Wandering tree avenues

Pilot project of the Climate Working Group

In summer 2023, as part of the action alliance Thuringian City Centers with a Future the project Wandering tree avenue launched in Gotha. Since then, five Thuringian cities – Pößneck, Nordhausen, Rudolstadt, Sömmerda and Leinefelde–Worbis – have followed the idea and set up mobile tree installations in central downtown areas.

The Wandering Tree Avenue is a mobile and temporary form of urban greening. The young trees can be flexibly positioned in different streets, depending on changing needs. The green project contributes to improving the quality of stay in urban and partially sealed spaces and supports climate protection.

The young trees can initially remain in the city centers until autumn before they move to winter quarters and become visible in the cityscape again the following year.

The project is funded by the Thuringian Ministry for Digital Affairs and Infrastructure (TMDI). An evaluation of the measure is expected to be completed in autumn 2025.

Gotha

Photos: © D. Santana (TMDI)

The pilot among the pilot projects: Gotha 2023
On August 21, 2023, the first pilot project of the action alliance – the wandering tree avenue – was ceremoniously opened in Gotha. Fifteen sycamore maple trees now green the Erfurt Street in Gotha's city center. The trees are to remain in the pedestrian zone until October, then go to their winter quarters and be re-erected next year. The city of Gotha received funding of 10,000 euros from the TMIL for the project.
The opening of the Wanderbaumallee took place in the presence of State Secretary Barbara Schönig, Department Head Martin Gude (Thuringian Ministry for Infrastructure and Agriculture) as well as Mayor Knut Kreuch, Mayor Ulf Zillmann, Alderman Peter Leisner, Anja Meyfarth and Elisabeth Kupfer (City of Gotha).
The wandering tree avenue is a mobile and temporarily limited urban greening through trees in various streets of a city. The aim is to strengthen the quality of stay in urban, sealed spaces. At the same time, a contribution is made to climate protection and climate adaptation. In the coming weeks, two more locations in Thuringia will also become greener. Then, own wandering tree avenues will also be handed over in Nordhausen and Pößneck.