Recent climatological studies such as Urban Heat Snapshot show that Madrid needs more Verde zones in the central district to curb the Zone effect heat island that plagues the city in summer. However, the remodeling of emblematic places such as Santa Ana or Puerta del Sol never includes tree plantings. In fact, quite the opposite: the most important square in the capital, cradle of kilometer 0, does not have a single bush, why?
One of the reasons why Sol has no trees has to do with the functionality that the City Council wants to give to the square. According to the digital The Debate the objective of the reforms that were carried out in 2023 is that it be used as a transit area and not as a rest area. The fact that there are no trees forces walkers to stay there no longer than necessary. In addition, there is another even more significant reason: by law, the Local Historical Heritage Commission must authorize all changes made to the square because it is aBien de Interés Cultural.
On the other hand, between the surface of the square and the Sol subway station, there is a slab with a width of about 20 centimeters that prevents planting trees on it. Some citizens have proposed installing planters, a solution that would be valid were it not for the following problems: first, the Heritage Commission disapproves because there have never been trees in Sol; second, the Madrid police have complained that the bushes could be used as a meeting point for drug dealing and other criminal activities.