A NOTE ON LANDSCAPING ELEMENTS Safety
Safety For All Street Users (walking, bicycling, driving, wheeling etc.) Physical Comfort for All Users Clear Sightlines Availability / Ease of Procurement Planning + Design
Plants and trees are lovely. People like them, and they really take the aesthetics of a project to the next level. Landscaping also brings environmental benefits, soaking up dangerous CO2 emissions. Plants and trees have also been shown to have a traffic calming effect, reducing vehicle speeds along busy thoroughfares. Of course, stewardship and care of plants can be the largest challenge in integrating them into projects. Plants are delicate and can be challenging to move and store without harming them. Without care and attention, plants will quickly die and become an eyesore. Most pilot and interim-design projects involving plants require maintenance partnerships between city agencies and community groups willing to act as stewards.
LANDSCAPING CRITERIA
Dimensions (Meets height, width, depth requirements) Aesthetics Local climate (Depending on climate, you may need to look for drought resistance plants, or plants that are still beautiful in winter) Storm Water Impacts (Landscaping should improve stormwater management)
Photos left to right: “Tactical Resilience” workshop participants depave the sidewalk and add plants to Norfolk’s West Olney Road (Street Plans); A parklet in Los Angeles, CA integrates plants at the edge of benches (Jim Simmons); A lightweight landscape installation along Market Street brings beauty and a place to sit overlooking the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, PA (Street Plans); Programming meets landscape along the interim design of Miami’s Ludlam Trail (Street Plans).
66 · MATERIALS PALETTE · Landscaping Elements
Maintenance
Cost Durability Stewardship Access for City Services (Public transit, trash collection, street sweeping, snow removal, emergency response etc.) Construction Impacts / Ease of installation