I speak with Jan Willem de Groot about why crowns matter more than tree counts, why most city trees never grow old, and how LiDAR and AI could help change that.
S6E5: Don’t Count Trees; Count Crowns with Jan Willem de Groot of Terra Nostra
November 9, 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.”
