Survey Reveals Youth Dissatisfaction; City Gardner Puts 200 Trees To The Axe; Christmas Markets Planning Under Way

News For 15 November 2022

Since 2009 Basel-Stadt has been conducting youth surveys every four years to gauge their "satisfaction" with the city.  Among the statistics the city is interested in tracking from 12-17 year-old respondents is their perception of Basel's "youth-friendliness", city resources which respondents find "motivating" and their overall impression of "liking" Basel Stadt.  Not surprisingly, the latest survey, which concluded in September of 2021 coincident with the tail-end of Covid pandemic restrictions, found that Basel youths' overall satisfaction has declined from earlier survey results.  Specifically, only two-thirds of the respondents to the latest survey found they "very much like" living in Basel, compared to three-quarters of respondents in the prior survey.  Issues that seem to matter most to the people participating in the survey include: academic and vocational training, nature and environment, and racism.

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As part of its annual maintenance of the 27,000 trees on public land in the care of Basel Stadt, the city gardening department will chop down 200 trees. The trees targeted to fall to the axe are typically those that present a danger to its surroundings due to unstable roots or branches that may easily break off in high winds.  Trees automatically fall under the protection of the city gardening department if the circumference of their trunk exceeds 90 centimeters.  Of the 200 trees slated to be added to the wood-pile 184 qualify as "protected" requiring a publicly issued felling permit.  

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Hard to believe that last year attending a Christmas Market in many parts of Switzerland required a Covid certificate, and that only two years ago, Christmas markets were closed altogether.  Fortunately, this year, the last two years' restrictions seem to be a distant memory, and most communities plan to have their Christmas markets open and in full operation - some starting in a few weeks.  In Basel, the Herbstmesse just ended, but Christmas markets are scheduled to open in just 9 days on the 24th of November.  Voted amongst the best Christmas markets in Europe, the Basel markets at Münsterplatz, and throughout the city will run until the 23rd of December.