Principles for a well-landscaped city

James Urban, principal of Urban Trees & Soils in Annapolis, has compiled 10 strategies, of three different kinds, for successful development of trees in cities. They are: Soil-based strategies: 1) Plant the easy places first. 2) Make bigger planting spaces, balancing the size of areas of pavement and areas of soil. 3) Preserve and reuse existing soil. 4) Improve soil and drainage though methods such as breaking soil compaction, amending or replacing soil, and maintaining or creating needed drainage. Tree-based strategies:. 5) Respect the base of the tree, avoiding paving within the area of the tree’s future “trunk flare” (the expanding lower part of the trunk). 6) Make space for roots by designing spaces for roots under the pavement and choosing approaches that take different conditions into account. 7) Select the right tree for the right place. Management-based strategies: 8) Establish reasonable tree and soil budgets, balancing the design quality of all elements in the landscape. 9) Create detailed tree and soil construction documents so that construction decisions are project-specific and respect the science of trees and soils. 10) Design for maintenance.