Times Square is characterized by a multitude of tourists staring at the bright lights, NYC locals annoyed by foreigners, cars honking and a variety of colors and cultures; in short: an urban chaos. No greenery is part of this composition; well, not yet. A new Kickstarter project aims to bring the forest into Times Square.


PopUp Forest: Times Square intends to challenge the "nature versus city" idea. The project is to build a visible pop-up forest installation in the middle of the square and therefore make people reflect on the nature that surrounds the urban environment.


Its creator, Marielle Anzeloné, explains the motivation behind the campaign:

"New York City is so much more than taxicabs, the Empire State Building, and Jay-Z. Defining it as only hardscapes and humans we overlook nearly 50,000 acres of open space. By showcasing the city's green assets, PopUP Forest: Times Square will lead the way in helping all urbanites see cities differently."


To create a forest installation, trees will be brought in trucks and they will be assembled together with dirt, moss and leaves, in order to achieve a more natural feel. Since the subway line in Times Square is close to the surface, it is not possible to plant trees into the ground. In an e-mail to Fast Co.Design, Marielle Anzeloné writes: "The project is meant to show people that the city/nature divide we all have is a bias that doesn’t really exist. New York City has real forests. Even Manhattan has tulip trees that grow wild and are over 100 years old."


Currently, the campaign has gathered around $16,000, of its $25,000 goal.


Story via Fast Co.Design. Image via Kickstarter

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