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Trees: So Out Of Fashion This Season
By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 10, 2010
Modified Sep 10, 2010
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Sep 10, 2010
Modified Sep 10, 2010
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Fashion and nature, seems those two are always at odds. To keep the battle lines clear, the folks behind Fashion Week decided to "murder" dozens of gorgeous trees at Lincoln Center to make way for their giant white tents. But before you put on your sandwich board and protest the arborcide, according to the Daily News, 56 trees of those trees were deemed dead or declining—11 others were transplanted—so perhaps this time around fashion saved some lives? Not so fast...
One landscape architect, Ken Smith, told the paper, "For urban trees, they were in good condition. They were alive and they were providing shade. It was a nice grove. It's really sad to see a landscape of [renowned landscape architect Dan Kiley] destroyed in New York City, cultural capital, without due discussion."
Other anonymous sources claimed that the trees were stressed due to not having enough water; "You don't destroy them. You water them." And Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito, head of the Council's Park & Recs Committee, called the move "outrageous," and said it didn't jibe with the mayor's crusade to plant more trees in the city.
In case you want to know who really has the blood sap on their hands, Councilwoman Gale Brewer concurred that the trees were moved "in part because of Fashion Week—for the tents." Allegedly, however, 100 new trees have been planted near Lincoln Center, and 340 more are promised in Damrosch Park and surrounding streets.
Tagged
fashion week
landscape
lincoln center
trees
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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