City life is blanketed in gray. How and when this color became the preference happened way before most of us were born. Once cement and asphalt became the new norm, the city metamorphosed into a gloomier version of the jungle, a concrete one.

With the gray comes the suffocating heat.

Urban heat and air pollution are two phenomenons that often coexist and influence one another. Areas that suffer from severe air pollution often are those experiencing intense heat island effects. And like extreme heat waves, air pollution has been linked to many health risks such as respiratory, heart and lung diseases.

With the climate crisis intensifying, it is not only heatwaves and pollution that becomes exacerbated. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels and stronger storms can cause urban flooding, infrastructure failures, scarce freshwater supplies and detrimental health impacts to our society. With urbanization projected to only speed up, it is predicted that more than 70% of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050. With more people comes more homes, more buildings, and more roads. From our current perspective of growth, every spot of soil, every tree and every pond are all areas available for replacement. Natural surfaces are bullied out of existence and cities become the ticking time bomb of chaos that it is today.

But I refuse to see it this way. As a girl born and bred in the bustling city of Jakarta, accepting its design flaws does not mean staying passive in the face of climate danger. Whilst waiting for major climate action from government and industry players, we can look for creative solutions and deploy nature-based solutions. And the most obvious approach in this case is vegetation. Grow greens for goodness sake!

Reintroducing more trees and greens to the urban landscape is a valid solution to counter and mitigate the many risks our cities are faced with. Expanding green parks, planting more trees along our streets and greening roofs with plant life, all introduces natural landscapes that provide ecosystem services for lasting environmental, social and health benefits. One could even go farther to imagine a rewilding of the city, a forest within a concrete jungle. Why not? Why shouldn’t forests in cities become the new norm?

The benefits of pocket forests are far and wide. Just like traditional forests that naturally grow and develop over time, pocket forests also act as green lungs that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. The presence of trees also modifies air quality by capturing and filtering pollutant particles on their leaf surfaces. Alongside air quality improvements, pocket forests also help cool surrounding temperatures through the shading effect of its tree canopy and the process of evapotranspiration on its leaves. Last but not least, pocket forests support the conservation of biodiversity and contribute to capturing, purifying and storing rainwater which helps reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas.

Beyond these environmental benefits, pocket forests also offer numerous health advantages to the urban community. Natural spaces have been found to provide stress relief, mental relaxation and promote physical wellbeing through active, outdoor lifestyle. Socially, pocket forests also function as recreational spaces for people to connect and collaborate with one another, enhancing the role of our landscape in strengthening social cohesion.

This is why Kebun Kumara is collaborating with various partners to grow pocket forests across the greater Jakarta area.

We grew our first pocket forest in December 2023 at the Prasetiya Mulia University campus in BSD, Tangerang Selatan. As part of the university’s sustainability project, we transformed a small plot of 30 sqm located in front of the School of Applied STEM into a pocket forest with 30 different plant species planted in 207 planting points. Staying true to its principles, we prioritized endemic, native trees and shrubs to help optimize long term sustainability. As pocket forests require maintenance in the first three years of its growth before achieving self-sustenance, we conduct monthly and quarterly observations and continue to educate the university on maintenance techniques for their plot.

As we witness the healthy growth of our first pocket forest, we are currently designing and will soon be planting another sizable one on a 2,000 sqm plot in Jakarta. It is such an exciting endeavor and we are keen to continuously learn more about growing healthy forests for a healthier city.

We have in our hands a viable solution that synchronizes urban life with nature. Kebun Kumara is embracing the concept of pocket forests as a step towards a healthy, resilient and liveable city for our future.