04 Rooted: Listening to the City’s Trees

Number of votes

4,854 (4,400 paper / 454 online)

1. The project in a nutshell

Help the people of Lausanne (re)discover their neighborhoods through stories told by the city’s tall trees during an interactive, open-air exhibition experience accessible to all.

2. The Project’s Objective

This project aims to turn majestic trees into places for meeting, sharing, and discussion. The stories will also highlight anecdotes gathered from residents about the evolution of their neighborhoods, thereby fostering intergenerational and cultural exchange. Group tours will also be organized. Their goal will be to raise residents’ awareness of issues such as sustainable development, urban greening, and our relationship with nature, encouraging them to discuss—and perhaps even take action on—these topics.

3. The Project in Detail

Based on a web app, “Enracinés” invites residents to discover their city through Lausanne’s rich heritage of trees. Whether alone, in a group, or with their families, residents will set out to discover remarkable trees highlighted on a map within the platform. Guided toward the tree first by the map and then via clues, residents will be invited to put on headphones as they approach it. When they arrive within a few meters of the tree, an audio story lasting a few minutes—told by the tree itself—will begin, covering details about its species and origin, as well as its perspective on the evolution of the neighborhood in which it stands (based on city archives and anecdotes gathered from residents). The story will resemble a meditative and informative tale that leaves room for the imagination as well as for sensory observation of the surroundings. Spread across the various trees, several themes will also be explored: sustainable development, the role of plants in cities, our relationship with nature, and more. Visitors are free to choose their own order of exploration—the main idea is to experience this narrative from the tree’s perspective. However, suggested itineraries will be provided based on the trees’ ages, neighborhoods, origins, and other factors.

4. The amount requested to carry out the project

20,000 CHF

• Posters, flyers, signage, and social media: 2,800 CHF

• Project setup, website hosting, domain, security, licensing: 1,300 CHF

• Research, writing, and recording of stories; assistance with setup; transportation; meals: 3,500 CHF

• Developer, designer: 12,400 CHF

5. Neighborhood(s)

All of Lausanne

6. The Association

ingwer