Trees In Urban Design: Are You Planting a Liability or Growing an Asset?

Paul Crabtree, President of Crabtree Group, Inc., a Civil Engineering and Town Planning firm and Lysistrata "Lyssa" Hall, an ISA certified Arborist and Neighborhood Specialist of the City of Phoenix, Arizona recently presented their paper "Trees in Urban Design" at StormCon 2014 in Portland, Oregon, the largest stormwater pollution prevention conference and exposition of it’s kind.

The report blends a variety of new urban and green infrastructure principles that can be used in tandem to develop cost effective urban designs that create beautiful places. The paper compares the installation, maintenance, and net lifecycle costs of common urban tree planting techniques. Additionally, the paper explores the urban tree’s potential for an immense return on investment through intercepted stormwater, increased property value, and conserved energy.

This paper is a useful reference for planners, advocates of urban design, street designers looking to better understand and employ trees in the design of their communities. The full report can be viewed or downloaded here [pdf].