I speak with Erwin van Herwijnen about why most city trees die young — and how soils, stormwater, and even spreadsheets can save them.
S6E3 — The Tree Is the New Sewer System with Erwin van Herwijnen of New Urban Standard
October 26, 2025
Recorded in the heart of Tilburg—a Dutch city that has transformed from one of Europe’s hottest heat islands into a showcase of regreening—I met arborist Erwin van Herwijnen of New Urban Standard. We stood in the City Hall square, surrounded by paving stones and a few big trees. To the casual observer, it looked like any other plaza. But Erwin smiled as he gestured underfoot: “Right here, we can handle three and a half million liters of water.”
