*Made difficult by the fact that politicians consulting the Winter Service on the damages from salt on this stretch, are misinformed.

The other steps will be implemented if the first two don't work. To be continued...

Funny how the the trees are  suddenly useful come election spam time.

Sign the petition: Hjælp Søkastanjerne!

The lake chestnut trees in Lorry

Thank you so much Lorry, for talking about the lake chestnut trees. The winter season starts on November 1st, so if the salt is to be replaced, it is last call. The people who care for the trees should get the funds they applied for, for the three-year plan to extend the lives of the old trees. Sign here if you want to help.

https://www.skrivunder.net/hjalp_sokastanjerne

(Reads) The crown jewels of the lakes under pressure: they are salting them to death.

Citizens movement fights city to make them stop salting along the chestnut trees lining the lakes. 

Link to article in Lorry (Danish)

Petition: Help the Lake Chestnuts

The old lake chestnut trees are fighting to stay alive, and need our help urgently. The city of Copenhagen not only denied the department funds for a plan to prolong their lives, but also continue to use the toxic salt on the roadside of the lakes, to save money. This can't go on.

The trees on the roadside are now so weak that they are continuously being felled for safety reasons. The many holes in the row and the burnt canopies, says it all. The citizens are the last hope. For this reason, we have started a petition to make the city fund the departments plan to care for the trees, and to stop the salting of the road side trees, effective immediately.

 (this is translated in another post, here)

Caliumformiat is used on one side, salt on the other.

The winter service informs us that an average winter season with caliumformiat costs 140.000 dkr, on this stretch. Caliumformiat is exactly twice the cost of salt, meaning the added cost of switching is 70.000 dkr. If the City of Copenhagen refuses to switch, we must insist that the old trees are in some way shielded from the salt. We request political action now!

Sign here (Danish): Hjælp Søkastanjerne!

Lake chestnut alarm!

To keep it short, all you need to do is look at the attached pictures. The old chestnut trees lining the center lakes on the road side, are fighting to stay alive. The many holes and small "replacement" trees speaks volumes on the gravity of the issue. Another tree just died and the others are close behind it. They are still salted in the winter, and the funds that the managers had requested in the budget for urgent extra care and monitoring (1,5 mill. dkr/approximately €200.000 or US$240.000, including a citizens involvement process, or even less with just the plain care), were not granted. See the attached screenshot.

These funds must be granted to provide the urgent extra care of the lake chestnuts. And: salting must be stopped immedeately on the road side of the lakes. Otherwise we lose our trees.

Should we launch a petition?

Screenshot from the budget notes below, where the management ask a small amount for extra care.

 

Highlighted in yellow: "..need for intensified monitoring, care and pruning of the trees. And: "Until the trees are replaced, for security reasons extra care and monitoring is needed." In red: "Not granted."

(Full text:) With this budget note financing is requested for three initiatives, supporting the renovation of the inner lakes surroundings.

1. Intensive monitoring and care of chestnut trees in 2018-2021 plus citizen involvement process regarding the replacement (1,5 mill dkr cost). The chestnut trees around the lakes are weakened by age, pests and disease. There have been cases of large branches of trees breaking off, endangering citizens, and several trees are felled every year. For security reasons and to keep the notable trees as long as possible there is a need for intensified monitoring, care and pruning of the trees. Furtermore the future kind of trees must be more robust. The management discourages chestnut trees as this species are prone to attacks from disease and pests. Possible new tree species taking over as the prominent tree around the lakes could for example be silver maple, tulip tree or bird cherry tree.

The management will include the citizens and local councils in the process of replacing he trees and electing the replacement species, to secure the higest level of ownership to the major change a replacement will be. Following the council will receive a proposal for a replanting plan. Until the trees are replaced, for security reasons extra care and monitoring is needed.

200 year old tree in danger on Nørrebro

This morning a citizen's alert sounded on Nørrebro: In a backyard between Søllerødgade and Nørrebrogade, they began cutting down one of the last big yard trees in the area, the 200 year old plane tree. At first word was that it was by request of the city, due to rats in the sewer system. The neighbours contacted the city and was told in uncertain terms, that the city had neither recommended nor demanded the fellling of the old tree.

Action:
We arrived up at the scene, got in contact with the land owner and explained that there may have been a miscommunication, asking if we could have some time to try and save the tree. The only way that was going to happen was if we agreed to pay for the delay. A sum that could amount to 10.000 DKR. It was that, or the felling would continue. The undersigned agreed, under pressure (and he wanted that in writing, so here you are).

The city
The park manager were equally distraught to see the tree cut down, but as it is on private property, the city has not allowed itself any say in the matter. The tree team was hired to cut down the tree, remove it and grind down the roots. They stopped the felling and adjusted the cuts so the tree has a chance to survive.

The problem
The land owner showed up and reported that it was not the city but the sewer company that had recommended felling. We called him up. It turns out that the sewer is leaking, and the water deprived tree seeks towards the pipes and enter them. This has been established by TV equipment in the pipes. But is felling the only solution? No.

The solution
It turns out that the problem can be solved in a far less invasive way, by sewer lining: clearing out the roots from the inside and lining it to prevent leaking. It is a real alternative and compared to the cost of felling not even that much more expensive. It has simply not been prioritized. Land owner and investor have just chosen the shortest way from A to B, at no time taken into consideration how incredibly valuable this tree is to neighbours, the kindergarten and the coming inhabitants of their newly built real estate. The area is extremely dense with very few green patches and trees.

What is next?

The felling is temporarily put to a halt. We have very little time to hear the neighbours in the adjoining buildings if they would be ready to pay the difference, in lining the sewer on this short stretch. Worst case it would cost 47.000 plus moms. It they agree it is up to the land owner and his investors if they are willing to meet the neighbours halfway and agree to the alternative.

 

If they decline we need to fund the 10.000 DKR for delaying the felling. But there is no reason why this tree should not survive. It has been cut, but it is still alive and will be able to live for a long time. With a little help.

To be continued.

Young boy from the kindergarten looking on from the spot where the children used to nap outside in the shade of the tree.

Blackbird inspecting the damage from the spot where neighbours say it sings the sun down at the exact same time every night.

So a water deprived plane tree makes a dent in the floor. We will survive, don't you think?

Alert on Carlsberg, again!

Carlsberg is up to felling again. This Monday the city (TMU) must decide if dispensation can be given to fell another nine trees deemed worth preserving. Six lining a road and tree in a garden, that they want to transform into a container city. One of the trees they are asking permission to fell, is the first one in the picture below:

A giant!

More information can be found (in Danish) in the TMU agenda, available online.

Satellite image of the last green spot. Now in danger of being demolished.

And an excerpt from the appendix of TMU's agenda.

The nine trees worth preserving that they want permission to fell (encircled). The all red dots are trees worth preserving where felling has already been granted. The all green dots are felled too, but are to be replanted. Translated: They have been allowed to fell almost everything, and now they want another nine.

The last six trees are to be felled due to digging work nearby. This can be done with care, without felling, as is best practice in eg. Stockholm. But then again it is much easier to just fell and replant another tree.

The request is worded as an ultimatum: if they are not allowed to fell another nine trees it will significantly delay the project and cost will go up. We can only hope that the city of Copenhagen is done throwing itself on Carlsberg's feet. Enough is enough!

Thank you to Miljøpunkt Nørrebro for the alert.

Link (in Danish):

Agenda and appendixes.

Urine damages up close

The purpose of this movement has always been to identify the reason that we are losing our urban trees, and subsequently work to minimize the damages. No department and no one person is sacred, in our search to learn how to better protect our trees.

Now it turns out there is something we do ourselves that damage the most vulnerable trees: peeing on them. One wonders why no one have talked about this before. That it takes the death of two giant old trees, succumbing to the strain of years of relentless urination.

We are not talking about random drips but rather certain exposed trees, systematically being soaked year in and year out at the exact same spot. This was the case by the two 100 year old linden trees by the Round Tower, felled this week. Their bark porous and bleached by ammonia damages all the way into the cambium, in the peeing-zone. This has been weakening the trees to the degree where they were no longer able to sustain the branches with life, or keep rot, fungus and disease away.

Once you know that urine is bad for trees, you stop subjecting them to it. Simple as that. The discussions about lack of public toilets, belong elsewhere. Nor is this an attack on men, as none of us up until now even knew how damaging this was. The information was lacking.

By the Round Tower there is one younger tree left, already showing signs of urine damages, so we need to come together to find a solution to protect that and the rest of the urine-endangered trees. This is especially urgent once we enter the summer months. Do we need small fences? Controlled ivy? Signs? We need to solve this ugly problem. If we put our heads together, we can do it.

Here are pictures of the urine damages to the newly felled linden trees by the Round Tower. Plus a cropped piece of an article about (dog)urine damages on trees, explaining the process.

From an article about damages from dog urine, in CityLab 2012. Even they had a hard time finding documentation on the subject, despite the fact that it is a huge problem for urban trees. It is about time we talk about this. 

You may be reading this from another part of the world. Do you have similar problems where you live? And if so, how do you go about protecting the trees? If you have any ideas about how to prevent this kind of damages, please leave a comment, or drop us a line. The urban trees need all the help they can get.

Alert in parks and forests!

We need to be very aware right now: The government wants to weaken the Forest Protection Act, by making it easier to build and develop in forests and parks. A proposal related to allowing for building along the coast line, a matter of making a profit on our precious shared nature.

A suggested change in the governments "Change of Forest Act" goes: "The Forest Act must not stand in the way of urban development or that of development in recreational areas".

We already know how much urban development are eating away at our nature as it is, only the park trees are really under any kind of protection, and that is about to disappear. This can't happen! We need to take care of our trees in forests and parks as well as those along the roads. They are vital to our survival.

A recent example of how important the Forest Protection Act is even in the city, is the new "Flying Carpet" on Israels Plads. Here the architects fantasized about letting the square eat a large chunk of the adjoining park, Ørstedsparken. This was minimized by the Danish Society of Nature Conservation, who fought to incorporate some of the biggest trees in the design. This was possible by adding a couple of large curves at the end. Had the architects had their way, as the government now plan for, these trees would not have been around today.

Just look at our old Ørstedsparken trees, in their glorious fall costume.

Read more about the proposal here (link). (In Danish, but you can always use google translate)
The petition for the Forest Protection Act here (link).

Outcry from Enghavevej

Outcry from a citizen about the trees on Enghavevej. The entire row along the bike lane pictured, are to be felled any day now, for a "Safe School Passage". Does it get any safer than this? Madness!

Foto and tweet Krisandthebike:
What does it take to save the trees? There is still time!

Alert in Sydhavnen

New alert, this time in Sydhavnen. Where it seems impossible to create a safe school way without felling 34 big trees. Same crew behind the planned massacre in Møllegade on Nørrebro (15 trees).

In other big cities trees are used in a constructive way, to lower the speed and create safe passage for pedestrians and cyclists. In Copenhagen everything is flattened and we are served the classic: "don't worry, we'll replant." No mention of the fact, that the trees subsequently don't survive. Hush, now.

UGH!

(sign reads)
The tree will be felled.
As a part of project Safe School Way in Sydhavnen we will fell in all 34 trees to create better conditions for cyclists and pedestrians.

We will replant 50 new trees, with better growth conditions, to last many years ahead.
 

Endangered trees by the Parliament

The brutal chunks of granite currently protecting the Parliament, are to be replaced with a different shape. And while they are at it, they have decided to remove the beautiful floor on the square,  Christiansborg Slotsplads. The old cobblestones will be replaced with pale granite, and the ten old trees will be removed. Again, we are told that the trees removed, will be resurrected on the opposite side. Along the canal, where there were once a row of trees. "We'll replant." Oh, sure.

Unbelievable that they haven't instructed the architects, to incorporate the existing trees. Such an easy thing to do!?

Link: The plan in Magasinet KBH. (In Danish)

Save the Climbing Forest on Carlsberg. There is still time. (UP FOR VOTE TODAY)

In a brand new press release from the city, it seems there is still time to save the precious Climbing Forest on the Carlsberg grounds. They have already been granted permission to fell 27 trees marked as worth preserving, but now the city draws the line.

Morten Kabell (Cph Mayor of Technichal and Environmetal Affairs):
"...It is unproductive that Carlsberg keep cutting down the Copenhagen trees for profit. Instead Carlsberg ought to incorporate such a precious area to the new plans, so the Climbing Forest could continue to draw visitors to the area and bring joy to so many." (Rough translation by Sandra)

This is a plea to all our politicians to preserve the Climbing Forest.

Carlsberg's newly massacred road, July 2015.

Links.
The City's press release (in Danish).
The Climbing Forest / Klatreskoven.dk

NIghtmare on Møllegade

On the corner of Møllegade and Guldbergsgade on Nørrebro, the city is preparing to fell fifteen out of eighteen big and healthy trees, for a tile square.

For two years we have fought to be heard, and make them incorporate as many trees as possible in the new design. We have exposed the department's lies to the following group and citizens wanting a green square, stating the trees were in poor condition and not worth preserving. Only when the plan was set, did they admit that the trees were healthy and it turns out many even marked as worth preserving.

At the audience for the Committee in charge of Technical- and Environmental Affairs, we handed over 2800 signatures, from citizens who want to preserve the trees on the square. The square is part of a larger plan for the area, of which a few other plans have been cancelled along the way: the petting zoo By Oasen survived, and the bike lane going straight through the City of The Elderly, was dropped. A plan no one wanted or needed.

The same can be said about a naked tile square. The project is in two parts: the kindergarten gets a new playground on the other side, and the recycling station will no longer be locked off. For a long time we believed that there would be a bike lane through the square, but it is a pedestrian affair only.

This big ash tree will be felled to make space for a toy shed for the kindergarten. Why can't they place that shed up against the new wall, facing the square? You don't cut down a big tree to place a shed for toys. You just don't!

At our audience we introduced a suggestion from the building specialists, recommending the use of screw foundations for the (other) shed. This would spare three big ash trees on the opposite side, along Møllegade. The Department admitted this was a viable option, sparing the roots of the trees, but we still don't know if they will take advantage of it. The citizens have not been granted even one more tree.

The democratic process in this case has been a disgrace. Our complaint was handled by the very people we complained about. They denied having lied to the following group and citizens, as proven by the health report that they provided much later. Sneaky.

Following this horrible process I have talked to everyone from the Ombudsman to The Environmental Board of Appeal and the Local Government Denmark, trying to find a way to try our case. We have nowhere to turn. And now they are preparing to fell our fifteen beautiful trees. This is a nightmare.

Our beautiful endangered trees. Half of the wall is preserved, the corner will be removed. 

Some facts, black on white (In Danish, let me know if you need translating):

May 2015: Project manager discourages the committee from sparing the three ash trees facing Møllegade, as the nearby digging for the shed, is expected to damage over 40% of the roots, and thereby creating a risk tree. But as we know, and the department later admitted to (below), a screw foundation is the obvious solution, limiting damage to the roots to a minimum.

October 2015: the department's answer to the suggested method of screw foundation. Here, it is obvious that the solution opens up for possible preservation of the three trees behind the shed, which is moved slightly from the wall.

Anyone left to help us out here?

Previous posts, two years of fighting for the Møllegade trees:

We will fight till the end

Damage control

A dark day

The last appeal

Time's up

Access to information in Møllegade case

Trees on Lorry TV

Greetings from a shy apple tree

Last chance for Møllegade

Save the Møllegade trees

Møllegade news

Green Bike Lanes, haste on a budget

The citizen's briefing

The day before

Latest development in the case of 14 endangered Nørrebro trees

Update on Nørrebro's 14 endangered trees

Amber alert on Nørrebro

Greetings from an endangered tree

Tiles over trees

Read this and the posts above in Danish, on the mother blog here: Red Byens Træer.