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The travelling tree makes us reflect on greenery in the city

2 min read

Good Stuff

Dutch artist and spatial designer Hein van Duppen planted a tree in the back seat of his car. With the tree he travels through the country and collects stories about greenery in the city. Because there is too little green in the Netherlands. What does green mean to people and what does it add to the living environment? Watch the video above and follow the tree on its journey through the Netherlands.

The tree gets a lift in this little red car. He drives all over the country and collects stories about greenery in the area.

“Every parking space is a potential spot for a tree to grow. If you look at the area like this, there is suddenly a lot of space in the city.” – Hein van Duppen

Over the past twenty years, the number of cars in the Netherlands has increased by 23%. According to the Dutch statistics agency, the number of cars grew even faster than the population in 2019. All those cars move around in public space. But in the meantime, the greenery disappears from the neighborhood and climate change is put in the top gear.

A greener city idea sprouts

Due to climate change, it is getting warmer and in cities it warms up even faster. Cities are a kind of heat islands Heat is emitted by human activities such as industry and households; there is a lot of stone in the city, which absorbs solar radiation and causes temperature rise; and there is a lack of evaporation due to too little water and greenery in the city. https://klimaatadaptatienederland.nl/thema-sector/hitte/oorzaken/ . The city must therefore become greener, not only in policy, but also in terms of appearance. In this way, we will be able to better deal with different, extreme weather conditions in the future, both during heat waves and with large amounts of precipitation.

The travelling tree was introduced to the public in Tilburg, one of the barest inner cities in Europe.

The public opening of the travelling tree took place in Tilburg, one of the most petrified inner cities in Europe. There is very little greenery there, but now suddenly a tree drove through the center. Hein told BrightVibes his motives for the project.

“With this project I try to get people to look at the environment in a different way and to make them think. How is the public space now arranged and how could we use it differently?” – Hein van Duppen

Good match

The tree roots in the back seat of Hein’s car and feels very much at home. He can certainly survive there and even started sprouting again. Car and tree also fit well together: the leaves are small and the tree is not too high, so it can still pass under viaducts.

The moving tree is still driving through the Netherlands for the time being to collect as many green stories as possible. But of course it is also the intention that in the future we leave the car and exchange stone for green. Which is better for ourselves and for the planet.

Hein van Duppen takes care of the tree in the back seat of his car.
Make an Impact

Invite the traveling tree

If this theme appeals to you or is topical in your area, you can invite the tree to your city. Share your green stories with the traveling tree. And if you can't wait, put something green in your garden or on your balcony.

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