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Urban Design to

Accommodate
Trees: Introduction
by Dr. Edward F. Gilman, professor
Department of Environmental Horticulture
University of Florida, Gainesville
http://hort.ufl.edu/woody/planting
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils
Introduction

Urban design to encourage


tree canopy
Trees often grow poorly
in urban areas unless the
infrastructure has been
specially designed to
accommodate tree root
growth
This presentation is
designed to help guide
you through the design
and species selection
process
Few citizens want cities
Introduction

without trees

A city without trees is


hotter in summer,
receives less rainfall,
has greater runoff
following storms, has
fewer shoppers, and is
not inviting
Introduction

Good design leads to


success

Trees thrive when good designs are executed properly


Healthy trees increase property value, intercept air pollutants,
buffer temperatures, reduce wind speed, cool the city, reduce
runoff from storms, encourage people to visit and spend
money at shops, and create a more inviting community
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils
Site evaluation

A thorough site evaluation insures that you


will select the right tree for your planting site
evaluation

Examples of some of the


components of site evaluation
Above ground
USDA hardiness zone
Light, heat, and wind exposure
Below ground
Soil volume is there enough root space?
Soil pH and drainage
Soil texture, compaction
Maintenance issues
Availability of regular irrigation
Pruning program in place or not
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils
Selection

The dilemma
the design

Certain trees grow well in tough urban sites so we use


them often..monoculture results
They grow well in small spaces but disrupt and
destroy sidewalks/curbs, grow into wires
We fix the problem by cutting roots and resurfacing
hardscape, or cutting tops
Trees decline or look ugly as a result and
..our vision of the urban forest never develops
because trees never make it more than 20 to 40 years
We can do better with appropriate design
The dilemma continued
the trees

We could try different species or cultivars but


they may perform poorly and besides no one
else has tried these
And alternative trees may be difficult to find at
nurseries, especially in the size and quantity
you want
Sowe plant what we know will work; i.e.
what everyone else plants, because it is safe
We are more or less stuck in this pattern now
Solution be creative
Restrict one genera or species to < 20% for
few years
Develop a list of alternatives for each
commonly planted tree
For example alternatives to live oak:
Swamp chestnut, redbay, trident maple, sugarberry,
ash, sweetgum, american elm, cedar elm, overcup
oak,
Match species to site
Selection

characteristics
Choose the right tree
that will grow in the
conditions present at the
site: use books, software,
web sites, your experience
or
Design the right place to
fit the trees you want:
this is covered in detail
next

Dont try to shoehorn a tree you want into a site not designed to support that tree,
unless you are a short term planner, in which case go for it
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils
Success

Trees can form a canopy


over the street

With appropriate spacing


Access to open soil space
Open soil space is soil that is not covered by a
hard surface such as a sidewalk, pavement or a
building
Success

Complete canopy closure


Trees were planted 40 to
50 feet apart in a planting
strip 10 feet wide; this
spacing allowed for the
crowns of individual trees
to touch, encouraging
development of a more
natural upright form

The 10' wide planting strip


allowed the trunk flare to State College, Pennsylvania
develop appropriately
Success

Complete canopy closure


Trees were planted about
30 feet apart; this spacing
allowed for the crowns of
individual trees to touch
when they were fairly
young and encouraged a
more natural upright form

Trees gained tremendous


size due to the almost
Saint Augustine, Florida
unlimited access roots
had to soil space
Success

Complete canopy closure


Trees were planted 15 to
40 feet apart; this spacing
allowed for the crowns of
individual trees to touch
when they were fairly
young encouraging a more
natural upright form

Trees gained tremendous


size due to the almost
unlimited access roots had Seattle, Washington
to soil space
Success

Barely complete canopy


closure
Trees were planted about 50
feet apart. Because trees
were spaced this far apart,
they began to grow
aggressive lower limbs.
Lower limbs are drooping,
creating a more spreading
habit than would have
Miami, Florida occurred with closer spacing

Trees gained tremendous size due to the almost unlimited


access roots had to soil space
No canopy closure
Success

spacing too far


Trees were planted about 50
feet apart. Because trees were
spaced this far apart, they
began to grow aggressive
lower limbs. Lower limbs are
drooping, creating a more
spreading habit than would
have occurred with closer
spacing
Trees gained tremendous size
due to the almost unlimited
access roots had to soil space
Charleston, South Carolina
Success

No canopy closure
Trees were planted about
60-70 feet apart. Because
trees were spaced this far
apart, they began to grow
aggressive lower limbs.
The planting strip is
twenty feet wide and
roots can grow into the
lawns of the homes along
Coral Gables, Florida the street
The formula
Plenty of root space
Closer spacing for canopy closure and reduced
maintenance
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils
Conflicts

Roots can destroy hardscape


with improper design

Tree roots grow under sidewalks and asphalt in


many instances because that is where the soil
oxygen and moisture are located
The hardscape is often inadvertently designed
to encourage roots to grow there; better urban
design can reduce the likelihood of roots
proliferating under hardscape
Conflicts

Root spread on shade


trees
Shade trees extend
their roots way
beyond the tree
canopy

Note the root that


is growing in the
lawn (two
arrows); it is
located well
beyond the branch
tips
Conflicts

Roots grow well beyond


canopy edge

Trees that normally grow a very expansive root


system can become stressed and grow poorly in urban
landscapes where soil space is limited
The result can be poor tree health, damaged sidewalks
and curbs, and other problems
Conflicts

Root flare needs room to


expand
The swelling at the base of the
tree (where the large roots
meet the trunk) is commonly
referred to as the root flare or
buttress
Roots normally raise out of the
ground as shown here
Adequate open soil space must
be designed into the system to
Flare commonly 2.5 to accommodate expansion of the
3.5 times trunk diameter root flare
Conflicts

Misfits and poor design

The oaks planted in this


narrow soil strip have
two choices:
grow poorly due to
the limited amount of
soil space available
for root expansion, or
grow well by sending
roots under the
pavement which will
quickly crumble the
curb and asphalt
Conflicts

Sidewalks lifted
Roots often grow
just under the slab
because that is
where moisture and
oxygen are
abundant

Roots lift the walk


as they grow in
diameter
Outline of topics
Introduction
Site evaluation
Species selection
Formula for success
Roots/hardscape conflicts
Trees/sidewalk solutions (go to sidewalk solutions PP file)
Parking lot/buffer strip solutions
Structural soils

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