The renovation of Lisbon's Central Axis was completed in 2017 with the planting of 741 new trees. Not all of them survived. Over the years, new plantings and replacements have been made, as well as maintenance of the specimens that remain vigorous.
The redevelopment of Lisbon's Central Axis, between Entrecampos and Marquês de Pombal, in 2017, will have resulted in the planting of 741 new trees, according to data from the municipality. Once all the felling and transplanting has been done, the axis that includes Avenida da República and Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo will have been left with 865 trees, whereas before it had only 169.
Seven years after what was one of the largest and most ambitious public space requalifications in the city of Lisbon, many of the trees planted at the time have grown and become very visible in the urban spaceand all the benefits this brings, such as shade and freshness. In fact, you only have to go through the Google Street View image archive to see the noticeable differences in the trees on the Central Axis before and after 2017.
However, several of the trees planted during the renovation of Avenida da República and Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo have also failed to take root or have been hit by vehicles over time. The result: several empty boilers can be seen from time to time along this road, delaying the promised afforestation of the road. Spaces without trees, without anything. Abandoned. In recent months, in particular, the situation of empty boilers - particularly on Avenida da República - had intensified, as LPP had observed.
The situation has now begun to be re-inverted, following a new contract for the provision of green space maintenance servicessigned by the Lisbon City Council with the company Parks and GardensThis includes the maintenance of the green spaces in the aforementioned avenues and the planting of trees, among other things. Thus, last week, several of the boilers that were without trees gained new tenants and others, already inhabited, were properly conditioned. The new specimens must now be monitored so that their growth can develop.
Despite the new planting, there are still several places without trees along Avenida da República, particularly in the small square next to the McDonald's in Saldanha, at the intersection with Avenida Duque d'Ávila. The central green corridor of Avenida Fontes Pereira de Melo is still lacking all the trees provided for in the original project to renovate this arteryAs LPP found out, this green corridor was not built deep enough for the trees planted there to survive and grow. The fact is that the Metro tunnel is being built underneath this avenue, which also affects the growth of the trees.
The Lisbon City Council confirmed to LPP that "has been replanting the Avenida de República with trees with a PAP (Perimeter of Breast Height) of 16/18, and is yet to plant some boilers, a task that will be completed by the end of February". "It's important to note that this work of planting trees will be extended to the 24 parishes of the Municipality of Lisbon"the municipality added.
With regard to Fontes Pereira de Melo, the council states that "it has recently been renovated and new shrubs have been planted: pasqueinhas, alecrins, lavenders, resilient species that are better adapted to the soil and climate conditions"There are no plans to plant new trees, as per the original project. "Since the depth of the box on the central divider of this road is reduced, the planting of shrubs is more appropriate."
Updated at 10:30 on 21/02/2023: added the Lisbon City Council's clarifications.
