Around the world many cities are turning to greening and rewilding initiatives in an effort to improve their urban spaces. In March 2021, the City of Sydney announced their aim for 40% of the city to be covered in greenery by 2050, in line with its Greening Sydney 2012 and 2030 strategies.
Currently, the City of Sydney is one of only a few councils in Australia that has consistently increased canopy cover in their CBD, and perhaps the only Australian capital city to be able to do so. According to calculations by the Senseable City Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), roughly one quarter (25%) of Sydney is currently covered by tree canopy.
Yet despite potential economic and health benefits, urban forestry and re-greening cities by planting more trees for canopy coverage often facesthe lack of space and high-density populations, which prioritises property development. This has led to increasing interest in alternative, space-minimalist technologies such as green walls and roofs, which facilitate new, space-effective vegetated surfaces in otherwise unavailable or inaccessible urban areas.
