Davis Street Gateway: Project of the Year Award Winner

• DeepRoot Silva Cells: 138
• 23 Trees
• 5,421 Cubic Feet of Soil Volume

Awarded Project of the Year (Transportation-Streetscape Category) in 2019 by the Sacramento chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), the Davis Third Street Gateway project is a testament to resilience and sustainability.

In addition to improving the gateway’s aesthetic appeal with central art pieces, new streetlights, and a bicycle traverse counter, the project also included the addition of 23 healthy, thriving trees – made possible by 138 DeepRoot Silva Cells, which also help reduce flooding and provide canopy cover for those hot California days.

Healthy trees above ground, as well as proper stormwater management below ground, was a shared desire between DeepRoot and the project design team at RHAA — and the DeepRoot suspended pavement system was the perfect solution. Davis Street now boasts 23 new trees (red oak and purple ash) with access to 138 3X Silva Cells (approximately 5,421 cubic feet of soil volume).

The sustainability benefits of the project are numerous, including the reduction of local flooding via pervious pavement, mitigation of the heat island effect due to canopy coverage, and an encouragement of non-vehicular modes of transportation through the urban space.

“Large, healthy trees play a prominent role in the appeal and visual character of the city of Davis,” said John Martin, senior associate at RHAA. “Silva Cells were a smart decision and desired from the project’s outset to help advance the city’s urban forest on a prominent downtown street. They provided a flexible system that allowed us to reconfigure their layout and navigate existing utilities; they expanded the availability of uncompacted soil volume for trees; and they supported a permeable paver system installed above them.”

Ultimately, Davis Street is now a “complete street”: comfortable, safe, and usable for a variety of transportation (including bikes, pedestrians, and cars). This beautification creates a sense of place, supported by the large, healthy tree canopy provided by the DeepRoot Silva Cells.