Toronto has one of the most ambitious urban forestry plans in North America. In addition to setting minimum soil volumes for street trees of 30 cubic meters (1,059 cubic feet) per tree, they have set a goal of increasing their overall tree canopy from 17 percent to 40 percent. In 2007, the Bloor-Yorkville Business Improvement… More
We spend a lot of time at DeepRoot talking about the big picture of “green infrastructure,” but in order to assist in creating viable and sustainable urban eco-systems, we must actually produce products. Plastic products.
Silva Cells were originally developed to provide adequate tree rooting volumes even in areas dominated by pavement. They do this by extending rootable soil volume under HS20 load bearing surfaces. These rootable tree volumes and the large trees that root in them are also an efficient sustainable stormwater management system. Sometimes people ask us if… More
Today’s blog entry is reprinted testimony from Dr. Franco Montalto, PE, given to the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Environmental Conservation at a public hearing on the environmental causes and effects of extreme weather events. The testimony was given on January 13th, 2013 and originally appeared on SwimmableNYC’s blog. Dr. Montalto is an… More
Disturbance to pipes and sidewalks caused by roots is one of the most commonly cited complaints about trees. One of the many questions I get asked about is whether they penetrate and plug up drain pipes frequently. The answer – perhaps surprisingly – is no.
There are many advantages to using permeable pavers over Silva Cell installations. The two biggest are maximizing stormwater volume, rate, and quality benefits, and minimizing installation and maintenance labor requirements. In today’s post, I’ll be discussing these two stormwater benefits (as well as a few extras!) in more detail.
Here is this week’s “Ask Jim Urban” column. Jim Urban, FASLA is an expert on urban trees and soils and his recent book, Up By Roots, is the industry bible on these topics. Jim was also involved in the development and design of the Silva Cell system. In this column, which we’ve run for once a… More
Here is this week’s “Ask Jim Urban” column. Jim Urban, FASLA is an expert on urban trees and soils and his recent book, Up By Roots, is the industry bible on these topics. Jim was also involved in the development and design of the Silva Cell system. In this column, which we’ll be running once a… More
Most designers are probably already familiar with the practice of using aggregate or gravel as a form of underground stormwater storage. For those who aren’t designers, the principle is simple: aggregate (gravel) is full of small voids – macropores – that can fill with water, acting as on-site stormwater storage. The aggregate is strong enough… More
There are many physical markers of the long process of growing up: the improbably tiny clothes we once fit in to, the toys and gadgets that occupy us, the notches on the door jamb that record our height year over year. The metaphors for these changes, that signify the growth, transition and development of human… More
Here is this week’s “Ask Jim Urban” column. Jim Urban, FASLA is an expert on urban trees and soils and his recent book, Up By Roots, is the industry bible on these topics. Jim was also involved in the development and design of the Silva Cell system. In this column, which we’ll be running once a… More
We know a lot about the problems and headaches that pavement disturbed by roots can cause. For a long time, tree root barriers – mechanical barriers designed to direct roots down and away from hardscape – have been the backbone of our business. Why do tree roots heave pavement, and will this be a problem… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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