Zurich revises Green Book to add heat and tree plans

Zurich revises its Green Book strategy early to add heat and tree plans

Zurich's parks department, Grün Stadt Zürich, has revised its 2019 Green Book years before its planned 2030 end, adding specialist plans on heat mitigation, urban trees and urban nature, the Stadtgrün programme and two new service areas.

12 November 2026 by Robert Eduard Antal, facts checked automatically against the source · updated 13 November 2026

Key facts

The 2019 edition of the Green Book, originally intended to run until 2030, has already been revised.

The revision incorporates specialist plans on heat mitigation, urban trees and urban nature, plus the Stadtgrün programme.

Two service areas, real estate and workshops and logistics, were added to cover the full scope of Grün Stadt Zürich.

Grün Stadt Zürich, the city of Zurich’s parks and green spaces department, has published an updated Green Book, the document that defines its political mandate and the framework for its long-term work. The 2019 edition was originally designed to run until 2030, but it has already been revised so that new strategies and specialist plans are anchored in it. The update places planning for heat mitigation, urban trees and urban nature in one reference document.

What changes

The revision addresses climate developments and new planning strategies in particular. The main changes are:

Mission statement and vision: integrated into the Green Book
New planning bases: the specialist plans on heat mitigation, urban trees and urban nature, and the Stadtgrün programme
Range of services: the service areas “real estate” and “workshops and logistics” added, so that the full range of the department’s work is covered
Design: graphics and images revised and aligned with the city’s visual identity

All service areas, from parks to workshops and logistics, were also brought up to date.

Why the city is doing it

Zurich’s green and open spaces are expected to cool the city, provide habitat for animals and plants, and serve recreation. To meet these demands, the city has developed several planning bases in recent years. Christine Bräm, director of Grün Stadt Zürich, calls the Green Book “our long-term compass” and said that, in view of climate change and changing needs, it is important to adjust it.

According to the city, the Green Book also attracts interest beyond the city boundaries. Organisations and specialists note in particular its approach of bundling all of the department’s tasks in one document, from forest and agriculture to parks and education.

A current green-space project

The goals of more trees and more shade are also visible in the redesign of the Enge harbour promenade. By spring 2030, a continuous public open space with more greenery, a new kiosk and shaded seating areas will be created on the left lakeshore. There are 95 trees in the project area today; at least 15 must be felled, and around 60 new climate-resilient trees will be added, so that 140 trees will provide shade. Construction begins in January 2027, and the city’s total credit amounts to 19.133 million Swiss francs.

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