CityTrees in Differdange: Symbol or prestige project?

By Misch Pautsch Switch to German for original article

The moss-filled boxes in Differdange are to be made permanent after a one-year test phase. They promise cooler and cleaner air - but with a limited radius of action and not inconsiderable costs. While international experience has been mixed, the municipality has drawn a positive conclusion. For them, the project symbolises above all the courage to try things out.

For a year now, one of five CityTrees has stood on the Place des Alliés in Differdange, which the municipality has installed on a trial basis. What at first glance looks like a piece of runaway interior design is actually a semi-biological air filter that, according to the manufacturer, absorbs fine particles and cools the air.

We sit down for a chat with alderwoman Zenia Charlé (LSAP) and climate consultant Luc Arend on the bench that surrounds the three-metre-high tower. A slight whirring sound gives an indication of how it works: A fan circulates air through several moss-covered panels attached behind wooden slats. The moss with its large surface area is supposed to filter particles and at the same time cool the air by one to four degrees through evaporation, making the benches more inviting even on hot days.

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