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The environmental organization Umverkehr wants to further reduce road space in the city’s canton. Instead, the trees should grow.
“Trees instead of asphalt” is the goal of two urban climate initiatives from the environmental organization Umverkehr.
Photo: Georgios Kefalas (Keystone)
The environmental organization Umverkehr has launched two popular initiatives in the canton of Basel-Stadt under the motto “Trees instead of asphalt”. Its aim is to create more space for green spaces, as well as pedestrian and bicycle traffic and public transportation by reducing street space.
With its two urban climate initiatives, it wanted to contribute to greater climate protection and an adaptation of cities to climate change, the environmental organization of transport announced on Tuesday. For both petitions, 3,000 signatures must be collected within 18 months.
With the initiative for a healthy urban climate, the canton should be obliged in the constitution to protect the population from the negative effects of climate change such as hot days and tropical nights. This will be achieved with more trees and additional green areas.
The sustainable mobility initiative requires the canton to take measures to protect the population from the negative effects of traffic. Public transportation, pedestrian traffic, and bicycle traffic must take priority. According to Umverkehr, automobile traffic remains the largest CO2 emitter in Switzerland.
Ten percent less road space
Both the Clean Air Initiative and the Future Initiative call for a reduction in street space in the city’s canton. Relative to 2020, it should be 0.5 per cent for ten years, that is, a total of ten per cent.
Umverkehr has already launched urban climate initiatives in St. Gallen. Bern, Geneva, Winterthur and Zurich will follow in 2021.
