Many factors affect tree health. Are they all equally important or are some more important than others? According to Kim Coder, PhD, Professor of Tree Biology & Health Care at the University of Georgia, soil compaction is by far the biggest constraint on tree growth. In a 2007 paper, he wrote, “Soil compaction is the most… More
The World Health Organization reported in 2004, “Road crashes are the second leading cause of death globally among young people aged five to 29 and the third leading cause of death among people aged 30 to 44 years.” That’s a scary statistic. Rumble strips, speed bumps, and speed limits are a few of the traditional… More
We have a lot of resources about implementing minimum soil volumes for urban trees on this blog. Recently we’ve updated our list of municipalities that have a minimum soil volume standard. Trees need an adequate volume of root, oxygen-rich soil to thrive, and minimum soil volume policies are a powerful tool for arborists and other advocates… More
There are now dozens of open-source tree maps in communities worldwide. The most successful mapping projects are those that provide citizen scientists with simple guides on how to accurately identify tree species and assess tree health. The more accurate the information on the tree maps, the more accurate the green infrastructure calculations they produce – and the… More
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
Just 8 blocks from Central Park, 20 trees with healthy soils and room to grow, will join the concrete jungle of New York City at 1271 Avenue of the Americas. A superlative example of mid-century modern architecture, 1271 Avenue of the Americas is an iconic Midtown Manhattan building with a rich history. Designed by Harrison,… More
And the Professional Honor Award goes to… November brings the annual American Society of Landscape Architects annual conference and with it the announcement of the annual professional awards. We’re delighted to share that two of the projects we recently collaborated on with a talented and dedicated group of professionals were honored and we’re going to… More
Water pollution is a serious problem worldwide, whether in rivers and lakes or massive oceans. After the famous Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, environmental regulations were put into place in the U.S. which have helped curb the amount of pollutants we put into our water and reversed some, but not all, of the problems stemming… More
Bioretention has been shown to effectively remove heavy metals from stormwater runoff, which makes it a very useful design tool. However, there are two common concerns related to long term use of bioretention for heavy metals removal: (1) When will breakthrough occur, i.e. when will the binding sites be saturated so that dissolved heavy metals… More
Soil structure (how soil particles are held together to form larger structures within the soil) is recognized as an important property of a healthy soil. Grading, tilling, soil compaction and screening soils during the soil processing and mixing process damages structure. To counteract the loss of structure, specifiers then add to it, utilizing a mined… More
Over 20 years ago, the City of Del Mar along the southern California coastline began a citywide process to improve streetscapes with the intention to preserve and enhance the tangible qualities of the community. In 2019, construction began of the downtown streetscape portion, which will bring these concepts to fruition, building up the commercial center of… More
Come Join us at the ASLA Philadelphia October 19-20! Stop By Booth 1325. Prior to the ASLA Annual Meeting and EXPO each year, we make an effort to highlight some of the older suspended pavement installations of which we are aware. One such installation is located in the heart of Philly on Market Street, between… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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