Street Trees and Planting
Trees provide shade and cool the air, benefitting the comfort of people using the street. While designing, find opportunities for plants and trees within the streetscape to reduce the amount of hard, impermeable surface. Plan and set aside adequate space for trees in the early stages of development to achieve better outcomes. Plant trees in green strips, parking bays, and rain gardens. High-quality plant stock and appropriate planting techniques are vital to the success of any planting.
Tree Pit and Soil Volume
Continuous tree pits increase the plantable surface area and provide more space for tree roots. Ensure sufficient growth area, soil volumes, and hydration for trees. Coordinate tree planting with other infrastructure elements to avoid conflict, particularly with transportation and utilities. Where space is constrained, consider employing suspended and permeable pavements, strata cells, structural soils, and passive irrigation to improve soil conditions and overall health.
Passive Irrigation
Directing stormwater to the surface of landscaped areas and tree pits provides irrigation to the plants and reduces stormwater runoff into local drains and citywide systems. Passive irrigation is one of the simpler and easier ways to incorporate water-sensitive design.