Amsterdam’s partnership with a tropical forest for everything from park benches to construction projects offers a new model for urban development.
The city of Amsterdam uses a lot of wood—for public-housing construction, bridge repair, street furniture and more. But it’s tough to be sure the lumber doesn’t come from fragile ecosystems. Last summer, Amsterdam started working with the stewards of a sustainably managed forest in Suriname to buy traceable hardwoods for use in projects across the city.