High-tech 'City Tree' in Brussels does the work of 275 real trees

It sometimes seems as if every city these days wants to be a smart city. Most of the time, city officials are thinking about digital solutions to urban problems, like free wifi for everyone or maybe an app that tells people when to put out their rubbish. But Brussels thinks it can be smart by planting a tree.

A high-tech tree has been placed on the steps of the Mont des Arts, announced Bruzz. The City Tree has an air-purifying potential 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.

The City Tree measures 2.8 metres by 2.8 metres within which a whopping 1,682 plants are growing. That represents a total of 16 square metres of green space which has an impact on the immediate environment.

And that’s not all. The City Tree is able to provide its own energy 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 Mont des Arts. This initiative reinforces the city’s green network and it will inevitably attract lots of insects and small animals who will be able to live happily inside.

The smart tree is part of Brussels’ climate plan, 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? The tree will remain in the heart of the city for three months to measure its impact on the urban environment, said Brussels city alderman for green spaces Ahmed El Ktibi.

Photo courtesy Brussels.be