Forest Street

FOREST STREET

by Antonio C. Antonio

June 13, 2014

Planet Earth has close to 13 million miles of paved roads.  This is a piece of engineering feat man is proud about.  But there is another achievement man should be more proud of… Rua Goncalo de Carvalho in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  Why?... because this is, perhaps, the only genuine Forest Street in the world.

Rua Goncalo de Carvalho is a 500-meter stretch of road proudly called the “green tunnel” by Brazilians.  The green tunnel is a strip of forest made up of towering Tipuana trees covering three city blocks.  It took over 70 years for these trees to grow and cover the entire street and it is dubbed as “the most beautiful street in the world.”

Caring for this “green tunnel” is a life-long commitment in Porto Alegre.  The forest street is given primary consideration in infrastructure development projects.  The rule is:  anyone could build anything so long as not a single tree is felled.  This brings to mind the many trees that were felled to give way to the construction of the Skyway Extension project along Osmeña Highway in the Cities of Makati and Manila just recently.

Studies show that the pollution index is below alarming levels and carbon sequestration capability of Rua Goncalo de Carvalho are the highest in the world.  Not only is it the most beautiful street in the world but the healthiest urban location anyone could live.  Real property along the “green tunnel” is one of the most expensive in Brazil.  Nowadays, Rua Goncalo de Carvalho is internationally recognized as a site of Ecological, Cultural and Environmental Heritage.

Drawing a parallel line between Brazil and the Philippines would reveal that both countries are located in the Tropical Rain Forest Belt.  This means, both countries enjoy an above average amount of annual rainfall which is the only requirement and contributory factor to enhanced forest and tree growth.  The big difference is: Do Filipinos, like the Brazilians, have the political will to accomplish this simple environmental achievement?

Just my little thoughts…