Category: Design: Species Selection

Building local identities through tree diversification

3/6/2018

In the mid-1990s, plane trees represented over 52% of the tree population managed  by the Greater Lyon Authority (GLA). In 2018, this had been brought down to 21.7%, while the overall number of species found in hard landscapes in the Lyon area had increased by 80%, with over 280 different species and 94 genres represented. This stark increase is a result of a strategic commitment to diversification. The goal set in the GLA Tree Charter is that, for trees in highways and other public hard landscapes, no single tree species should represent more than 10% of the whole. To deliver this, the GLA monitors the composition of its tree population at a strategic level. For each neighbourhood, it takes cues from the existing character of the landscape to agree a local plant palette: this combination of species is used to help build upon and reinforce local identity, ensuring that the strategic 10% diversity goal does not result in a loss of local coherence and character.

Wise microclimate tree selection for Cheapside

2/16/2018

City of London, England

In the centre of the City of London, between St Paul’s and Bank, the Cheapside area is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Since 2010, a series of major new developments have more than doubled the amount of retail floor space. The equivalent of a significant shopping mall is being created  in a high street location, primarily along Cheapside itself. In response, the City of London Corporation launched a streetscape improvement programme aimed at rebalancing the relationship between pedestrians and vehicles, creating a safer and more inclusive environment while maintaining the current traffic capacity. Traffic lanes have been narrowed to four metres and footways widened by an average of three metres.

Building local identities through tree diversification

Wise microclimate tree selection for Cheapside

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