Photo: Lila la Loop
Best results at Baldeneysee and Ruhr
Essen, Baldeneysee, February 3, 2026. The Essen city district IX – consisting of Bredeney, Fish coat, Heidhausen, Kettwig and Werden – is among the winners of the current Essen tree balance 2024. Especially around the Baldeneysee This demonstrates how efficient and climate-resilient the urban green spaces in Essen's south are. The city of Essen is increasingly focusing on quality rather than sheer quantity, using modern remote sensing data and the Europe-wide recognized 3-30-300 rule as a guiding principle.
Improved air quality – stable microclimate
The results show that, despite extreme weather conditions such as heat, drought, and heavy rain, the canopy shade area across the entire city has increased to almost 32 percent – a rise compared to 2022. Particularly in District IX, which is rich in forests and waterways, the large, healthy mature trees contribute significantly to this positive trend. They provide cooling, shade, improved air quality, and a stable microclimate.
Impressions of Essen's 2024 tree inventory
Ecological impact of large trees
Simone Raskob, Head of Environmental Affairs for the City of Essen, emphasizes the importance of this development: "A healthy urban tree population is essential for the health, climate resilience and quality of life of our citizens." The data shows that the ecological impact of large trees goes far beyond the sheer number of trees.
Old tree stands – large crown volumes
While the numerical tree inventory for 2024 shows a decline in the total number of trees – 200,466, around 7,800 fewer than the previous year – the actual performance of the city's green spaces remains stable. The city points to natural development processes that can lead to thinning but simultaneously to more vital stands. This qualitative effect is particularly evident in District IX, where old trees and large canopy volumes predominate.
Photo: Cesar von Meissen
1,000-tree program
With projects such as the 1,000-Tree Program, a new street tree concept, and the expansion of urban tree monitoring, the city of Essen aims to lay the foundation for meeting the requirements of the EU regulation on nature restoration. This regulation stipulates that urban green spaces and tree canopies must not suffer a net loss by 2030.
Graphic: Area covered by tree canopy – proportion by Essen city districts (%)
Pioneers in the south
District IX already shows what climate-resilient urban greenery can look like – and why the future of urban trees lies not in their sheer number, but in their quality.
