The Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021) developed his method of growing forests rapidly and in small plots of land through his study of Potential Natural Vegetation, phytosociology, and the chinju non mori (sacred shrine forests) of the Shinto tradition.

The Miyawaki method supports symbiosis by layering a main tree species with mutually beneficial subspecies, shrubs, and ground-covering herbs. Forests planted in this method grow 10 times faster and are typically 30 times more dense than other afforestation methods. Microforests become self-sustaining in two to three years.

The Miyawaki method allows us to grow more trees more quickly in our city while recuperating and re-establishing degraded ecosystems in our downtown core.