Time for a hair cut

Pollarding is the act of pruning trees back to main structural branches. It has been practiced in Europe since at least the middle ages. It was orginally used to produce foder for animals or poles for construction. Today it is often used to control the size of otherwise large trees in urban areas. Wikipedia mentions it can increase the life span of the trees by keeping them in a semi-juvinile state.

These lindens are in Milano's Golden triangle