Reasons To Be Cheerful · 9 hours ago

The French City That Champions Its Trees

In the French city of Sceaux, a 240-year-old purple beech isn't just admired -- it's legally protected under the country's first comprehensive Tree Charter, a municipal commitment that treats the urban forest as essential infrastructure. The charter, adopted unanimously in 2019, requires that two trees be planted for every one felled, offers residents subsidies to plant their own, and mandates compensation fees when construction damages roots. Mayor Philippe Laurent frames the work plainly: "We see trees as a long-term investment." What emerges is a portrait of civic stewardship that looks beyond election cycles, recognizing that the shade a city enjoys today was planted by hands that never rested beneath it -- and that caring for what outlives us might be the most practical form of hope.