Better to restore than to remove

Green Infrastructure for a Better Life

We treat greenery as essential urban infrastructure — providing cooling, air filtration, water retention, and social spaces.

Nature as Infrastructure:

Integration with Planning:

Tree care is part of Kraków’s spatial and investment policy;
decisions are based on data and arboricultural standards.

Diagnosis

• Lack of continuous (preventive) care — interventions dominate.

• Tree removal decisions often made under functional conflict.

• Rising temperatures and the urban heat island effect.

Response:
Regular, light pruning; maintaining natural crown form, ensuring the safety and longevity of trees.

Challenges for Kraków

Climate and Environmental Data

Urban Cooling:

Trees lower air temperature by an average of 0.3–4.7°C.

Canopy Cover:

At around 40% tree cover, local temperature drops can reach up to 5°C.

Local Example:

In Park Lotników Polskich, the temperature difference between green and open areas is around 1°C.

Public Health:

Increasing green surface by about 30% improves residents’ thermal comfort.

In Kraków, around 233 bird species have been recorded, including about 123 nesting species.

Old trees and hollows are key habitats for birds, insects, and microfauna.

All maintenance work is scheduled outside the breeding season.

The Role of Trees in Biodiversity

Bernardyńska Street

After drastic crown reduction and lack of follow-up care, the tree regenerated from epicormic shoots.
+ Natural resilience
– Accelerated aging, decay risk, hollow formation
Lesson: Continuous maintenance and a “Tree Card” are essential for long-term health.

Private Garden

Annual light pruning (~4 m pole pruner), maintaining height to roofline and crown transparency.
Result: Stable structure, safety, and aesthetics.
Lesson: A scalable model for adaptive urban care.

Kraków Ash Trees for visual consistency

Continuous Tree Care Program (POCD)

• Registry and Schedule:
  Tree inventory, regular inspections every 2–3 years, and interventions after storms.

• “Tree Card”:
  Digital record of each tree — species, maintenance history, and GIS integration.

• Education and Coordination:
  Arboricultural standards, cooperation with city services and NGOs, transparent communication.

Innovation — Monitoring and Digital Management

• Monitoring based on satellite data, sensors, and AI analysis.

• Automatic alerts on tree condition and maintenance needs.

• Central GIS dashboard — pilot project by R.B.M. Magiczny Ryś.

”Not every tree will become a monument of nature, but every tree can grow old with dignity.”

- R.B.M. Magiczny Ryś

Maintenance Criteria and Standards

Priority: safety and longevity

• Corrective pruning:

  Reduction in accordance with arboricultural standards.
  
  

• Preserving natural form and habitats:

  Hollows and microfauna — priority on tree safety and long life.

• Scheduling outside nesting season:

  Respecting natural cycles and minimizing crown interference.

Final Conclusions

1. Kraków can become a leader in Green Infrastructure in Poland.

2. Maintenance instead of cutting = an investment in climate resilience.

3. What’s needed is a system: data, education, and continuous care — not ad-hoc decisions.

Services

Certified tree care services focused on safety, longevity, and ecological balance.

Tree Pruning at Height

Professional cuts using rope-access techniques. Safe for trees, people, and surroundings — following arboricultural standards.

Shrub Pruning

Aesthetic shaping and thinning of ornamental shrubs. We promote balanced, healthy growth without disrupting the plant’s structure.

We design safe zones in gardens and trees — with escape-proof barriers, platforms, and structures friendly to animals.

Safe Area for Cats

Gallery

Between light and bark, the city breathes. Each branch keeps a memory — of shade, wind, and care. This is where the magic of restoration begins.