Trees in the Urban Landscape: Site Assessment, Design, and Installation

The complete guide to using plants in urban landscape design Trees in the Urban Landscape offers all the critical tools for successful planting in urban landscapes, from design conceptualization to daily maintenance. This is the perfect reference for addressing the complex issues involved in the greening of cities. More than 100 illustrations clearly exemplify essential concepts, and helpful case studies demonstrate real–world practice. Complete with important technical specifications in each chapter, this concise resource for solving everyday issues provides guidance and up–to–date material on: Identifying limitations and opportunities of landscapes Site assessment, soil remediation, and plant selection Installing and maintaining urban plants Soil texture, compaction, pH, and nutrients Spatial limitations, drainage, and existing vegetation Designing for biological diversity and visual similarity Trees in the Urban Landscape is an essential volume for anyone working in landscape architecture, urban planning, urban design, and aboriculture, as well as students in these fields.

Preface. Chapter 1. Doing it Right from the Start: Successful Urban Plant Establishment. What Went Wrong? Think Like a Tree: A Rational Process for Successful Plant Establishment. Back to Basics. A Process of Plant Establishment. Right Plant/Right Place/No Place. Nature or Nurture. Coming Full Circle. Reference Cited. Chapter 2. Site Assessment and Analysis: An Overview. Above–Grade Factors. Belowground Factors. Decision Making Based on Site Assessment. References Cited. Chapter 3. Modification of Soils. Background: Issues for Soil Modification. Soils Under Pavements: Structural Soils. Soil Volume Calculations. Spatial Configuration of the Planting Area. Surface Treatment over the Rooting Zone. Ameliorating the Effects of Grade Changes. Drainage Principles and Techniques. References Cited. Chapter 4. Plant Selection. What Functions Do Plants Serve in the Urban Environment? How Do We Begin Matching the Plant to the Site? Current Strategies. The Case for Visual Uniformity. The Case for Species Diversity. A Solution. Recommended Groups of Visually Compatible Trees. Selecting and Using a Plant Group. Additional Recommended Tree Groups. Reference Cited. Chapter 5. Transplanting and Initial Care in the Landscape. Plant Quality and Nursery Production Practices. Methods of Production and Harvest. Some Trees Are More Difficult to Transplant Successfully Than Others. Tree Size. The Process of Handling and Storage. Planting Procedure. References Cited. Chapter 6. Site Preservation and Management. Appendix I: Tree and Large Shrub Tolerance of Varying Soil Moisture, Soil pH, and Salt Conditions. Appendix II: Model Soil Specifications. Appendix III: Model Landscape/Planting Specification. Index.

PETER J. TROWBRIDGE, MLA, is Professor of Landscape Architecture at Cornell University. He is a fellow of the ASLA, Chair of the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board, and has won numerous awards for his design work. NINA L. BASSUK, PhD , is Professor of Horticulture and Program Leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University.

"...of considerable interest for designers, managers, operators, teachers and for practitioners, too...the perfect reference for addressing the complex issues involved in city greening."  ( Advances in Horticultural Science , Vol.2, 2005)