Introduction Municipal street reconstruction is often triggered by aging underground infrastructure: water mains, sewer lines, utilities, sidewalks, curbs, or drainage systems that have reached the end of their service life. But once a street is opened up, the project becomes more than a repair. It becomes a planning opportunity. Instead of simply replacing old infrastructure… More
Introduction Helping cities grow trees is what we do at DeepRoot — but it’s important not to think about tree count as the sole metric in achieving urban canopy goals. Thriving tree canopies are built one tree at a time, one project at a time, through individual decisions that determine whether a tree merely gets… More
Introduction Not long ago — as recently as 10–15 years ago — trees were often the first thing to go when design conflicts appeared. If roots might interfere with utilities, sidewalks, or foundations, the simplest solution was to remove the tree from the plan. Infrastructure came first; trees were treated as optional. DeepRoot’s vice president… More
Introduction: Supporting Tree Success with the Strongback With Silva Cells, the strongback — our temporary installation lid used during soil placement — is not an afterthought or a mere convenience: It’s an intentional design element that plays a critical role in how soil enters the system, gets compacted, and ultimately performs for trees. This Silva… More
Download our research overview document here. Today, the idea that urban trees need real soil volume to reach maturity is no longer controversial — it’s widely accepted among urban foresters and landscape architects. We also recognize that providing that soil volume, especially with systems like Silva Cells, represents a meaningful upfront investment. But decades of… More
Introduction Cities around the world are setting ambitious urban canopy targets, an essential step toward climate resilience and healthier public space. Yet many municipalities struggle to turn those targets into reality. As identified in a recent cross-city urban forest study, the disconnect is rarely a lack of vision — it’s a breakdown in implementation. One… More
The Challenge of Limited Space As cities grow denser and redevelopment accelerates, space is becoming the defining constraint of modern design — and as hardscape surfaces increase, stormwater management becomes more critical. But traditional stormwater infrastructure requires generous footprints (like raingardens) or deep excavation (like large storage tanks): two conditions that are often unavailable in… More
Introduction People often ask us how Silva Cell grows large trees and treats stormwater. The truth is: it doesn’t. At least not by itself. Silva Cell isn’t some magical, mechanical device that generates roots or filters water on its own. Instead, it’s a simple yet powerful framework that lets nature perform at its best, even… More
Introduction For nearly two decades, contractors have been installing Silva Cells in urban forestry and stormwater projects around the globe. From city streetscapes to major civic redevelopments, crews on the ground have consistently shared feedback on what matters most: efficient installation, reliable support, and lasting results for trees and soil. Their voices highlight not just… More
Introduction Soil is the foundation for healthy urban trees. It provides essential space for roots to expand, creating conditions for a mature, wide-canopy tree — but only if it’s actually there in the quantity and quality the tree needs. That’s why soil volume is one of the most important metrics for determining a city tree’s… More
Introduction Why are streetlights and sidewalks considered municipal assets — but not trees? Most cities manage detailed inventories of their physical infrastructure: light poles, sewer lines, benches, trash bins, snowplows. These things are logged, valued, maintained — and budgeted for. They’re viewed not just as integral components of the public realm, but as long-term investments… More
DOWNLOAD A 1-PAGE PDF VERSION OF THIS CONTENT HERE Future-Proofing Your Stormwater Projects The UK’s updated SuDS standards, released in June 2025, outline clear priorities for managing stormwater in new developments — these principles include managing runoff at the source, mimicking natural drainage, reducing flood risk, improving water quality, and supporting long-term biodiversity and amenity…. More
Soil. Stormwater. Sustainable Infrastructure.
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