Some welcome trees for the Dalmatian capital.
With the aim of improving urban living and as a response to climate change, the Greens of Dalmatia, in cooperation with the “Parkovi i Nasadi” municipal company, have created the “Green Ring” project, which was presented on December 14, 2015, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. After the introductory remarks made by Ivan Belamarić, a landscape designer from “Parkovi i Nasadi”, who warned how important it was to equalize the differences in temperature in various parts of the city, details of the greening project were presented by Lovro Rumora, a representative of Greens of Croatia.
The project is worth about six million kuna and the plan is to return the trees and fountains to many streets and squares, which would turn the central part of Split into a green oasis. “We have lost something that was very important, since every construction project took away a bit of greenery, and this process is still going on. With this project, we are trying to restore a part of the original Split identity and bring Split to the level of other global cities which have recognized the importance of landscape architecture. We want to have free public green spaces, where citizens will be able to enjoy themselves without any distractions”, Rumora said, adding that local trees must have priority over palm trees, which are just a subtropical imitation in Split.
Green Ring includes further greening of the Split waterfront, with a special emphasis on its peripheral parts, with fountains and squares placed on both sides. Among the more prominent locations, Marmontova Street should get new trees instead of street lamps, with additional greenery planned for the archaeological site next to the Golden Gate as well.
In addition to these locations, trees will be planted wherever possible and will be accompanied by fountains. “Some streets are literally asking for some greenery, which is the key to enjoying outdoor spaces, just like water. That is the reason why we plan to renovate abandoned water fountains around the city core”, Rumora said.
That this is a topic of considerable importance was demonstrated by the discussion that followed the presentation, when numerous objections to the current situation were expressed by citizens, mostly related to other parts of the city, including Žnjan and the new West Waterfront, which have been criticized for having too little greenery.
