Frankfurt's tiny forests aim to cool neighborhoods and create urban habitats

Frankfurt has begun planting "tiny forests" on reclaimed city spaces, following the Miyawaki method that densely packs native trees and shrubs. On the Walter‑von‑Cronberg‑Platz, about 700 sqm now host more than 1,000 plants, including serviceberries and cherry trees, thanks to the Main‑Wäldchen initiative, local residents and schoolchildren.

Professor Jan Dieterle of Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences explains the climate benefit: "Er kühlt durch Verdunstung, wenn die Bäume groß sind und bietet so einen kühlen Ort in der Stadt." The forests also improve storm‑water management by absorbing runoff, help prevent local flooding, and provide habitats for insects and birds. "Kinder pflanzen Bäume und sehen, wie das wächst," he adds, noting the educational value for participating children.

The projects cost roughly €60 000, funded mainly by federal climate‑adaptation programmes. While the cooling effect is limited to the immediate vicinity and tiny forests cannot replace larger green spaces, they are viewed as a useful building block in German cities facing increasingly hot summers and scarce urban land.