I speak with Adrian Wong about why dense, messy forests thrive, why soil matters more than trees, and how pocket forests are rewilding cities.
S6E7: “Urban Acupuncture” — How Pocket Forests Heal Our Cities with Adrian Wong of SUGi
November 23, 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.”
