Botanic nations: The aesthetic of the forest in Chandigarh and Singapore

Abstract

As specific elements of the landscape, trees are invested with cultural meanings related to local histories and the idea of indigenous landscapes. Focusing on two parallel but autonomous largescale projects based on the introduction of dense arboreal vegetation into the urban scene—the landscaping of Chandigarh and of Singapore—the paper explores the role of urban trees as essential tools in shaping strategies of constructing national identities in former British colonies, where plants were used to elicit an emotional and aesthetic response. While current discourses on urban forestry often emphasize the functional capacity of urban trees as an antidote to current and future challenges associated with climate risks, the article proposes the planting endeavours in Chandigarh and Singapore as models of an approach to urban forestry in which cultural and aesthetic aspects played a major role.