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In Antwerp, Belgium, the tram on Line 1 was transformed into a garden for a day. There were plants on seats, around the windows, and even on the roof. The event was part of a serious plan to make the city greener and encourage urban gardening.
The special tram was part of a project called Neighborhood in Bloom (Buurt in Bloei) organized by the local town. Its goal is to inspire residents to garden and improve the city’s health and beauty.
As part of this plan, the city of Antwerp is offering free facade gardens to residents in the central area of the city. People can request plants and trees from the city. They will also provide financial support to people who want to buy rainwater collection barrels to water their gardens.
When people boarded the garden tram, there was a staff member to tell them about the city’s plan. There were also QR codes on the windows with more information. This project was very successful last year. Residents were inspired to create over 200 facade gardens and 170 areas of trees.
There are many important benefits to having more plants in urban areas. Plants and trees help cool down cities. Cities are much hotter than the surrounding countryside due to human activities and large concrete and glass buildings.
They also reduce pollution and make the air cleaner. Plus, spending just five minutes in an urban garden can improve your mood and mental well-being.
Vocabulary
- Tram: A tram is a type of transportation in cities that moves on tracks.
- Transform: to completely change something.
- Roof: the top part of a building that protects it from weather.
- Green: environmentally friendly; in support of or helping the environment and nature; interested in protecting the earth; not bad for the environment
- Encourage: to support and cheer someone on.
- Urban gardening: growing plants in cities, even in small spaces.
- Organize: to make the necessary plans for something to happen; arrange; manage; set up
- Local: nearby or in your community.
- Inspire: motivate and excite someone.
- Residents: the people who live in a place.
- Facade garden: A garden on the outside walls of a building.
- Provide: to give or supply something.
- Financial support: to help by giving money
- Rainwater collection barrels: barrels that collect or gather water from rain.
- Barrel: a large container, made of wood, metal, or plastic, with a flat top and bottom and curved sides that make it fatter in the middle, often holds oil, wine, or water
- Board: get on or into (a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle)
- Benefit: a good thing you get from something.
- Surrounding: the area around something
- Concrete: a hard material, usually gray, that is used in construction.
- Reduce: to make something less.
- Pollution: harmful things that make the environment dirty.
- Mental well-being: feeling happy and calm mentally.
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- How do you think urban gardens contribute to the overall health and well-being of city residents?
- Can you think of any potential drawbacks or negative effects of urban gardening initiatives in cities?
- Have you ever participated in any gardening projects or initiatives in your community? How did it impact your perception of the environment?
- What are some other creative ways cities can encourage urban gardening and green initiatives?
Original Story
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