Intrinsic to the success of cities and the quality of life they offer is how people move within them. For the past century, the car has been the central consideration in the design and planning of our urban areas. Increasingly, however, the car-dominated planning era is behind us, as city dwellers are more frequently walking,… More
In the U.S., cars are king. Our cities and neighborhoods are designed around how cars travel though them, and pedestrians are secondary – if a pedestrian can safely cross traffic, the area is deemed a success. It has long been said that if you plan cities for cars and traffic, you will get cars and… More
Cities are generally both warmer and more polluted than non-urban areas, as paved surfaces absorb heat, leading to increased energy consumption, and vehicle and human activity produces waste and airborne particulate matter. These have huge negative consequences for human health, but a dense urban tree canopy can help reduce these risks. The role trees play… More
Starting July 1, 2017, the City of San Francisco will start doing something it hasn’t done since the 1970s: take responsibility for all the trees in the public right-of-way. San Francisco cut funding to urban forestry in the late 1970s, resulting in a handoff of responsibility to adjacent property owners for two thirds of the… More
Nearly eight years ago, we installed a large Silva Cell system along 48 blocks of downtown Minneapolis. Called Marquette and 2nd (MARQ2), this green stormwater infrastructure project is in an ultra-urban, mixed-use area that needed to accommodate mass transit, cars, and pedestrians. The designers (SEH and URS) specified Silva Cells for stormwater management in addition… More
Today’s landscapes are asked to perform much more than functional or aesthetic services: they filter and reduce stormwater runoff, provide wildlife habitat, reduce energy consumption, improve human health, and more. As projects become more complex, and clients aim higher to meet today’s climate challenges, the use of performance metrics is becoming increasingly prevalent.
We have a long and complex history in our relationship to trees in the built environment. As our ancestors congregated in the “New World” they wanted to open up the canopy to let the light filter down and to be able to grow food. Then, as more people arrived and cities formed, trees were cut… More
After months of design, calculations, and careful planning, construction is starting on your next project. You have spent hours selecting which tree varieties to use, where to place them, and how they will be maintained. Perhaps you have even invested extra time and resources to make sure those trees will have ample soil and water… More
When there are existing trees on a development site, moving the tree is often considered as a method of tree preservation. Often the tree is growing in an “inconvenient” location for the project and tree preservation is either desirable, politically expedient, or required by local ordinance. While trees can be moved, there are some realities… More
This article is the final one in a series about tree-friendly development. In past articles we discussed tree-friendly design and building practices. Today, we discuss the vital role of a consulting arborist in the tree preservation process. All arborists are not the same “Arborist” is a generic term for a tree specialist. “Certified Arborist” means… More
Around the globe, cities are rediscovering their industrial land. Once sustained by industry, in some places much of this urban infrastructure has closed down, with only the bones remaining. Today, cities are drawing all types – techies, bankers, artists, and immigrants alike – but space is limited. As urban land becomes more precious, communities reconsider… More
The sounds of the city are adored by some as a source of energy and excitement – the hustle and bustle of people crowding the sidewalks accented by cars and buses whooshing past. Dogs bark, people shout, music plays from a window, and somewhere (hopefully in the distance) a siren wails. These noises are as… More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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