Bern is to get the greenest alley in Switzerland
The University of Bern, together with business partners and residents, is tackling the greening of the Postgasse in Bern. Data on the influence of greening on microclimate, biodiversity and quality of life will be collected in what will then be Switzerland's greenest alley.
The Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern wants to contribute to coping with climate change and biodiversity loss. To this end, the institute is tackling a project in Bern’s old town together with business partners and residents. Here, the Postgasse, a listed building, is to be transformed into the greenest alley in Switzerland, the University of Bern informs in a statement.
“We are supporting residents in greening their own windowsills and outdoor areas with suitable plants,” project initiator Matthias Erb is quoted as saying in the statement. Afterwards, the researchers from the University of Bern want to study the effects of greening on the ambient temperature, biodiversity, water balance and quality of life in the Postgasse. “The collected data and experience from this pilot project should help Bern and other cities in the future to increase their sustainability and attractiveness even more quickly and easily,” explains Armin Komposch from the Institute of Plant Sciences.
The companies Baumschule Gartenpflanzen Daepp, Ricoterand Zollinger Bio are contributing plants, seedlings and soil to the project. Plant containers with automatic irrigation are contributed by Boum AG. The young Bernese company was founded in 2021 as a spin-off of the University of Bern.
The official start of the project is a planting day on 6 May. Here, interested residents can pick up plants, soil and pots to green the Postgasse as they see fit. The residents themselves are to take over the subsequent maintenance.