The City of Luxembourg unveiled its greening concept on Wednesday, which includes greening administrative buildings on the Rocade of Bonnevoie. A little further down, near the footbridge, the wall running along the road is to be greened. The square near the Bonnevoie church, meanwhile, will be fitted out with benches and leisure infrastructure during a trial phase running from mid-July to mid-September, as part of the My district, my place initiative, offering places to sit and to meet.
The seven projects have been ranked in order of urgency. It is also a matter of sending the right message that Luxembourg City wants to become more sustainable, first alderman Maurice Bauer said. Luxembourg City also wants to show what is possible and to lead by example, which is why the administrative building on the Rocade of Bonnevoie is itself being greened.
Where does the capital most need greening to prepare for warmer temperatures and heavier rainfall? To find out, a range of factors was fed into the analysis, from the density of the tree canopy and the green-space register to urban areas that still generate cool air and the city's heat islands, explained Pierre Schmitt, environmental officer at the City of Luxembourg.
Schmitt also said: "The municipality had to take into account another consequence of climate change, namely increasingly heavy rain, and consider how the greening concept could help intercept downpours so they do not reach ground level to begin with."
The greening concept is a framework programme for the next five to ten years, and it will keep being adjusted, Mayor Lydie Polfer pointed out. All 37 sites are to be looked after over the long term, using a set of measures tailored to the specifics of each location. There is a whole toolbox of options for unsealing surfaces, planting more trees, creating shade and putting a flood policy in place, Bauer explained.
There is already support in place for those who green their roofs, and the City of Luxembourg now wants to help residents with advice and additional subsidies for greening their land and property. In September, the City's municipal council is due to receive a corresponding proposal, according to Polfer. The idea is to align with the aid the state already offers and to add a further 50% on top, in order to show that residents also form an important part of the wider effort.
No additional greening is planned for the Place Guillaume II, the Glacis or the Place de Paris. Some of these sites cannot be reworked because of the parking or tram infrastructure. Others are also needed for events such as the Schueberfouer or the City Sounds festival though the city has already been distributing free water to the public there. The mayor also wants to make efforts to encourage residents to take better care of themselves and their families. In extreme heat, she said, it is better to head for spots offering shade, and the city has plenty of beautiful parks.
Even so, Polfer did not rule out that when the upper part of the Glacis eventually comes up for renewal, the work could be tackled in a different way.
