[CANUFNET] Trees and boulevards

[Ian Wilson]

All, we are having a bit of an internal debate about standards for local/residential roads and boulevards.  My observation is that trees that are planted in a boulevard behind a monolithic sidewalk (sidewalk up against the curb and planting area next to the property) generally do better. They have access to more soil volume in the front yard, they get more water and the boulevard is tidier since the homeowner treats it like part of their yard. Also fewer issues with roots lifting sidewalks. Some of our staff prefer the separated treed boulevard, for various reasons. Note, I'm not talking about busier roads where the trees in boulevards help to form a barrier from traffic.

We don't have a lot of good examples here that directly show a comparison. Does anybody have some photos that might show the performance of trees on one side of the road in a separated boulevard, vs. trees on the other side behind the sidewalk?

Below is an example that doesn't exactly show this, but it does show the value of soil volume, with the trees on the left side being able to access the lawn area behind the sidewalk, vs. the trees in "coffins" on the right. These are lindens planted at the same time.


[cid:image003.jpg at 01D7B468.A59AC0E0]


Ian Wilson
Infrastructure Operations Manager | City of Kelowna
250-469-8842 | iwilson at kelowna.ca<mailto:iwilson at kelowna.ca>
Submit a request for service on the go | kelowna.ca<http://kelowna.ca/>
I acknowledge that my workplace is located on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the syilx/Okanagan people.

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