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More than half of Copenhageners want to see more trees in the city

Stephen Gadd
May 23rd, 2017


This article is more than 7 years old.

As part of the process of making Copenhagen a greener place to live, local politicians have proposed an intensive tree-planting program

Turning the dusty old city into a green oasis. Copenhageners want more green spaces (photo: Pixabay/tpsdave)

If the money can be found, a possible 27,704 more trees could be planted in Copenhagen. Plans have already been approved that call for 100,000 to be in place by 2025.

READ ALSO: Copenhagen gets 300 new trees

However, just planting 28,000 of them will cost approximately 323.7 million kroner.

The high cost is due to the fact that street trees cost around 75,000 kroner each because it is usually more expensive to plant a tree in an area of asphalt than in grass. It is also necessary to take into consideration the cabling that exists underground where the tree is to be situated.

Screening off the traffic
Earlier this year, the municipality asked Copenhageners for suggestions as to where they would like to see trees. And over a period of 14 days, they received 32,000 ideas.

The top ten suggestions proved to be alongside heavily-trafficked roads such as HC Andersens Boulevard, Nørrebrogade, Frederikssundsvej and Jagtvej.

Located 15 metres apart, it would demand between 100 and 150 trees on Nørrebrogade alone.

Cars or trees?
As well as the pure cost of the trees, politicians will also have to decide whether trees or parking spaces should take priority. According to the plan, it would be necessary to get rid of parking places in order to plant just over 2,000 of the trees.

A survey carried out by Copenhagen’s Teknik- og Miljøforvaltningen (TMF) has revealed that 46 percent of citizens would like to see more green areas for relaxation and 69 percent more greenery on the town’s streets and squares, as well as close to their homes.


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A survey carried out by Megafon for TV2 has found that 71 percent of parents have handed over children to daycare in spite of them being sick.

Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

Pill pushers
At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”