translated from the English by Anna Arndt
Can urban trees be controversial? In “Seeing Trees”, winner of the John Brinckerhoff Jackson Book Prize, Sonja Dümpelmann, professor of landscape history, explores the history of trees in New York City and Berlin in the late 19th and 20th centuries. The author sheds light on their historical function in the urban environment. Street trees and various interest groups play a central role in this book.
Seeing Trees: content and structure
The book is divided into two main parts, each with four chapters. The parts are dedicated to the respective metropolitan areas and their stories. The chapters on New York City show how public and private activism sought to change the urban landscape. The second half looks at Berlin’s trees. The focus here is on the efforts to “replant” in the period after the Second World War. Ideological differences between the planning strategies of the eastern and western sectors also play a role.
What both parts have in common is the “rediscovery” of trees by society. The 318 pages of the book cover a wide range of topics, such as the emergence of urban forestry, the beginnings of systematic planning processes and the lobbying movements resulting from aesthetic considerations and public health concerns.
Although the histories of the two cities are very different, the book emphasizes similarities. The author is less interested in comparing the two cities. Rather, the book is a juxtaposition of the different approaches and progress made in relation to urban trees.
Illustrated with historical plans and photographs
The stories about the trees are captivating. They contain clues to the identity of a city. Indeed, reading “Seeing Trees” means immersing oneself in very detailed accounts of public and private engagement that have gradually shaped citizens’ awareness of trees. The book is far from being a “mere” overview. Instead, it immerses the reader in the changing meaning of trees over the past centuries and the intricacies of the various fashions and developments that have impacted urban trees. The careful selection of historical plans, photographs and illustrations, complemented by an extensive bibliography, reflect the author’s thorough research. Meanwhile, the writing style, though formal, is clear and concise.
The book offers a convincing alternative to the traditional approach of the “nature versus culture” dichotomy. Instead, Dümpelmann presents street trees as an integral part of the urban fabric. Professionals in the fields of forestry, urban development and landscape architecture, as well as readers with a keen interest in the history of the urban landscape, will find this book enlightening.
The text was written in the “scientific writing workshop landscape architecture” at the TUM Chair of Landscape Architecture and Transformation with Prof. Udo Weilacher. As part of the seminar, students select specialist literature and work together on individual book reviews.
Dorothee Rummel’s book “Unbestimmte Räume in Städten” is also interesting. Read our review here.
