Green Laws And

Community Design

STUDY GUIDE

Pennsylvania Shade Tree Law, 1700

........”every owner or inhabitant of any and every house in Philadelphia, Newcastle and Chester shall plant one or more trees, viz., pines, un-bearing mulberries, water poplars, lime or other shady and wholesome trees before the door of his, her or their house and houses, not exceeding eight feet from the front of the house, and preserve the same to the end that the said town may be well shaded from the violence of the sun in the heat of summer and thereby be rendered more healthy.........

Reilly 1973

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Figure 3-1: Early Municipal Green Law, The Pennsylvania Shade Tree law of 1700

Green Laws Designing With Community Landscape Laws

Seminar Notes

*** Introduction *** Study Guide *** Part I - Problems Green Laws Solve *** Part II - What is a Landscape Code ***

*** Part III - Geography of a Development Site ***Part IV - Visual Effects of Landscape Codes ***

*** Part V - Landscape Codes, Protect, Preserve, and Promote Nature in the City ***

*** Review Questions *** Landscape Vocabulary *** Administrative Terminology ***

*** Review Questions & Self Study Exam ***

*Student Questions*

*Professional Level Questions*

Introduction:

Landscape laws can be traced as far back as the Pennsylvania Shade Tree Law of 1700. That law, cited above, was drafted by the proprietor of a large tract of land in what is now eastern Pennsylvania. Wm. Penn drafted that law to set standards for landscaping and tree planting in some of the early settlements in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Penn set design standards for the type of plant material to be planted, indicated where it was to be planted and stated his purpose for the planting of such material. His law when drafted, was not only an early landscape law, it really was an ancestor of contemporary zoning as we it know it today. Zoning then and now, set standards for the development of land and urban communities. Zoning was created along with the police power to enforce it to ensure that communities developed according to standards that the majority of citizens agreed upon. Over the years, zoning has been reaffirmed by legislative action (Zoning Enabling Act 1926) and court decisions (San Francisco v. Yick Yo and Hang Kie, 1886, Euclid v. Ambler Realty, 1926, Ayres v. City Council of Los Angeles, 1949, Berman v. Parker, 1954).

Common zoning standards accepted by everyone today include limitations, requirements and standards. Examples of these are zoning regulations that set density standards, permitted lot sizes, allowable land uses, minimum frontages, setbacks, opens space. Within zoned communities, zoning districts are created to promote compatible land use patterns within the city limits. Zoning districts may establish site development regulations and performance standards appropriate to the purposes and the uses allowed in each district. (City of Austin, Texas). Furthermore, specific site development regulations which protect, preserve and re-build nature and natural systems may apply to zoning districts or special use districts such as special overlay districts, mixed use development districts, conservation subdivisions, sensitive natural habitat districts, historic districts and special areas used as buffers, corridors, growth management boundaries and preserved natural habitat districts.

In recent years, zoning has become the tool for directing urban development. Landscape codes and tree laws are in the forefront of contemporary development regulations. In the future, landscapes laws may very well be transformed into urban design development standards that not only set standards for post construction landscaping, tree preservation, buffering, screening, parking lot development and habitat improvement, but design standards for public architecture, special use area commercial districts, parks, roadway edges, public preserves, natural storm water collection systems and community forests.

The slide show part of this seminar has been prepared to help you understand how landscape laws and zoning influence community design. The following illustrations, photographs, texts and drawings will demonstrate some basic concepts about landscape laws. The following images have been prepared to:

a. Provide a collection of photographs depicting problems of community design that can be remedied with the use of trees, shrubs, ground covers and other living vegetation and closely related landscape structures.

b. Provide a series of drawings that depict a typical commercial construction site and how it might be enhanced through habitat preservation, tree protection and general site landscaping.

c. Provide a collection of photos showing the visual effects of landscape law in communities that have adapted landscape codes and tree laws.

d. Aid readers in understanding design components, technical standards and the vocabulary of municipal landscape law.

e. Offer some on-line internet links to sources of related information and technical knowledge on the subject of tree and landscape codes.

The seminar show has been designed in three major parts, and two minor parts. Each major part focuses on subject mater that is critical to the understanding of this field of study. Each of the major parts presents subject matter, illustrations, and text. Each part can take up to forty five (45) minutes of self study time when you use the Seminar Notes which can be downloaded from our web site, www.greenlaws.lsu.edu. The three major parts and the two minor parts of this program include;

In the first section of the show, Part One, “Problems Green Laws Solve,” common problems, which landscape codes and good landscape design can solve, are showcased. You will find out about the problems caused by excess paving, lack of shading, improper screening, degradation of natural habitats and wide spread urban tree removal.

The section “What is a Landscape Code” Part Two of the show, sets forth the methodology by which communities build and develop. You will learn about the role of government in community development, as well as what architects, engineers, and landscape architects do. The role of the landscape code, zoning ordinance, and building code are mentioned, and you are introduced to the vocabulary of design components. These are the parts of a development site that make up the “geography” of urban lots and building sites.

Section three of the disk, Part Three, “ The Geography of a Development Site” explains the art and or science of site development. A case study of a small urban commercial site is presented to display the most common parts of a development site that fall under the purview of landscape codes. You will learn about street tree planting areas, street yards, street walls, parking lot screen, buffers, vehicular use areas, VUA interiors, and habitat preservation zones. You will learn what they are and by what technical standards they are judged.

In addition, you will be briefly introduced to some leading edge concepts which are not fully integrated into very many landscape codes at this time but hold our promise for future inclusion. These items include Xeriscape ™ design principles and water conservation, land clearing, habitat preservation, on site storm water management micro-retention techniques and the science of green parking lot design and tree banking.

In Part Four, of the program, “The Visual Effects of Landscape Codes,” takes a look at the visual effects of landscape law as they are seen within communities that have enacted such environmental legislation. This part shows examples of how landscape laws influence site clearing to the design of vehicular use area interiors. You will be taken on a tour of communities in the United States where you will see examples of good community design which are primarily the result of community landscape laws. These slides will inspire you to see the green visual effects that landscape laws bring to community design.

In the final segment of the program, Part Five, you are provided resources that may prove helpful in your independent study of green laws. You will find here reference to the LSU Research Web Site, that we call the LSU Green Laws web site. It’s url is www.greenlaws.lsu.edu. There is lots of information here on landscape laws and tree management laws. You will also find in this part of the program reference to the book Abbey, D.G. Buck, U.S. Landscape Ordinances, John Wiley, NYNY, 1998. This book contains very detailed information about landscape laws in over three hundred communities. The book can be ordered at www.wiley.com. Another resource which is available is the CD Green Laws and Community Design which was prepared by LSU for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry with support from the Louisiana Nursery and Landscape Association and Live Oak Gardens Nursery LTD of New Iberia, Louisiana. The CD is free for the asking by writing the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry.

_{An finally, you will find a listing of credits for the design, writing and production of this program. You will find out about the LSU Landscape Ordinance Research Project and how it has spent years studying green laws. You will see the names of our students and research sponsors of whom we are grateful for in their contribution to this educational program. We appreciate the use photographs and drawings which are credited to various artists throughout the program.}

_{The research that makes this program available has been supported in part with a USDA, Forest Service, Urban And Community Forestry Grant, administered by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry}

_{P.O. Box 1628, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1628 225.925.4500}

By the end of the show, you will realize that this seminar is about nature in the city. You will have learned what landscape architects, landscape administrators, urban foresters, arborists, horticulturalists, and landscape contractors can do to protect, preserve, and promote the green infrastructure that really improves our quality of life.

Good community design means we must keep nature in the city. Landscape codes and tree law are the proper way to go about doing that. Communities across America should enact minimal landscape laws that will protect significant trees and ensure a minimal amount of landscaped open space on each development site.

At the end of these notes you will find a comprehensive landscape code vocabulary and definitions, which will assist you in understanding many of the words or meanings expressed in this slide show. All of the definitions are derived from public landscape laws within the United States. Two classes of definitions are presented. Those that deal directly with development site, (The Geography of a Development Site), and those that define administrative terms associated with landscape laws. You will also find a self study examination which can be used to quiz yourself on the knowledge contained within these materials. There are questions for students as well as questions for seasoned administrators, consultants and motivated citizens.

Prof. Buck Abbey, ASLA

Louisiana State University

Orange Beach, Alabama

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Self Study Guide

The following seminar notes have been written to enhance ones understanding of each slide presented in the slide show. Each of the notes below will offer background material that will increase a student’s ability to understand and communicate the ideas and issues shown in each of the 84 slides contained within the slide show. The slides have been selected to visually convey the idea being discussed. Notes have been added to each slide which focus on the issue being presented

1. (Green Laws And Community Design) Title Slide

Welcome to this program prepared for the American Society of Landscape Architects Desktop Seminar Series with assistance from the State of Louisiana, Department of Agriculture And Forestry and with partial funding by an Urban And Community Forestry grant from the USDA. We are pleased to teach you about landscape laws that we call g r e e n l a w s.

2. (Course Description)

•Course Description: Landscape laws, tree laws and land alteration codes are springing up across the country as a method of protecting, preserving or rebuilding nature in the city. Landscape codes are actually an extension of zoning law and are seen as tools to make cities livable. Landscape codes and tree preservation strategies are also seen to be a smart growth strategy that can enhance development while protecting nature. Landscape architects, planners, urban foresters arborists, landscape contractors and citizen environmental groups, the thin green line protecting nature in the city, must work together in understanding green laws and help elected officials, citizen zoning commissioners, tree boards and landscape commissions understand the science and art behind community landscape laws

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•These laws have certain design components and technical requirements that professional landscape architects, architects and engineers must comply with under contemporary building regulations in some of America's towns and cities. In turn, compliance with theses laws, creative interpretation of their provisions, is imparting a visual image that is "greening up" neighborhoods and communities and leading to a better understanding of urban design

•Landscape law design components such as tree preservation, street wall plantings, parking lot screens and vehicular use area configurations and street yard plantings are all part of written landscape laws. These are complex terms that relate not only to the law, but to the design of physical landscape. These components all have physical descriptions as well as visual meaning. They are all composed of an ordered assembly of trees, shrubs, ground covers and landscape structures.

Understanding the design components that make up a landscape law is the key to understanding the visual structure of a landscape designed as a result of the words contained within the law.

3. (Students)

•Please register for this course. To get this class off and running as an on-line collaboration between the instructor Prof. Buck Abbey, and the student seminar taker, please take a few moments to e-mail the following information to the instructor.

•

•During live programs students will be acknowledged as the “student from Jackson, Michigan” or “the student from Boston” rather than by name. This will protect your privacy and allow other students in the live sessions to feel like they know the other students in the class on a personal basis..

•For Archived presentations just go ahead and e-mail the information to the instructor so that he may contact you after you have taken the Desktop Seminar to see if you have any specific questions you seek answers to.

•Name__________________________

Town where seminar is being taken__________________

•Mailing Address_____________________ ____________ _________

•E-mail ____________________________

4. (Working With Nature In The City)

Green Laws include various kinds of municipal ordinances, laws and landscape codes that deal with nature in the city. Landscape Architects are among a small group of people who look out for nature in the city. It is the responsibility of Landscape Architects to preserve, protect and rebuild nature in American towns and cities.

It is through municipal tree and landscape law that developers and designers work with nature in the urban environment. Who looks out for nature in your city? Is it the Mayor? The Town Council? Director of Public Works? The developers, designers, bankers or real estate industry? Or the laws, codes and ordinances of the city which deal with nature? It should be all of these, in a community that seeks good design.

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Part One- Problems Green Laws Solve, Title Slide

Communities are always built incrementally following procedures that are sometime mystifying and bewildering at best, other times, confusing and misunderstood at the worst. Often times, community development is market place driven. Other times it is driven by opportunity or chance. Sometimes the law controls it, other times, designers like architects, engineers, landscape architects, builders, and developers, are responsible for the way cities evolve. Their creative ideas build cities.

No matter what form or evolution a community takes in its development, mistakes are made which lead to poor community design. Lets take a look at some common mistakes, misjudgments, and awkward situations. All of which can be remedied to some extent by green laws.

4. How We Build.

Green Laws, in the form of landscape codes, tree ordinances or land alteration codes solve problems of community design. They assist nature in the city by helping developers build greener communities and helping communities maintain their contact with natural systems. Landscape architects, landscape contractors, landscape maintenance companies, horticulturists, irrigation contractors and arborists all serve nature and are agents who work to ensure that nature’s vegetation, water, soils, climate and wildlife remain in the city to serve the needs of city dwellers.

6.

(How We Build)

Good community design is defined in several ways. For this discussion we will use the definition that good “community design is a balanced approach to development that allows nature to play a significant role in the community and a significant role in each development site within that community. Good community design will allow nature to perform a number of environmental services as well as make the community more interesting from a visual and physical point of view. Good community design means retaining the urban forest canopy, reducing on site run off, screening objectionable views, minimizing the importance of the automobile and its parking areas and providing habitat for urban wild life. Further, good community design brings to the community the lines, colors, texture, forms, and patterns created by the careful composition of landscape design elements that have flowers, fruits, interesting bark patterns, and assorted leaf characteristics. Nature in the city is one measure of good community design.”

7. (Why Landscape Regulations?)

To help the city grow in an orderly manner and to protect the property values of land owners there are certain landscape regulations that are accepted by the city and the development community. Landscape regulations, better called landscape design standards, help provide uniformity with creativity in the development of land. There are several common problems that landscape standards are often written into a community landscape to solve. Common Problems to site planning include……..

the following slides)

Sites Without Trees

Land Clearing

Tree Removal

The View From the Road

Paving To The Street

Street Edge

Street Yard

Street Walls

Building Entries

Parking Lot Design

VUA Interiors

Interior Island Plantings

VUA Walkways

VUA Screening

Storm Water Run Off

Yard Buffering

Trash Screening

8. (Land Clearing)

Development can take place in such a manner that some trees and natural places can be preserved on every development site. At the very least, natural areas which are modified or removed can at least be recreated or rebuilt through thoughtful landscape design. Land clearing is one of the most destructive forces turned loose on the natural world. Uncontrolled land clearing destroys vegetation, relocates species, erodes, compacts or buries fertile soils, changes micro-climate and can alter natural drainage patterns and water table levels.

It is good design to save patches of native ground and groves of existing trees that are special or unique natural habitats within the city.

9. (Tree Removal)

Land clearing and tree removal are not the same activity. Land clearing is often done to change grades, provide for drainage and build site facilities like buildings and parking lots. Tree removal is often done just to prepare the site for sale or development. With proper site planning and design, it is possible to retain significant groves of trees and natural habitat while still grading the site for construction, drainage and use.

10. (Hatracking And Planting)

Good community design means the proper selection, planting, maintenance and care of plant materials, Trees, should be selected for their varied characteristics as well as for the specific site in which they are to grow. Hatracking as seen in this view, is poor arboricultural services. In fact some would call this “arboriculture malpractice.” Professionally trained and licensed ISA (International Society of Arborist) Arborists’ would never hatrack trees such as seen here.

Good community design means the proper selection, planting and care of plant materials.

Plants, especially trees, should be selected for their varied characteristics as well as for the specific site in which they are to grow. Selecting plant materials to grow below overhead power lines is particularly daunting. The wrong plant selected, will result in extra maintenance by the holder of the utility servitude. Utilities often occur near plantings so both must be considered together.

In some communities landscape codes may include pruning and tree care specifications or may make reference to national pruning and tree care specifications. Hatracking, as you see it here, is outlawed in the landscape codes of many communities.

Also, within the landscape codes you will find standards and specification for plant material. Often specifications will be given for size, quality, spacing, installation, staking, mulching, fertilizing and watering. Some communities refer to established horticulture specifications such as American Standards for Nursery Stock ANSI Z60-1980 or latest edition in their landscape code.

Many communities prepare lists of approved plant materials and only these plant materials may be used for credits toward landscape requirements. Some communities prepare lists of ‘outlaw plants,’ usually aggressive non-native exotic or plants and trees that are not cold hardy. Outlaw plants are not wanted in some communities.

Many communities provide “credits” for any trees that are preserved on site. This makes good sense especially if the trees that are preserved, are inventoried, analyzed for health and condition, and can be preserved in groves or groupings of trees.

According to the Palo Alto, California tree ordinance, the municipal arborist can issue tickets, a form of ‘administrative procedure,’ for tree ordinance violations. The city arborist is authorized in the Code to establish specific technical regulations, standards and specifications necessary to implement the Ordinance and provide guidance for the required or recommended care, removal and replacement of regulated trees. Their ordinance leads to a better urban forest canopy and more professional and better trained community of commercial tree arborists.

11. (The View From the Road)

The primary reason to enact a landscape code is to preserve the view from the public right-of-way. A roadway without trees is a barren roadway that can be cluttered up by utility poles, driveway cuts, business signs, traffic signs, billboards, street side parking areas, water tanks, commercial buildings and overhead power lines. Landscape codes also set standards for the design of private properties fronting roadways. The way people develop roadway frontage heavily influence the view from the road. It is not un-common for landscape codes to require parking lot screening and plantings in the street yard of a building site.

The public road is an American institution. Roads organize our communities and are our access routes from home to work, and from home to play. They are corridors of public safety and are used for public services.

Commercial establishments prefer to locate along heavily traveled roadways as they feel that highly traveled roads bring in more customers. To some extent they are correct.

But the view from the road is also important.

A roadway without trees is a lifeless cluttered roadway. Roadways are often cluttered with utility poles, driveway cuts, business signs, traffic signs, billboards, street side parking areas, water tanks, commercial buildings, and overhead power lines. When you throw in moving cars, one turning left, the other right, a pick-up truck darting here an SUV darting there, the scene becomes too much to understand. So much variety of shape, form, color, texture, and motion the scene is next to impossible to understand. We see only a fraction of what is there.

Cluttered road edges are not only overly complex visual scenes, unattractive, and hard to understand, they are potentially unsafe to a motoring public.

In this scene, compare the visual condition of the commercial side of the roadway to the right with the residential side of the roadway to the left. They are two completely different driving experiences.

Communities are finding that landscape codes can be used to ensure that street trees are planted along streets. Plantings along the edge of the public right of way will unify the street, focus attention on driving, and cut away many of the distractions caused by excess signage and street clutter. Plantings, of course, need to be carefully selected. A mix of deciduous, evergreen, flowering, and fruiting varieties can thrive in poor growing conditions, take the abuse of neglect and will grow without causing damage to overhead wires and below ground utilities.

Selecting the right combination of trees and shrubs is a difficult challenge. Some community landscape codes specify recommended species of trees that will grow well in a roadside environment.

Landscape codes also set standards for the design of private properties fronting roadway. The ways people develop roadway frontage heavily influence the view from the road. It is common for landscape codes to require parking lot screening and plantings in the street yard of a building site.

12. (Urban Heat Islands)

Sites without trees in the hot sunny South and Southwest and are not only hot and uncomfortable but are visually unpleasing and often lacking in scale. Parking lots like this one are hot, humid and un-attractive. Temperatures within cars often reach 150 degrees. Children and pets can die if left in cars in un-shaded parking lots.

Why do you suppose the cars in the far center are parking in the shade of the shopping center sign? Commercial developers for years have routinely removed trees and vegetation and built retail and commercial establishments totally lacking any sense of landscape design. They obviously do not understand the urban heat island effect.

According to researchers at U.C. Davis, trees in parking lots and business districts provide many environmental services. For instance, trees in parking lots tons of CO₂ from the atmosphere per year (McPherson et. al., 1999). Their studies have shown that 100 trees remove 1000 lbs. of pollutants per year, worth about $4500 in emission credits (in the Central Valley of California) (McPherson et. al., 1999). Trees in parking areas are one of the most cost effective means of reducing the ‘urban heat island effect’ caused by vast areas of paving within our cities. One study indicates that trees lower temperatures .5 - 1.5° C and reduce surface asphalt temperatures by 36°F and vehicle interior temperatures by 47°F. Cooler temperatures reduce ozone concentrations and lower hydrocarbon emission from parked cars.

Some communities are making parking lots tree friendly and writing ordinances that require shade in parking lots. Codes in Raliegh, North Carolina, Sacramento, California, Atlanta, Georgia and San Antonio, Texas are writing special provisions to require fifty (50) percent shading within fifteen (15) years. Austin, Texas is rewriting their landscape and tree laws to provide more shade as a means of reducing the “urban heat island effect” arising from their built up area. Gwinnett County, Georgia has a very tough tree preservation ordinance that requires preservation of many trees and replacement of others. Baton Rouge, Louisiana drafted a “native tree preservation clause” to be inserted within their landscape ordinance. The concept was to require that all native trees of a certain size be replaced following removal for construction on an ‘inch by inch basis” up to a maximum number of caliper inches equal to 258 of native trees per acre based upon a standard calculated by testing native stands of forest in the community to determine the average number of caliper inches per acre. The proposal which would have rebuilt the urban forest around development rather than build community development within the urban forest got “watered down” during the three year process that led to Metro-Council approval on July 16^th, 2003 ad public ordinance no. 12692. The native tree preservation proposal was passed but in a much less comprehensive manner.

When trees are removed, the sun bakes the land. Shady parking lots absorb the sun, provide cooling shade, reduce ambient temperatures, cool parked cars, filter pollutants from the air and make a much better looking city. Large expanses of concrete and asphalt raise ambient air temperatures and make city living more uncomfortable, especially in the South and Southwest.

and and

Commercial developers for years have routinely removed trees and vegetation and build retail and commercial establishments totally lacking any sense of landscape design. In this scene there are no trees within the commercial shopping center. The trees seen in the rear of the view are in a residential neighborhood beyond. It begs the question. If we enjoy trees so much in our neighborhoods, why do we not like trees, shrubs, ground covers and flowers within our commercial retail establishments? The fact is, we do and business is known to prosper whenever landscape materials are used in abundance to enhance the shopping environment. Landscape materials provide shade, color and texture and invite urban wildlife to join into the scene.

In recent years, landscape codes have been used to help the development community find better ways of building commercial landscapes. Landscapes that are attractive to shoppers and neighbors alike. Collier County/Naples Florida for instance has enacted parking lot tree planting requirements for all commercial developments. In shopping centers, not only do they require parking lot tree plantings, but they require that shopping centers have courtyards which are planted and provided benches and other open space amenities.

Even filling stations in this Southwest Florida community must be improved by landscaping. You would never see the filling station in the rear of this slide in Collier County, Florida. It would be screened with trees, shrubs and earth berms.

13. (Street Edge)

Street edges are owned by the city and should be carefully controlled as to size and access points. Curb cuts should be restricted and reduced in number allowing more space for street tree plantings and below ground utilities. Minimum curb cuts are desirable along public street and all curb cuts should be properly sized. Not only is using interconnected parking lots to minimize curb cuts good design, it is a smart way to grow as it controls traffic flow and movement in the development. Some communities require the developer of property frontage to plant the street edge with street trees. Additionally, the developer or private property owner fronting a public street is often required to maintain trees, shrubs and lawns which may be planted in the space at the edge of public street.

The view you see here of a street edge with no planting is not good design and would never be allowed in many American communities. Landscape codes often require plantings along public streets.

Paving to the street with a continuous curb cut is not allowed in smart communities. Not only is it unsafe for drivers and people who park cars, it is unsightly to push a building to the front property line. “Street tree planting areas,” “buffer standards” and “street yard planting areas” were created to prevent strip developments where all businesses look the same and where no physical separation between adjacent land uses or public streets exists.

14. (Street Yard)

The area behind the street right-of-way, and, in front of any building on private property is known as the street yard. Street yard design standards prevent property owners from paving to the property lines as seen in this photo. They often require a minimum number of shade trees, shrubs and ground covers

Street edges and street yards can be designed and planted to help reduce roadside distraction and clutter thereby making public roadways safer places to travel. Exceptions are often granted to businesses that use their street yards as a sales display area. But even though they may need to apply for a zoning variance.

Community landscape codes will often set aside ten (10) to twenty (20) percent of the site for landscaping and open space. Much of this open space occurs in the street yard, which is space between the front property line and the building wall. Sometimes the street yard planting area is attached to the front property line, other times it is allowed to ‘float,’ or to be located any where within the space between the street-side building wall and the front property line.

15. (Yard Buffering)

The third most common reason to enact a community landscape code is to provide buffers between properties, specially those properties of differing land use.

Large amounts of land within cities occur along property lines and often this land serves no real purpose. Side and rear buffers between neighbors make better neighbors and a more orderly neighborhood. Buffering of contrasting land uses makes a more visually compatible city. Rear and side buffers are often planted with layered shrub masses, ground covers and trees and act as natural areas for urban wildlife like birds, rabbits, squirrels, raccoon and beneficial insects. Naturalized buffers become wildlife habitat and provide cover and pathways through the city for small urban creatures. Care should be taken to insure that pedestrian linkages between land uses is not blocked by these vegetated buffers.

16. (Building Entries and Street Walls)

As previously stated, paving from the property line to the wall of a building is not good design. Many communities require a strip of planting to occur between parking lots and buildings, especially those walls that face public streets. Plantings to separate building from parking soften the harshness of buildings and improve both the safety and the pedestrian experience of parking lots.

Parking lots that are paved right up to the door of the building are not pedestrian friendly, nor are they safe. Street wall planting design prevents building the parking lot to the building wall. Planting between the parking lot and the building and adding walkways, waiting areas, fountains or sculpture increases the quality of the pedestrian experience and enhances safety. Many communities who favor good design do not allow paving up to the foundation of the building. It is interesting to note that the concrete bollards have been added to keep cars from crashing into the building.

17. (A Sea of Parking)

The second most common issues addressed in a community landscape code is car storage.

Studies at the Center For Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington landscaped parking areas are good for business. In one study the researcher reports that shoppers shop more often and will shop for longer periods of time in well-landscaped business districts. Shoppers who choose well landscaped sites are willing to pay more for parking, and up to 12% more for goods and services (Wolf, 1999).

Eighty to ninety percent of the demand for parking is met with surface parking lots. Some have estimated that surface parking often utilizes two or three times the amount of floor space used in commercial buildings. A ten thousand square foot commercial office building is likely to consume twelve thousand square feet of parking ( 1 space for every 250 square feet). That would be enough ground space to store forty (40) parked vehicles.

The supermarket on the corner that has one hundred and fifty thousand (150,000)square feet under roof, would require seven hundred and fifty (750) parking spaces consuming two hundred twenty-five thousand (225,000) square feet (1 space for every 200 square feet) or approximately five (5) acres of land.

A regional shopping mall of two (2) million square feet of retail space would require parking for sixty six hundred cars taking up almost fifty acres of land (1 space per 300 square feet). That is a lot of land, those are a lot of cars.

Obviously, the more intense the land use, the more cars will need to be stored and more land that must be set aside for car storage. In the past it was common practice to just cover the fifty acres with concrete or asphalt. The parking lot was one vast expanse of concrete that became a tremendous solar collector and covered an area large enough to drain five million gallons of water in a twenty four hour rainstorm. At the rate of 0.15 cfs/acre per day, five million gallons of run off, is a lot of water to drain.

In recent years, people want parking areas to be cooler, more compact, partially screened from public streets, and broken up with the use of landscape plantings. Some communities require buffers between parking lots while other communities require that parking areas be located behind commercial buildings and not in front of them. Still other communities are finding it smart to organize parking by with ‘car sorting’ strategies, use porous paving to reduce surface run-off and planting large canopy trees to shade, cool and filter the air in parking areas. Additionally, pedestrians, and pedestrian access are becoming more important to the design of the parking lot than the car.

Landscape codes set new design standards for parking lot design.

18. (Concrete Sites)

Studies at the Center For Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington confirm that paving increases urban temperatures. One study indicated that dark pavements such as asphalt generate the most heat gain. They estimate solar reflectivity of only 5% to 10% while lighter colored paving surfaces such as concrete have solar reflectance rates of 25% or higher. (Wolfe 2003)

Heat build up lingers in the city hours after the sun goes down which requires air-conditioned cooling for urban buildings long into the night. In winter months, in the north this heat build up can be beneficial. Parking lot trees and shrubs that are deciduous should be planted in parts of the country where winter heat build up is welcome.

Many developers feel that paving from lot line to lot line reduces the amount of site maintenance that is necessary to keep a business up and running.

They do not want nature or natural elements on the site and do not want to maintain grass, prune shrubs or keep planting beds mulched. They are not concerned with drainage and they do not care about the aesthetic qualities that natural elements bring to a site.

What developers who think like this are really doing is kicking nature out. They are kicking out trees, wildlife, and the positive benefits of them, such as the cooling effects that trees bring to development site. They do not recognize the beneficial effects of trees, shrubs, ground covers and open ground.

Communities that allow lot line to lot line paving do not recognize the fact that sites like this cause problems with drainage and flooding and water table recharge. Off site drainage transports sediments, pollutants and trash. It becomes other peoples problems.

It is usually the tax payer that picks up the tab for this “externality”of business and landscape codes can prevent this type of insensitive development.

It is interesting to note that this was the last project permitted and built prior to the adoption of the Baton Rouge, Louisiana Landscape Code on January 19^th 1994. It was extreme action such as this of removing all aspects of nature from this development site and paving from lot line to lot line that encouraged community citizens to say enough is enough. They called upon the East Baton Rouge Parish Planning Commission to form a special committee to study the issue of a landscape code. Eighteen months later the first landscape code was enacted. The code has been revised twice since then, each time upgrading the standards in response to citizen action. It is clear from this one instance that most communities start the process of adopting a landscape code when citizens rise and indicate that nature in the city is to be protected, preserved and rebuilt following construction.

In this photo, the facility seen to the extreme right was built under the new landscape code standards.

19. (Parking Lot Design)

A recent urban forestry study in Sacramento, California by researchers at U.C. Davis provides us with new information about the importance of parking lots as an element of urban design.

Researchers studied fifteen parking lots to evaluate parking lot capacity and compliance with parking lot tree planting requirements of the local landscape code. (McPherson 2001) Researchers found that parking lots in this community accounted for thirteen (13%) of urban impervious surface and occupy five and six tenth (5.6%) percent of the cities total land area. They found that the total number of parking stalls exceeded the zoning standards by six (6%) percent. When surveyed at peak occupancy times, they found that thirty-six (36%) of the spaces were empty indicating that parking was overbuilt for normal demand. The investigators suggest that a conservative twenty-five (25%) of the empty spaces, which occupy more than ten (10%) percent of the land covered by the parking lots be converted to non-pervious surfaces. (Wolfe 2003) This area of the site could be planted and paved for occasional use with grass, grass-crete, porous paving, unit masonry on a sand base, stabilized sand or gravel. All of these solutions would allow opportunity to park while increasing the amount of green on every development site.

The largest problem with community design is often how to effectively design parking lots. The second most common reason communities draft a landscape codes is to set standards for good design, comfortable planting and safe pedestrian traffic within vehicular use areas (VUA). Good community design means good parking lot design. A well designed community will have parking lots that consider safe pedestrian traffic and safe automobile travel. Pedestrian and auto conflict may be eliminated by good design practices. Parking lot design standards found in most landscape codes provide design guidelines for a variety of considerations. The following parking area design notes will help the reader understand the relationship of landscape codes to the design of vehicular use areas.

Parking areas should be designed for several purposes. The storage and movement of automobiles is just one of the functions the designer must consider. However there are others, such as traffic arrival and departure, service entry and drop off, ease of public security, ADA access, pedestrian safety and ease of maintenance. One of the most important jobs of a parking lot, a job often overlooked, is the to parking lots ability to 'do environmental work' to help cleanse the environment.

Known as vehicular use areas in the book Abbey. D.G., U.S. Landscape Ordinances, John Wiley, NYNY 1998 and in many landscape codes across the country, landscape codes generally set standards for the design of vehicular use areas. Common vehicular use area standards found in many community landscape codes include standards that;

a.Size of parking lots which must comply with the landscape code.

b.Plantings per parking space or plantings based upon percent of parking area.

c.Minimum percentage of vehicular use area devoted to interior plantings.

d.Canopy coverage requirements and shading performance.

e.Relationship of trees to parking spaces include maximum distances.

f.Screening of parking areas from public streets and residential districts.

g.Protection of vegetation from vehicular encroachment and design of curbs.

h.Quantity of vegetation in vehicular use areas.

i.Specifications for plant materials used in parking environments.

j.Geometry of parking areas including the sizing for parking stalls, parking bays, interior islands, bay peninsulas divider medians, travel lanes and turning radiuses.

k.Reduction of impervious surfaces introduction of porous pavements.

Parking area design requires that the designer understand the principle parts of a parking lot and how they are designed. The several parts consist of;

1. access point or access way...these are the entry and exit points into a vehicular use area (VUA) which we commonly call a 'parking lot.'

2. sight triangle...a small triangular area near the entry and exit point of parking lot or roadway which must be free of visual obstruction.

3. travel lane....the center roadway or aisle in a parking lot. The travel lane can be one (15'wide) or two way (22' wide. Two way travel lanes generally have 90d angle parking. One way travel lanes can have 60d or 45d angled parking.

4. divider median....a continuous curbed planting area whose purpose is to separate roadways or parking bays. Width of divider median should match size of trees to be planted. Class A 20'minimum, Class B 15' minimum, Class C 8' minimum.

5. parking space or stall....the space for the parking of one automobile, full size car 19' x 9,' compact car 17' x 9,'sub-compact (electric) 15' x 8,' and suv 22' x 10.' The size of a Hummer, a light truck or SUV, is 15.75' x 10.00' x 6.40' tall.

6. tire stop...pinned concrete wheel barrier which is placed 24" or 36" from edge of parking area. The purpose of a tire stop to to keep autos out of planting areas.

7. curb and or curb and gutter...the purpose of a curb is two fold, to constrain auto traffic and to direct rainwater to a catch basin. Common curbs are 6" to 8" tall and 6" wide at the top. Gutters are generally 12" wide so a poured in place curb and gutters 18" wide.

8. parking screen...a planted area which can be a thin as two feet or as wide as 6' which is used to plant shrubs and small trees whose purpose is to screen views of parked cars or to cast shade into the parking area. Shrubs are generally kept 36" tall.

9. parking bay....a series of connected and continuous parking stalls. Most landscape codes require bays to be no longer than 8, 12, or 16 spaces without an internal planted island.

10. parking median or tree strip......a continuous curbed planting area whose purpose is to separate parking bays. The parking median, sometimes called a tree strip often will contain plantings, walkways and parking lot lights. Width of parking median should match size of trees to be planted. Class A 20'minimum, Class B 15' minimum, Class C 8' minimum. Some times as narrow as 6'. With no plantings this strip can be the width of a walkway 4' or 6' wide. Most community landscape codes require that plantings of trees and other plants be used in parking lots so the unplanted parking median is becoming a thing of the past.

11. parking island.....a plant-able area separating one parking bay from another. The width of island is usually 9' wide (but can be made wider) with a 6' radius on the corners of the end facing the travel lane. The total length of the parking island is normally the length of the parking stall.

12. parking peninsula......a plant-able area at the end of each parking bay. The width of this area is usually 9' wide (but can be made wider) with a 6' radius on the corners of the end facing the travel lane. The total length of the parking peninsula is normally the length of two parking bays plus the parking median.Generally 9' + 6' + 9.'

13. single parking lot.....is one travel lane and one parking bay. The maximum width with a one way travel lane would be 15'(travel lane) + 19'(90d parking stall) + 6' (vehicular use area screen).

14. double bay parking lot.....is one travel lane and two parking bay. The minimum width with a two way travel lane would be 6'(parking median) + 19' (90d parking stall) + 22' (travel lane) + 19' (parking stall + 6' (vehicular use area screen. Curb to curb parking lot dimension is 60.'

15. parking angle......usually 90 degrees but can be 45 degrees or 60 degrees.

16. articulated cross walks.......walkways which cross travel lanes that are articulated with eight paint, various surface material or wheel bumps.

17. parking collector walkways

18. ADA parking space, ramps & signage.......special Federal legislation passed in 1991 to ensure that parking lots are accessible and that passage from auto to building entry is not obstructed or blocked by steps, curbs, walls and other features which may impact the mobility of the blind, wheelchair bound, elderly or encumbered. Parking spaces must be of a certain size and marked with paint logo and signage. ADA parking spaces are 14' wide and van accessible spaces which must be wider to accommodate lifts are 17' wide. The accessible isle which is 60" and 96" respectively are striped with blue paint or other detailing. The number of spaces per VUA is dependent upon the total number of cars parked. Generally one (1) space for every twenty-five (25) spaces.

19. curb ramps or ADA ramps.....ramps are used to make grade changes in ADA accessible VUA's. Ramps shall not exceed 5% grade.

20. paint striping.......paint is used for a variety of purposes within vehicular use areas. Most paint is used for warning, information and traffic control. Examples include paint to mark ADA parking space and ramps, paint to designate curbs, paint to point out grade changes, paint for directional arrows and paint to articulate crosswalks and not parking spaces. Several of these painted solutions could easily be done with a material change. For instance, using brick to articulate a crosswalk.

21. catch basins......underground drainage is the traditional way to get storm water out of parking areas. However this approach is being rethought by the EPA, LDEQ and others since the passage of Phase II NPDES Storm Water controls, smart growth policy and LID (low impact development methods). Catch basins are traps for storm water and sediments. Generally made of concrete and metal grates and frames, these traps are the above ground portion of an underground drainage system consisting of pipes, manholes,and headwalls. Traditional drainage collects, concentrates and disperses storm water into natural drainage swales and from there into natural water bodies.

22. lighting system..…Artificial lighting consisting of either security lighting, building accent lighting, walkway lighting, step lighting, area lighting or some combination of these extend the safe use of parking areas into nighttime hours. Most electric lines, junction boxes and light fixture footings on in the ground and often compete with parking lot plantings for space.

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VEHICULAR USE AREA DESIGN STANDARDS

_______________________________________________________

GENERAL DESIGN STANDARDS

Design speed 10 mph maximum

Slab depth normal use 4" cars only

Slab depth heavy use 6" cars and trucks

Auto Size 5' x 13.6'compact

Auto Size 6' x 16.9' regular

Auto Size 6.5' x 18.25' luxury

GEOMETERY OF A VEHICULAR USE AREA

Curb cut width at street 24'

Travel lane width minimum 10'

Travel lane width maximum 12'

Parking stall regular 9' x 18' (10'x 20')

Parking stall compact 8' x 16'

B to B (back of curb to back of curb distance 56'-60'

Interior Medians 10' wide minimum

Interior Medians 20' wide maximum

Perimeter walkways 6' wide minimum

Perimeter walkways 8' wide

Crosswalks 6' wide

Auto turning radius cars inside 15'-3"

Auto turning radium cars outside 25'-8"

Radius points interior 4.5'

Radius points exterior 12'

ADA parking space 13' wide

ADA ramp 48"

ADA logo size 48" x 48"

LANDSCAPE CODE COMPLIANCE

Parking Bay Length 8 to 12 cars in a row subject to local code

Class A island 27' x 18'subject to local code

Class B island 18' x 18'subject to local code

Class C island 9' x 18'subject to local code

Class P island as required to drip line subject to local code

Distance to Shade according to local code 30'-50'

Parking lot screening on sides facing street & residential 4'-10'

Parking lot screen height often 36" tall according to local code

Auto overhang 48" to 60"

Sight Triangle 20' by 30' right triangle subject to local code

Curb cut from intersection according to local code 40'-80'

Parking Area drainage detention according to local code

Dumpster location & screening according to local code

Building parking buffer per local code often 10'-15'

OTHER STANDARDS

Vertical curbs 6" wide, 6" tall

Gutter 12" wide

Catch basins normal 18" x 18"

Parking lot lighting 900 sf per unit

Drainage slope gravel parking 2%

Drainage slope paved parking 1%

Joint spacing 20' on center typical

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Fig 2. Parking Lot Design Standards(90d angle parking)

READING MATERIAL

Harris, C., Dines, N., Timesaver Standard for Landscape Architecture, McGraw Hill, New York, NY,1988

Pages Section 910

Walker, T., Site Design And Construction Detailing 3rd Edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York NY, 1992

Pages 59-89

20. (VUA Screening)

Parking lots should be partially screened from public streets and residential neighborhoods. This is a standard tenant in well designed communities. To effectively screen parking lots, it is important to leave space between the lot line and the parking lot so there is a place to plant trees and shrubs. A low vegetative hedge, an earth berm or a low masonry wall make very effective parking lot screens. Allowing a parking lot to be built within this distance of a state highway is not good community design. In fact, it is just not safe.

21. (Storm Water Run Off)

Large expanses of pavement such as this promote flooding which is an especially serious problem in coastal states. Large paved areas of asphalt and concrete increase storm water run off, erosion, sedimentation and possible contamination to public waters of the United States. Excess run off creates urban flooding by allowing the water to run off the land quickly and not be absorbed into the soil as it did before the development of the site. At the point of concentration, the can back water back up and can cause property flooding, or flooding of public streets. Storm water from parking areas carries oils and sediments off the site of deposition and into public water bodies and potable water supplies. Many communities are now requiring on site storm water management techniques such as planted areas, grassed swales, storm water filters, detention basins, wet ponds and porous paving as a solution to excess parking lot run off.

22. (Plant Material Quality & Standards)

Well written landscape codes set standards for ornamental plant material.

States regulate the growing, care, transportation and planting of landscape plants such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, flowers and grasses. It is important for states to do this to ensure the public health and safety, and to maintain good order in the commerce of several horticultural industries. Industries, which are regulated by states and many communities too, include wholesale plant material growing, landscape contracting and various horticultural trades. The irrigation industry, tree care industry and the practice of landscape architecture are also regulated by cities and states. These regulation sets quality standards promulgated by the industries themselves so buyers will know what they are buying and that all goods and services meet a certain measure of excellence.

Each industry (arborists, maintenance companies, landscape contractors, chemical applicators and irrigation installers, plant material growers and retail sellers) regulated as a result of municipal landscape laws set certain standards. Often, professional trade association creates these standards. In most instances these standards are recorded and published. For instance. American Standard for Nursery Stock (ANZI Z60.1-1980) latest edition, standardizes the sizing, quality, and specifications of all types of ornamental plants to facilitate the trade of nursery stock.

The State of Florida set standards for plant material. Their standards are published in the book .Grades And Standards For Nursery Plants published by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

In California, a group comprised of arborists, urban foresters, nursery people, U.C. Cooperative Extension, landscape architects, non-profit tree groups, and horticultural consultants, developed standards and specifications contained within Specification Guidelines for For Container -Grown Trees. This documents sets standards to assist landscape growers in obtaining high quality container-grown nursery trees.

The International Society of Arboriculture has published plant maintenance standards in The American National Standard for Tree Care Operations Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant Maintenance Standard Practices (ANZI A300).

Standards contained in this document are used by professional arborists and landscape maintenance companies. The standards illustrate the industry’s consensus of best pruning performance standards.

Several states, Texas, Utah and Arizona for instance, have developed standards for efficient irrigation systems. Irrigation installers and landscape maintenance companies are required by municipal landscape law to follow these standards to preserve potable water supplies. Water conservation is an important reason to regulate the irrigation industry.

In Louisiana, and other southern states, turf grass standards have been developed and are used to regulate the grades and standards nursery grown turf grasses which are used on golf courses, homes and businesses. Turf grasses are rated by species, temperature hardiness, purity and amount of allowable weed materials. Standards of propagation and rules for maintenance of varieties are usually included which sod grass growers are required to follow. The classification for most turf grasses are on and ABC scale, where Class A sod is the most pure and used for special plantings such as golf courses and manicured residential lawns. Class C sod is of poorer quality and used for marginal grassing operations such as grassed parking areas and general parkland athletic fields. Grass is such a managed horticultural field that names like ‘Floratam,’ “Empire,’ ‘Raleigh,’ ‘Plametto,’ ‘Tifway’ and ‘Celebration’ are well known grass species

Even professionally trained and licensed designers are regulated. Each state will license landscape architects. Landscape architects are licensed to draw landscape, irrigation, tree preservation and maintenance plans. They must follow certain rules, guidelines policies of practice promulgated by the American Society of Landscape Architects. Known as the Code of Conduct, principles are set forth which dedicate the landscape architects service to the public health, safety and welfare of society and protection of land and it resources. The ASLA, the national association of landscape architects, set these standards and to maintain affiliation with the ASLA, landscape architects must adhere to the standards of the profession.

Landscape Contractors also follow certain professional methods of installing and maintaining ornamental plant material. The Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) certify landscape professionals and test them on various aspects of landscape contracting including health, safety, human resources, operations, horticulture, and business management.

As you can see horticulture is big business. In Louisiana, a relative small state, the horticulture industry is a 2.2 billion dollar a year business employing approximately fifty six thousand (56,000) employees.

The various industries that make up this business write standards and specification for performance and quality that are often cited in municipal landscape codes. Anyone writing a landscape or tree code must become familiar with these standards and ensure that their code meets the standard promulgated by the industry.

23. (Irrigation, Water Conservation and LBMP’s)

Good community design also means the protection of public water supplies, conservation of drinking water, the use of native plants in landscape design and the careful delivery of only necessary moisture to plant materials. It is important for the irrigation designer to have knowledge of science (horticulture, botany, hydraulic engineering, chemistry and soil science) is needed when drawing landscape and irrigation plans.

Wastage of water because of inadequate irrigation design talent is a real community problem. One must understand not only the mechanics and hydraulics of water flow, but how to properly specify and appropriately size a number parts of an irrigation system. Two of the parts, the backflow devise and the valve can be seen in the slide. A good irrigation plan takes into consideration pipe, valve, head, and nozzle flow characteristics as well as friction loss, pressure and head flow rates.

The irrigation system must be designed to meet the needs and requirements of varying plant materials, soil types and the local climate. It is important for the irrigation designer to have a thorough knowledge of horticulture, plant materials types and species and design a landscape plan that is not only creative in relation to color, texture and plant form but organized by water need. Planting plans must be designed where plant materials of different water needs are grouped together into “hydrozones.” Xeriscape (TM) principles as the use of native plants ,use drought tolerant plants, restrictive use of mowed grass and use of heavy ground mulching must be fully understood and incorporated into the design of a site irrigation system.

Special computer programs or devises that monitor weather, rainfall amounts and available root zone moisture should be installed on all irrigation systems to avoid water waste.

Finally if an irrigation system is poorly designed, contaminated water may enter the public drinking water supply thereby causing a greater damage to public health.

In recent years there has been an interest in the horticulture industries of developing and using LBMP’s (landscape best management practices) or environmentally safe specifications. LBMP’s are earth friendly landscape construction and maintenance methods and techniques which cut down on the use and misuse of landscaping products. Herbicides, inorganic compounds, pesticides, fertilizers, oil, and grease, gasoline combustion equipment, and other sources of contamination from the garden find their way into public water supplies, the ground water table or into fresh air. It is amazing how many yard wastes and other elements with long term toxic effects find their way into the environment via the back yard garden.

More and more communities are writing landscape codes with water conservation, irrigation and regionally appropriate LPBM’s to protect the health, safety and welfare of their communities. For this and other reasons, communities usually write in the code, the requirement, that all landscape plans, irrigation plans and specifications will be prepared by registered landscape architects, many of whom are members of the American Society of Landscape Architects and are very experienced irrigation designers. The landscape architects coordinate a wide range of contractors and trades, such as, professional arborists, licensed landscape contractors, licensed irrigation installers and experienced maintenance companies who install and construct the work that has been designed.

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Part Two What Is A Landscape Code?

The next few slides will discuss how development sites within cities are built according to a variety of ordinances and codes. The landscape code will be introduced as one of the tools that lead to better community design. The basic outline of a landscape code will be presented along with an introduction to the most common “design components” which are included within a well written landscape code. A landscape concept plan is presented in order to prepare the viewer to understand that landscape codes are written to provide for better site design. Better site design preserves trees, accommodates nature in the city and leads to better community design.

24. How To Build Better

Better design comes about when communities build in predictable ways.

25. (Codes And Regulations)

Communities build according to local zoning laws and building codes. Within these codes and laws are rules that create better community design. The laws regulate the clearing and conversion of land and the design, engineering and construction of buildings and other structural site features. To protect, preserve and promote nature in the city, landscape regulations are included within the zoning ordinances of many enlightened communities. More and more communities are drafting landscape codes and tree preservation laws to require landscaping as part of every construction projects and to keep part of the natural urban forest standing following conversion of land.

It is good to mention at this point that communities which have adopted landscape codes and tree laws have been able to do so largely through the work of a citizen volunteer, environmental activists or consultants. Many communities developed their green laws after a group of citizens formed to study an issue or a problem that may have developed in their community. In many instances, it happened following removal of some important community tree. Perhaps an historic tree, a valuable old relic having been around for hundreds of years. Everyone realized there was no one speaking up for that tree, so it was removed for development. It did not have a special interest group. The interest group then became a quasi tree board, a watch-dog for the urban forest canopy. These actions often lead the citizen group to lobby elected officials for the community to appoint a permanent volunteer Tree Board or Landscape Commission. This group then becomes a powerful lobbying force for nature in the city and they often will work very hard on behalf of trees and public landscapes. Eventually, they draft model tree and landscape legislation that eventually finds it way to the local planning commission. Once here, public hearing are held, votes are taken and the legislation moves on until it eventually passes final review by a major vote by a city council.

A good way to build better is for a community to have a Tree Board or Tree and Landscape Commission to suggest the need for a landscape code and to see that the right people are lobbied for its eventual passage into law.

26. (Building Codes)

Building Codes. Communities build according to local zoning laws, subdivision development regulations and building codes. Within these codes and laws are rules which create better community design. The laws regulate the clearing and conversion of land and the design, engineering and construction of buildings and other structural site features. To protect, preserve and promote nature in the city, landscape regulations are included within the zoning ordinances of many communities. More and more communities are drafting landscape codes and tree preservation laws to require landscaping as part of every construction projects and to keep part of the natural urban forest standing following conversion of land. Citizens will often form volunteer Tree Boards or Landscape Commissions to lobby elected officials and educate citizens on the benefits of having a local landscape code.

27. (The Standard Building Code)

The Standard Building Code. Communities build according to local zoning laws, subdivision development regulations and building codes. Within these codes and laws are rules which create better community design. The laws regulate the clearing and conversion of land and the design, engineering and construction of buildings and other structural site features. To protect, preserve and promote nature in the city, landscape regulations are included within the zoning ordinances of many communities. More and more communities are drafting landscape codes and tree preservation laws to require landscaping as part of every construction projects and to keep part of the natural urban forest standing following conversion of land. Citizens will often form volunteer Tree Boards or Landscape Commissions to lobby elected officials and educate citizens on the benefits of having a local landscape code.

28. (Landscape Code Vocabulary )

The next few slides will discuss how development sites within cities are built according to a variety of ordinances and codes. The landscape code will be introduced as one of the tools that lead to better community design. Better site design preserves trees, accommodates nature in the city and leads to better community design.

29. (Basic Terms To Know )

see notes on screen

30. (Other Terms To Know )

see notes on screen

31. ( New Terms On The Horizon )

see notes on screen

32. (The Landscape Code)

A well-written landscape code consists of three articles. They include the context, technical standards and administrative procedures. The context explains what the law is about, what it applies to and why is it needed. In some communities the landscape code applies to the entire community, in others it applies to specific land uses or special overlay districts. Technical standards deal with all manner of site design such as land clearing; tree protection and preservation; planting and irrigation design; and landscape installation and maintenance. Administrative procedures are the heart of the landscape law. This article set forth permitting procedures, inspection and enforcement by the city and other issues associated with the relationship of the designer, the contractor and the city.

33. (The Landscape Code-Articles)

A well written landscape code consists of three articles and several sections. A well drafted landscape code recognizes that there are several uses of that code and each use, the designer, the owner/developer and city administrator are looking into that code for different types of information to be used at various times during the development process. Using a model such as that presented here will insure a better, more comprehensive landscape code. For purposes of this brief discussion on landscape codes, most of the material presented here is in regards to Sec. 4 and Sec. 5. These two sections of the code are largely responsible for protecting and preserving trees and other natural site features, as well as seeing that plant material are reinstalled on development sites following construction.

34. (The Landscape Code) 1.

A community landscape code can be created to improve community design standards. Landscape codes consists of “design components,” “technical standards,” and “administrative procedures” which lead to better site design. Some of the most common design components are street yards, site open spaces, buffer yards and vehicular use areas. Other common elements of a typical landscape code include sight triangle restrictions, plant material standards, tree credits for preserving trees, landscape plan preparation qualifications and plan drawing requirements. Administrative procedures included in landscape codes deal with landscape plan approval, inspections, fees and enforcement.

35. ( The Landscape Code) 2.

Other communities have adopted other standards to meet their needs for better design. They include street wall plantings and the very similar building façade plantings as well as street tree plantings, and vehicular use area screening. Another popular design component is the street buffer, which is often a strip of land along the front property line in which all existing trees of a certain size are preserved.

36. (The Landscape Code) 3.

Some new and emerging issues of site design that are finding their way into landscape codes include an emphasis on tree protection and preservation as well as stronger regulation of irrigation design, on site storm water management technology and green parking lot design. Many communities across the nation are concerned with preserving their urban forest canopy. Recent research provides many reasons why it is important to maintain trees in urban areas. Other communities, particularly in the west are concerned about the use of potable water being used for the watering of lawn grass and garden. They are enacting landscape codes with irrigation water conservation principles in mind. Some forward thinking communities like Naples, Florida, Santa Monica, California, Southlake, Texas and Mandeville, Louisiana communities which have problems with storm water are looking into ‘green parking lot design principles” as a means of controlling rainwater at the point that it falls. In coming years, we expect to see more standards incorporated into community landscape laws which will lead to green or earth friendly parking lots.

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37. Part Three -The Geography of a Development Site) Title Slide

What do design components and technical standards really mean?

They are actually the central parts of a well written landscape code and effect the way development sites get planned, designed and constructed. Community planning departments and city planning staff set down the development rules in the Zoning Ordinance. Architects, engineers and landscape architects design the development following these, as well as other rules set down in the Standard Building Code or the local Landscape Code. Contractors will build the site following the drawings and specifications prepared by the designers.

Let’s examine at the parts of a development site to really understand how developments work. All land used for a development has an important function and each function must be accommodated on that land. We call this pattern of land use on a development site, the “Geography Of A Development Site.].” Each part of the site has its own use. Each part of the site has its own character. When landscape codes are written, they are written to set standards for each of these areas. Then it is easy to understand, that a well written landscape code must respect the pattern of land use found on a development site. The following set of slides will show you the process that is used to plan and design a development site.

38. The Geography of a Development Site) Title Slide

Let’s look at the parts of a development site. We call this pattern of land uses, the “Geography Of A Development Site.” Each part of the site has its own use. Each part of the site has its own character. Each part of the site is designed differently. When landscape codes are written, they are written to set standards for each of these areas.

39. (Existing Site)

The following diagrams will show you what community landscape codes really do to improve community design. In the series of slides to follow, you will see how each of the design components we just discussed actually affects a single piece of developed land. The case study presented is a proto-type site with a 2,440 square foot office building that is to be built on a corner lot fronting on a cross town connector street. For purposes of this exercise, we have chosen a small commercial office building site but much of the discussion which follows could very well apply to larger sites and more intense land uses such as mixed commercial, industrial, institutional or residential.

The lot for this case study is one half acre (22,667 square feet) in size which has been subdivided for a number of years but will now be developed. The first step in the development process is to assess the existing site to see if any of the existing trees warrant protection and preservation and if there are any other site elements that should be preserved. The second step is to clear the site, grade it for drainage and make it ready for construction.

40. (Landscape Design)

Compliance with the requirements of a local landscape ordinance begins with the design of a development site and the preparation of landscape plans.

The drawing shown above is a typical preliminary site plan that shows how the design process begins. The sketch drawing illustrates how ideas on paper convert raw land into urban development. Designers prepare the plans and city planning agencies review them for compliance with building and landscape codes. This is a standard part of any city’s review and approval process and is an integral part of the permitting process that leads to a well designed community. All cities review landscape and building plans before construction and occupancy.

41. (The Landscape Plan)

A final landscape plan is prepared from the concept sketch and it shows the design for the site in compliance with all codes and standards related to building construction, zoning and landscape.

The final landscape plan should show all design component areas, building foot prints, parking areas, driveways, open space and drainage detention features and existing trees and natural habitat to be preserved.. This plan will show the site open space ratio and permeable and impervious areas. The required amount of parking and building space, which that is required by the zoning code, should be carefully calculated and shown on this drawing.

42. (Construction Footprint)

The third step in the development process is to determine how much of the site is to be “impervious” and how much will be “plant-able.” To do this the “footprint” of construction is placed upon the site. Everything under the footprint is impervious and the rest of the site is permeable as well as plant-able. Some communities actually set open space standards to determine that an appropriate percentage of the site remain “permeable.” To determine the “open space percentage,” subtract the footprint (13,937 square feet) from the total site area (22,667 square feet) and divide the resultant square footage by the total size of the site. In this instance the answer is 38.5 percent of site open space. This is the plant-able and permeable area of the site. It will be within this plant-able area that all planting, irrigation, drainage features, fences, walls and walkways will be installed.

Once the site open space is defined and measured we can now introduce you to the concept of “The Geography of a Development Site.”

43. (Geography of a Development Site)

The concept of the “geography of the development site” provides a way to think about site planning. The geography of a development site is thought of in terms of written design standards which are, or may be, included within a municipal landscape code. This geography of buildings, vehicular use areas, services areas, buffers and open space gives general insight into the nature of society’s built environment. The diagram illustrates 21 design components of a development site and their normal location in relationship to our proto-type site. All of these design components have been derived from landscape codes researched throughout the United States and reported in the book U.S. Landscape Ordinances. John Wiley, NYNY 1998.

Before proceeding, please review the definitions which can be found at the end of this file for an even better understanding of what design components are and where they are located on development site.

Lets look at some common design components keeping in mind that no community in America has written each and every design component into their municipal landscape law. The more common ones are presented first:

44. (Landscape Best Management Practices. LBMP’s).

Many people believe that landscape codes only apply to site design and planting. Site planting is an important function and so is design. But they are not the only regulations and standards contained within landscape codes. There are other issues. Some of the other things landscape codes set standards for are called “landscape best management practices or LBPM’s for short. These good environmental practices refer to horticultural, forestry and environmental sciences. Other LBMPs relate to landscape contracting, irrigation design, arboriculture, and site drainage.

The State of Florida has created a “Florida Friendly Model Landscape” code that sets forth a variety of landscape best management practices. These practices deal with sustainability, sediment control, pollution prevention, water conservation, and agriculture chemical use all of which can reduce the impact to urban environments as a result on landscape practices. Many of the ideas in Florida Friendly model ordinance stem from the Florida Yards And Neighborhoods Program. This program was created to find answers to environmental pollution that is being created in the home garden or on the commercial landscape. This program was created by the University of Florida Extension Service to help people understand environmental problems that can be created by landscapes and gardens and their continual maintenance.

The landscape best management practices LBMP’s should be incorporated by written specifications on landscape plans and in commercial maintenance contracts. The Florida Friendly Landscape Ethic includes.

1. Right Plant, Right Place
2. Water Efficiently
3. Maximize Mulch
4. Recycle Yard and Garden Waste
5. Fertilize Appropriately
6. Manage Pests Responsibly
7. Storm Water Run off Capture
8. Attract and Provide for Wildlife
9. Protection of Water Fronts

Homestead, Florida, in the Miami area, is the first community in the state to incorporate Florida Friendly practices into their municipal landscape code. They recognize the importance of using the right plant in the right place, using drought tolerant plants, restrictions on turf grass and potable water consumption, reduction in agriculture chemical use, on site storm water capture use and recycling. They have the only landscape code in the country that recognizes that the use of cypress mulch degrades natural wetlands, therefore cypress mulch is outlawed in the city of Homestead.

Contact The University of Florida for additional information about Florida Friendly Landscaping. Contact the City of Homestead abut their environmentally responsible code.

45. (The Technical Plan)

The landscape design is then converted into a drafted hard line or computer generated drawing that illustrates compliance with the standards and technical requirements of the landscape ordinance. This drawing is known as the Technical Landscape Plan and its purpose is to demonstrate to municipal plan reviewers that all planting, irrigation and storm water requirements of the landscape code have been met. The plan shows number types and locations of trees, shrubs, ground covers and planting areas. In addition, parking planting ratios are indicated as are the procedures for the protection and preservation of existing trees.

Most communities require that the landscape architect that prepares the plan must also provide a plant material schedule, specifications and general installation and maintenance notes.

A tabulation chart that shows the irrigation plan and irrigation water use or sizing calculations often accompanies the technical landscape plan. In some communities, on site storm water management and erosion control plans and their calculations, dimensions and specifications must also be submitted as part of this plan. The tabulation charts makes it easy for city plan reviewers to ascertain that the plan is in compliance with the code without going through the time consuming exercise of measuring, calculating documenting how the plan matches the requirements of the code.

Many communities such as Collier County, Florida, Santa Barbara County, California, and St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana have developed special ‘landscape calculators’ to allow their staff to properly review all landscape plans. These calculators may be summarized on the landscape drawing that simplifies the work of the plan reviewer.

Let’s look at the details of the technical plan to better understand how the community landscape code leads to better city design.

46. (Design Standard-Street Trees)

Street tree planting requirements are not always a component of a community landscape code. However, some communities do require that the frontage owner provide, plant and maintain trees within the right-of-way. The street tree planting area is public land between the property line and the back of the curb. This is often the case for residential streets and cross-town arteries in which a master street tree plan has been prepared. The master street tree plans helps the community to plant each block along major streets with a certain palette or combination of trees. More and more communities are making agreements with frontage owners to plant and maintain medians in front of their property.

The street planting area is a shared area with public utilities both below and above the site. Species of trees planted here must be carefully selected for rate of growth, tree height, leaf shed, root structure, sight lines and distance to corners. Always consult with the city arborist or urban forester prior to digging or planting in the street tree planting area.

47. (Design Standard-Open Space)

One example will allow us to better understand how the open space planting design standard works. In this instance the open space design standard requires a certain number of trees based upon the square footage of the property. As the diagram represents, the standard illustrated here is three large trees (class A trees) and four small (Class B tree) trees required for the 22,000 square feet or one half acre of development site. The open space planting trees can be located anywhere on the project site. However, they do not replace any plants that may be required by other sections of the landscape code. In this example, two of the large trees are planted in the “street yard” and two of the small trees are planted in the side and rear buffer yard. The remainder are planted within the regular site interior open space.

48. (Design Standard-Street Yard)

Another example is the street yard design standard. The street yard depth is either a function of lot depth or some pre-determined width based upon land use. The street yard is usually planted with a combination of large trees, small trees, under-story shrubs and ground covers. The street yard may be a free floating amount of area between the front property line and the building or it may be attached directly to the front property line. An alternative of the street yard is the street buffer strip. This is a certain sized strip of land attached to the front property line in which all existing trees are preserved. Planting requirements for street yards are generally based upon some combination of linear foot measure, square foot measure, plant material density, plant material spacing standards, a ratio of species types and design considerations, such as size, form, color, seasonal interest of certain plant materials.

49. (Design Standard-Street Wall)

Another example is the “street wall planting” design standard. Some communities prevent paving directly to the wall of a commercial building. This is a very important design standard especially for “strip shopping centers” where many buildings are connected front public streets. A street wall design standard will specify that a planting strip be installed between the building and any parking lot fronting a public street. The standard specifies the width of the strip, the types and sizes of plants and the density of the plantings that go into this planting area. Plantings are based on the length of the street wall with provisions made for windows and doors. Some people think that street wall plantings can actually enhance the appearance of poorly designed or pre-manufactured commercial buildings. This is another way to enhance the quality of the community in commercial and industrial areas at minimal cost to property owners fronting on public streets.

50. (Design Standards-Buffers)

Another example is the buffer yard design standard. Buffer yards are specified within landscape codes to allow a better mix of land uses within commercial, industrial and residential sections of the city. Buffer yards also make traditional neighborhood developments and new urbanism communities fit in better with existing developments. These buffer yards occur between conflicting land uses and they are most often found on the sides and rear of development sites and lots.

Many codes require a prescribed number of trees and shrubs for each 100 linear feet of property perimeter. Some communities determine design standards for buffer yards based upon density of plant materials, composition of plants, size, form, and seasonal interest. Native or non-native plants are often a factor as well as adjoining land use zoning. There are usually provisions for variations in depth of the yard buffer depending on land use, density of planting and often fences and walls can be used to reduce the buffer yard width. Some communities base their buffer yard design standard in part upon the ability of the buffer yard planting area to be used for on site storm water detention and capture.

51. (Design Standards-VUA )

All building sites are designed, by either landscape architects, architects or engineers using standardized building or development codes. This insures that parking lots, access ways, loading areas, ADA access are designed to uniform widths and standards across the country. Without such standards specified in landscape codes or building codes the design of parking lots (vehicular use areas) would vary widely from place to place and from site to site. For instance, this excerpt from the San Diego Landscape Code informs designers as to what landscape construction plans must be submitted for public plan review. This will insure consistency in how each proposed project is reviewed by the public prior to issuance of a permit.

“Permit application for projects subject to the requirements of the City-wide Landscape Ordinance (Municipal Code Sec. 101.0.0700-101.0708) shall be submitted to the Building Inspection Department and shall include separate plot, grading, planting and irrigation plans.” “ Details for all planting, irrigation, and applicable landscape construction items.” “Written specifications for all facets of the landscape project including a post installation maintenance program for the establishment period preceding final City approval.”

52. (Design Standards-VUA Interiors)

Another example of design components commonly found in landscape codes is the vehicular use area interior design standard. This standard ensures that parking lots include areas that can be planted. Communities that appreciate good urban design want more than acres of concrete and asphalt within their inner city, along their commercial street corridors and at their suburban shopping malls. Communities want parking lots that are planted with trees, shrubs and ground covers. Good design means that large parking areas should be broken up into smaller less expansive area. Plantings that are internal to parking areas is a good way to do this.

Most communities write standards for internal planting areas based upon a percentage of the paved area, often 5% to 20% of the size of the lot. Other communities write standards based upon the number of parking spaces, others based upon the distribution of shade. Still some communities use all of these methods to determine how best to design parking lots.

53. (Design Standard-UVA Screens)

“VUA screens” are used to partially block views into parking lots from public streets or adjacent higher land use zones such as residential. A typical parking screen is a strip of planting of a certain width the length of the lot. The strip is often planted with shrubs and small trees of specified sizes and types. The purpose of the plantings is to cut down the view of parked cars while still allowing people in parking lots to be seen by patrolling security cars and from within buildings.

54. (Geography of a Development Site, New Directions)

There are some new site design issues that are capturing the attention of cities and new language is being drafted to incorporate these new issues into community landscape codes.

55. (New Code Directions)

Several emerging issues are being explored for inclusion into local landscape and tree ordinances. These issues are regionally significant depending upon the location and native environment of a community. Let us look at some of the guiding principles of these emerging issues in green law development

LAND CLEARING

1. Pre-clearing Inventory

2. Minimum percentage of site preserved

3. Maintain street buffer and or side and rear buffers in natural state

HABITAT PRESERVATION

1. Identification of habitat qualities

2. Habitat type-wetlands, stream banks, old forests, rock outcrops, wildlife zones

3. Protection during site construction

GREEN PARKING LOT DESIGN

1. Minimum percentage of existing site preserved

2. Maximum percentage of paving

3. Porous paving

4. Street buffers and vehicle screening

5. Increase in amount of parking area shaded

6. Car Sorting

7. Interconnected green spaces

8. Minimization of water use and horticultural chemical use

9. Chemical and sediment traps

10. Reduction in solar heat absorption

XERISCAPE AND WATER CONSERVATION

1.. Use of hydro-zones with similar water use requirements

2. Use of weather sensitive systems

2. Use of native drought tolerant plant materials, well designed plantings

3. Limit use of turf grass

4. Efficient use of irrigation, well designed systems

5. Soil improvements

6. Heavy applications of mulches, several kinds

7. Capture storm water and irrigation spray on site

ON-SITE STORM WATER MANAGEMENT- Low Impact Development

1. Dry detentions

2. Grassed detentions, micro-detentions, grassed swales

3. Infiltration basins, trenches, French drains

4. Porous pavements

5. Storm water wetlands and rain gardens

6. Grass filters, underground in-line storage

7. Landscape buffers

8. Green parking lot design

9. Broken curbing

10. Decrease coefficient of run off by increasing porosity of ground cover

11. Increase time to concentration for water run off

12. Increase percentage of open space, particularly in large developments

TREE BANKING

1. Exchanging trees for credits

2. Exchanging credits for trees

3. Mitigation for tree removal

4. Payment in lieu of replanting, cash payment to community tree fund

5. Community landscape foundation

6. Alternative plantings site

56. (Design Standard-Xeriscape ™ )

Many communities in the west, southwest and other places in the country do not have sufficient rainfall or public water supply to allow thoughtless or wasteful irrigation practices. Many communities write irrigation design standards into their landscape codes to regulate the use of, or waste of potable water. The irrigation design theory, known as “Xeriscape” ™ encourages sites to be zoned into water use areas in which watering schedules and plant needs are carefully calculated.

Design standards for hydro-zones are based upon water budgets, plant needs, microclimate, irrigation rates, water flow, head patterns, and mulching. In the diagram Zone A is for high water demand plantings like lawn grass. Rotor, impact sprinklers and spray heads are usually used in this zone. Zone B is shown in the medium blue color. In this area are drought tolerant grasses and trees and shrubs. This area should be served by a low volume irrigation product, such as Rainbird’s Xerigation ™ system. Spray heads, micro-spray pop-ups, bubblers or emitters are generally used in this zone. Zone C consists of drought tolerant native trees and shrubs. The ground plane is covered with native grasses and forbs and all bedded trees and shrubs are heavily mulched. Zone C is essentially not irrigated but is served by quick coupler valves.

52. (Design Standard- HPZ)

A habitat preservation zone is any part of a development site that is left in its present state. Habitat preservation zones are set aside to save trees, tree groves and significant vegetation, as well as unique site features like wetlands, water features, stream edges, wildlife habitat and stone outcropping. It is important when preserving a natural area not to fill, cut or re-grade the habitat preservation zone (HPZ_.. It is important to not change the existing drainage pattern, ground water level, ambient air temperatures or wildlife cover characteristics. Tree Protection Areas (TPA) are defined areas around existing trees to be preserved. Tree protection areas will occur within Habitat Preservation Zones.

Notes on Land Clearing

Some contractors, who build and many architects and engineers who design believe that all construction begins by clearing, grubbing and filling. Landowners who wish to sell their land clear it in the belief that it will sell faster to those looking for land to buy. Other people believe that it is their land and they can do as they wish. However, this is a nineteenth century attitude that is quickly changing as this country fills up with urban and suburban developments. Many people believe that society in general do have a stake in the question of clearing land. After all, we all breath the air that the trees, shrubs, ground covers and soil structure creates on each piece of land. And everyone knows that trees absorb carbon dioxide which is harmful to people.

Today we know that clear cutting or stripping land is not the most site sensitive way to develop land. Total site clearing destroys habitat, forces wildlife relocation, removes important urban forest canopy, increases ambient temperatures and adds sedimentation to public water bodies and will cause downstream flooding. All of these activities exact a cost on the general public and owners of adjacent land. More and more communities are expecting the developer to pay these costs through impact fees.

More and more communities are preventing the clearing of land when the owner does not know exactly the intended use. Communities are tying land-clearing activities to building permits and will not allow clearing without having a building permit and or a conditional use permit that allows development.

There are three common ways to clear land. 1. total site clearing, 2. envelope clearing and 3. selective clearing.

The first two types of land clearing make a lot of sense and are finding their way into landscape codes. They include 1. envelope clearing and 2. selective clearing. Both have advantages.

Envelope clearing preserves natural habitat at the perimeters of the site. The center is generally cleared to make way for new uses. The perimeter of sites cleared using this method are generally more rustic, while sites that are selectively cleared appear more contrived in design, especially at the perimeter. Selective clearing allows for important trees within the center of the site to be preserved. This type of clearing will allow a better composition of buildings and landscape features.

It is not a good practice to completely clear a site prior to knowing its intended use. In fact, there are environmental consequences based upon habitat disturbance, erosion, flooding and drainage which can cost the land owner large amount of money if the site is improperly cleared. It is always better to study the site first and develop the site plan of intended use before doing any development. If a developer knows how the site is to be used, it is a simple matter of determining how to make the site ready to build upon. All sites are different based upon location, size, slope, drainage, soils and existing vegetation so each site should be handled differently. Each site should be readied with a well thought out plan that carefully preserves the best parts of the site as amenities.

The usual method of clearing, grubbing, flattening, grading and filling is an expensive way to prepare the site for development. If a certain percentage of the site remains un-cleared it reduces site preparation costs accordingly and will also reduce costs for expensive drainage structures that will be needed to soak up rain water.

Total clearing is becoming and un-acceptable practice in many progressive cities. Communities like Mandeville, Louisiana, Southlake. Texas, and Naples, Florida put sensible restrictions on land clearing. These are three cities that value their trees and have enacted land-clearing regulations. Envelope clearing makes sense as this type of clearing operation maintains existing trees and natural habitat on one or more edges of the site. Variations of this clearing method are possible. They are called single sided envelope, double sided envelope, triple sided envelope and the four sided envelope.

New construction is simply built inside the envelope.

Envelope Clearing

In Mandeville and St. Tammany Parish, both located in Louisiana, site clearing is strictly regulated in order to preserve trees in what is locally called the “greenbelt.” The greenbelt consists of a defined perimeter of the site where limited clearing is allowed. The edges of the clearing envelope are to be retained to perform as side, rear and street side buffer strips.

The following text excerpted from the Mandeville code sets forth the essence of their land clearing regulations.

9.2.5.5 Clearing Permit Required

1..General – Unless otherwise provided in this Section, no person shall effectively destroy or remove vegetation from any property within the City of Mandeville without first obtaining a clearing or tree and shrub removal permit from the Building Inspector.

2..Objectives of Clearing Permit- the objectives of the requirement for the issuance of a clearing permit for the monitoring of land clearings are:

a. Limit the removal of valuable existing vegetation in advance of the planning and approval of land development plans

b.. To limit the destruction of natural storm water retention basins and water recharge zones by promoting the preservation of existing plant communities and natural areas on site.

3. Requirements of Issuance of Clearing Permit – Prior to the cutting, clearing or removal of any tree greater than two (2) inches dbh on any lot(s) or parcels of land on which there is no existing building, or which has an existing building and additional undeveloped portions of the lot not required to be preserved as landscaped area, a clearing permit for such activity shall be obtained from the building inspector. No clearing permit shall be issued except in conjunction with a duly approved development plan for the site proposed for clearing and the issuance of a landscape permit and development permit or the authorization to proceed with the construction of public improvements in conjunction with the development of a subdivision. Prior to the issuance of a clearing permit the barriers for the protection of vegetation required to be preserved shall be erected and the landscape inspector shall inspect the site to determine compliance with the provisions of this Article.”

Selective Clearing

Selective clearing is the third and perhaps best method of clearing. In order to use this method, the developer must have a site plan, a grading and drainage plan, as well as a tree inventory. With selective clearing, important trees and other unique site resources within proposed site open spaces can be preserved given certain precautions are taken in advance. During construction it is important not to change natural drainage, or re-grade the site around trees to be preserved and do not damage the roots around the base of any tree to be preserved. Non-native trees, damaged, insect invested trees and poorly formed trees should be removed.

Top soil should be stripped in those area which are cleared and reintroduced within grassed areas of the site following construction.

With all clearing methods, it is important to remember that if nature is preserved on building sites, natural systems will perform a variety of functions from energy conservation to storm water management, all while adding a touch of beauty and tranquility to all building sites.

Selective clearing is a much better way of preparing land for development.

Selective clearing will only succeed when people know how they will use a site and have prepared a site plan showing all proposed uses. With a site plan and an inventory of the important features on the site, old trees, wetlands, rock out crops, and productive wildlife habitats can be preserved. Areas surrounding parking lots can be maintained in tree canopy for shading effects while areas within parking lots can be preserved to cut down on the heat and allow water from the parking area to filter back into the ground. Buffers between incompatible land uses can be preserved to screen out unsightly views or in appropriate land uses. Street edges can have large attractive trees preserved to improve a property’s appearance from the public street. Natural hedges of plants can be preserved near parking lots to screen the view of cars from surrounding properties.

Not only is this a more environmentally friendly way to clear, it is often possible to make the land even more valuable by retaining nature’s best features as amenities that will make the site more beautiful, cleaner, cooler and healthy. In addition, many communities put incentives into their development codes to encourage selective clearing and the maintenance of native habitat.

Finally, studies are now proving that commercial developments with even adequately landscaped properties are more attractive to customers, provide a stronger sense of identify and return higher rental incomes than properties which are paved from edge to edge.

58. (Green Parking)

Green parking lot design principles consist of a series of techniques that make urban parking lots more earth friendly and capable of doing environmental work.

Green parking lot design is healthy, low in environmental impacts, and low in energy consumptive practices. They are more sustainable and rely upon the use of natural systems for cleaning heavy metals, oils, and sediments from run off waters. Green parking lot design theory includes ideas about on site storm water management, shade generation, atmospheric cooling, vehicle screening as well as ideas about permeable paving, micro-detention, low impact development, pollution intercept, car sorting, pedestrian management, habitat protection, irrigation management and tree preservation within parking areas

Green parking lots are recognized by a higher ratio of screening and greening to pavement. Pavements are porous and allow the movement of water, air, and tree roots.

Green parking lots have ample exterior buffers and a higher percentage of interior open space. Shade coverage changes throughout the day but averages should stay above 60% of the area of the parking lot. Ambient temperature are reduced, perhaps as much as 10degrees F and the parking lot does its part in reduce the ‘heat island effect’ of cities.

Behavior modification on the part of drivers is an important consideration of green parking. Those people that car pool and or drive small or alternative energy cars get parking preferences. Compact cars and car pooling cars park closer to building entries and SUV’s must park in remote areas, preferably in convex shaped grassed overflow parking fields. Arrival and departures are staggered to allow quicker departure, less stacking at exit points and fewer annual minutes of engine burn within the parking lot.

Green parking lots rely more upon natural materials and less upon traditional concrete and asphalt. Grassed parking is seen as equal to concrete and asphalt for overflow, event, and holiday parking. Unused or over designed parking space wastes energy resources and is a poor use of urban land.

59. (Design Standard-Storm Water)

An emerging area of landscape code technology is that of on-site storm water management. Traditionally, engineers design development sites to drain through a system of catch basins, underground pipes, and outfalls. Occasionally when a site is large enough, retention ponds are designed as part of this system. More often than not, in many communities in this country sites, just drain into the street and from there into the closest ditch and public water body. This method promotes downstream flooding, causes sedimentation and can carry toxic chemicals to public water supply.

On-site storm water management is a much more earth friendly approach. It consists of a series of techniques and strategies that retard the time of concentration, (that is the time it takes for the water from the farthest area of the site to reach the drainage outfall structure) decrease the coefficient of run off, (this is based on the type and absorption capabilities of the roofs, pavements and ground covers) and reduce the volume of water leaving the site.

In the 1990’s the Prince Georges County, Maryland Department of Environmental Resources set forth a strategy of suburban storm water management which is referred to as Low Impact Development Storm Water Collections. Principles of this method uses certain technology based practices to ensure that a site’s post development hydrologic functions mimic those of nature, or those of the site in it pre-development condition.

Low Impact Development (LID) strategies include micro-detention basins, infiltration basins, porous pavements, sand filters, French drains, grassed filter strips, in-line storage and rain gardens can all be elements of on-site storm water management. Low Impact Development Strategies should be woven into the text of landscape codes to allow storm capture on site.

Low Impact Development storm water management systems can reduce development costs through the reduction in the use of traditional storm water collection and conveyance systems such as paving, curbs, gutters, inlets, catch basins, manholes, and underground pipe. Treating storm water where it falls rather than letting it go downstream where it has to be treated at tax payer expense is much more efficient, cost effective and environmentally sensitive way of treating rain fall. Many of the LID storm water capture facilities can be incorporated into the landscape design components of a site such as the buffers, street yards, open space, parking lot interiors, and parking screens where they can also be planted with required plant materials.

Developers are aware that LID practices can be used to balance environmental damage, allow quicker approvals from regulatory agencies, and reduce project development costs. LID takes advantage of natural resources for both their functional and aesthetic qualities. For instance, storm water detention facilities can be used to slow storm water run-off while at the same time providing an excellent location to plant native grasses or wetland fringe plants that attract wildlife. On site storm water wet ponds, retention ponds, not only treat water by collecting sediments and pollutants and reducing down stream flooding but at the same time providing water bodies for recreational or aesthetic uses.

Santa Monica, California is one of several communities in the country that have developed landscape codes that require on site storm water capture.

They are one of several leaders in the area of on site storm water management. Their landscape codes place a lot of emphasis on storm water capture, water conservation, and responsible irrigation design. The city promotes the use of low water use plants, sustainability and non-point pollution prevention. Santa Monica is in Los Angeles, county that is heavily built up so when someone has to comply with the ordinance it is when something is torn down to be rebuilt.

Rainfall in Los Angeles averages four (4) inches a year yet the Santa Monica Code requires that the first ¾” of any rainstorm be captures on site. New development sites must maximize use of on site percolation of run off by increasing permeable areas, providing the capacity to store peak runoff and release storm water at slow rate to minimize peak discharge into storm drains. In Santa Monica water is retained on site by using such devises as drywells, French drains, bio-filter sidewalks, parking lot bio-filters, grassed swales, porous paving, and downspout traps. The nice thing about keeping even this small amount of rainwater on site is it can be used to irrigate plant material thereby reducing even further the demands on irrigation systems.

Irrigation design in California is so far more advanced over what is done in many other communities. They promote water conservation by requiring hydro-zoning, maximizing solar orientation for shade and encouraging the use of drip irrigation. They prefer the use of weather sensitive irrigation systems and encourage people to reduce or eliminate turf grass.

For more information about on site storm water capture in Santa Monica, contact the Urban Runoff Management Program.

For more information about LID you might consult a recently published design manual called the Practice of Low Impact Development prepared by the U.S. Department of Housing And Urban Development (HUD). You can down load this document at

http://www.huduser.org/Publications/PDF/practLowImpctDevel.pdf

URBAN STORM WATER TYPICAL POLLUTANTS

Suspended solids/sediments

Nutrients (nitrogen & phosphorus)

Metals (copper, zinc, lead and cadmium)

Oil and grease

Bacteria

Pesticides & Herbicides

Elevated Temperatures

HYDROLOGICAL EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION

Disruption of natural water balance

Increase peak floods

Increased Storm Water Run-off

More Frequent Flooding

Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

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60. Part Four, Visual Effects of Landscape Codes Title Slide

Landscape codes leave distinctive patterns of trees, shrubs, and ground covers on the land. To see the effects of law on landscape design one must look for visual clues. In cities and counties like Ann Arbor Michigan, Cary, North Carolina, or Collier County Florida where landscape regulations are on the books, visual clues are every where and they are easy for the trained observer to see.

When you see composed tree plantings along streets, you are in a community that requires street yard plantings on private land or street tree plantings on public land. Visual clues like clipped hedges, evenly spaced tree plantings and shrub buffers are evidence that a landscape ordinance is at work. Other visual clues include layered shrub buffers for screening trash collection areas, loading docks and equipment collection spaces. Preserved habitats and other sensitive landscape features stand out as a visual clue in some communities When one sees preserved trees in the community, particularly groves of important native trees, you are seeing the pattern of the land based upon community landscape law. One of the most obvious clues that a community has a landscape ordinance in effect is when travelers and visitors spot groves of preserved and protected trees that are either used as specimen groves or heavily wooded boundary lines. You can readily see this clue in communities like St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, The Woodlands, Texas and Research Triangle, North Carolina. It is striking in its effect; it is livable in its reality. Tree preservation is one of the fastest growing issues of land use law in this country.

Perhaps the most obvious visual clue that a community has enacted a landscape code is the well designed, screened, and shaded parking lot. Well designed parking lots with vegetative screens and ample interior plantings allow maximum shade coverage is surely a sign of a community with a landscape law on the books.

61. (Visual Clues)

The next three slides will show you a typical development site in a community with a good landscape code. What you see is all a result of a written landscape code and the creative work of the owner, the designers and the builders of this property in Cary County, North Carolina.

62. (View Left)

text on screen

63. (View Center)

text on screen

64. (View Right)

text on screen

Let us look at examples from other cities. We will see examples of the results that will come by adopting the proposed changes to your community landscape code.

65. (Green Building Sites)

This office site in Naples is landscaped according to their local landscape code. If you look carefully, you will see a landscaped street yard, vehicular use area screens, vehicular use area plantings, open space plantings, street wall plantings and side buffers.

66. (Street Tree Planting Area)

An attractive planting of Wm Toovey crape myrtles are used as a street buffer to separate parking from the street. The street tree planting area is always within the street right of way. It is the usually the responsibility of the city to plant street trees, although in some communities, the city requires that the building lot developer plant the trees along the edge of the street.

67. (Street Buffer)

A street buffer is a defined strip of landscaping along the inside of the front property line. Some communities have defined street yards that extend from the building to the front property line. Other communities have a defined it as an area that usually is coincident with the front property line.

A street buffer strip is enhanced with attractive roadway lighting.

In some communities, native tree stands along streets can not be removed. These are called native tree buffers or green belts and may only be penetrated for access. They are often ten to twenty feet wide. Communities that require preservation of existing trees along the front property line of all developments are not only greener, they have safer streets to drive down because the green belts simplify the view from the road by removing clutter and complexity.

Some street buffers are designed with walls and other site features. Low walls, bollards, earth berms, walkways, lighting fixtures, fountains and mixed plantings of trees, shrubs and ground covers do a lot to improve community design along major cross town streets.

68. (Street Yard)

This well landscaped street yard is used for drive up access to this restaurant. When not in use, the stacking area of this drive through, becomes part of the garden when viewed from the public road. Parking lots are not welcome in the street yard in this part of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

69. (Parking Lot Interiors)

Parking lots can be designed around significant site features such as this grove of short leaf pine in North Carolina. Not only do the trees present a striking setting for one’s arrival at work, it provides shade throughout the day to cool the cars within the parking lot.

70. (Parking Screen)

The view from the street is paramount to the design and character of a community. Many communities across the nation require that parking lots be partially screened from the public view by a low hedge of shrubs and ground covers. Some communities go even farther with their design standards and do not allow parking lots in front of buildings in commercial zoning districts.

71. (Street Wall Planting)1.

Street wall plantings provide an attractive setting for pedestrians and for buildings. In addition, they can clearly articulate the parking lot from the building and the activities that take place within. The importance of the “street wall planting” or the closely related “wall façade planting” is to separate the paved parking and roadways from the building. Paving right to the building wall is an example of poor community design.

The street wall planting area always occurs on the side of a building facing a public street.

When the parking lot is interior to the site, a wall façade planting area is defined as a space between the building wall and the parking lot. The purpose of this wall is to improve the pedestrian experience between the parking lot and the rear building entry.

72. Buffer Yard)

Buffer yards are proving to be one of the best aspects of a community landscape code. Not only do they provide beauty and separation of conflicting land uses, they provide ‘threads of green that sustain urban wildlife’ and provide other environment values to the community. Dense screens of vegetation allow heavy commercial land uses such as this Wal-Mart to fit in with smaller commercial and multi-family land uses near by.

Rear buffer yards are more common in landscape codes in that more land use conflicts occur at the rear of zoned properties than at the sides. In this particular instance, the land use conflict is one of intensity and type of use. This rear buffer on the right side of the image is a commercial shopping center with very intense use late into the day. The multifamily residential area to the left is less intensive. Between the two properties, they utilize plantings, walls, fencing, and topography to separate the two conflicting land uses. When using buffers such as these, care should be taken to provide pedestrian access between the land uses.

Landscape codes should include rear buffer zones to make adjacent properties more compatible. Buffer yard design standards usually require size and opacity based upon land use conflict. The width of the buffer yard and the types and sizes of plant materials used as the screen is often suggested in the landscape code with varying options of materials, width and quantity of plant materials.

Good buffer yards between neighbors, leads to better community design.

73. (Habitat Preservation Areas)

Habitat preservation areas (HPA’s) provide many values to a development site and to the community. Saving a small area of the site in its natural habitat is a good way to ensure that nature is maintained in our communities. The HPA can be used to temporarily store storm water, provide wildlife habitat, cool the surrounding area and provide visual relief. Parts of the HPA may be used for overflow parking for special events, although rootzone compaction issues should carefully be considered.

74. (Green Parking Lots)

The future of parking lot design is changing in America and will soon be incorporated into community landscape codes.

In the future parking lots are going to do more than provide space to store cars. They will in effect become machines that can help nature in the city. Green parking lot design carries some of the same connotation as "Green Building Design" which is currently a hot topic with architects, interior designers and developers in America. They speak of green building design as healthy, having minimal environmental impact, and as resulting in low energy consumptive practices in architecture. Green parking lot design contains some of the same ideas about on-site storm water management practices, shade generation, cooling, vehicle screening, as well as ideas about permeable paving, micro-detention, low impact development, pollution intercept, car sorting, pedestrian management, habitat protection, irrigation management, and tree preservation within parking areas.

This little 47 stall parking lot in Mandeville, Louisiana exhibits some of the basic characteristics of a green parking lot. That is, existing trees have been retained, new plantings have been added, and much of the site is used for on site storm water management. Energy consumptive and hear absorbing pavement is limited to one third of the site. Sixty seven (67) percent of the site is permeable and thirty four (34) percent of the site is planted with native trees and shrubs according to landscape architect Randy Altman, AIA, ASLA. Other parking lots are being built like this in Mandeville, on Louisiana’s gulf coast. Others are being built in North Carolina, Texas, Florida and California.

Parking lot design has not been re-thought since the 1950's but when today's, or tomorrow's thinkers, re-invent the modern parking lot, it will not look anything like we know them today. Parking lots of the future will provide more environmental services than they do today. Storing automobiles is not enough service to mankind. Future citizens will expect more of their parking lots.

75. (On Site Storm Water Management)

More and more communities are requiring that storm water be maintained on site. Providing on site micro-detention areas will help absorb most of the rain that falls on this site during your normal rainfall event. If storm water is detained on site, it prevents downstream flooding, stops erosion, reduces sedimentation and allows for ground water recharge. By reducing the amount of storm water that enters public drains, ditches and canals the cost to the community of treating contaminated storm water is greatly reduced.

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76. Part Five, Landscape Codes, Protect, Preserve and Promote Nature In The City

By the end of this show, you completely realize that this program is about nature in the city. It is about how society can go about protecting, preserving and promoting nature in the city by writing green laws that we define in this program as any municipal law that deals with any aspect of nature in urban areas.

Common green laws include “tree management laws” that are enacted to protect native species and, preserve the urban forest canopy. They may also be used to organize urban forestry programs or set up tree and landscape commissions who oversee and maintain trees on public land. Tree management laws can also apply to trees on private property as well. Standards and requirements are being enacted to protect urban trees, require permits before any removal can occur, and address issues of insect infestation, storm damage, and general tree health.

Green laws are also concerned with post construction landscaping. This is the fastest growing type of green law. Communities are writing landscape codes that set standards for what to plant and where to plant it on sites that have been modified by construction. These codes set aside areas of every development site that must be preserved in a natural state. They require such things like planting parking lots, screening vehicular use areas, planting in front of buildings that face public streets, and providing landscape buffer between differing land uses. Buffers are used often between commercial and residential land uses. Other requirements of this type of green law, in certain communities, require planting along streets, within street yards, and within site open space plantings. Green laws generally tend to prevent builders from paving from lot line to lot line and require that they rebuild some of the nature that they remove to build the things we need for communal living.

New versions of this type of law are being written that are concerned with on site storm water management, erosion and sediment control, water conservation, Xeriscape ™ landscaping, “earth friendly landscaping,” and ‘green parking lot design.” These are important urban environmental issues that effect our quality of life, and cities are finally starting to address them in meaningful ways though the adoption of community green laws.

But, perhaps the most important green laws we find are those that we call “land alteration codes” or “land development codes.” These are very strict environmental laws that control land clearing, tree removal, and require that sensitive habitat like rare geological features, botanical colonies, wildlife habitat, wetlands, stream edges, and sensitive grass lands be maintained on construction sites.

You have learned much about landscape codes with the use of this CD program, the speaker notes, and self-study guide documents. Let us review some of the things were covered in this program.

You now know that landscape architects, landscape administrators, urban foresters, arborists, horticulturalists, landscape contractors, citizens, and elected officials must all work together to protect, preserve, and promote the green infrastructure of a city. You have learned what a landscape code is, what it contains and what visual effects will result from adopting a local landscape or tree law. You probably know that these landscape codes are always part of a communities zoning ordinance, and that they are is generally enforced by a planning commission, tree or landscape commission or city landscape architect or arborist.

In addition you know several important terms. You have been introduced to important code language definitions. They include “good community design,” “design components,” “technical standards” and the terms “landscape code” “tree banking” “on site storm water management and Xeriscape” (tm).

You have also learned about “envelope clearing,” “selective clearing,” “tree protection,” “habitat preservation,” and a little bit about such interesting technical terms as “porous pavement,“ “hatracking,” “street edges,” “landscape best management practices,” “landscape plans,” and “habitat preservation zones. You have also learned a little about “landscape best management practices” (LBMP) and “low impact development” (LID). And of course, you are thoroughly familiar with the term “the geography of a development site.” A theory of site planning based upon landscape law. A new way to think about landscape design.

But did you know that, green laws help us to provide clean air, shade and cool our cities, clean our water, add scenic beauty, prevent erosion and flooding and allow active and healthy urban wildlife, including all kinds of critters furred, feathered, and scaly, to live among us in complete harmony. Yes, you have learned that green laws are about keeping nature in the city. It is not just about adding trees, shrubs, flowers, forbs, vines and herbaceous plant material as many people might think. Green laws work to preserve, protect and rebuild nature in our cities, towns, and villages.

For better community design, we must keep nature in the city, keep it as part of our urban environment, and keep it as part of our home.

Landscape codes and tree laws are the proper way to go about doing that.

77. (Nature In The City) Title Slide

Nature in the city must be preserved, not as a postage stamp piece of natural vegetation, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and solitude but as an area that is actively working to promote the health and welfare of the community. Nature can clean the water, clear the air, and reduce heat and carbon dioxide. Green space in the city prevents erosion, flooding, and heat build up, and provides places where people can make contact with nature and achieve a sense of peace and tranquility that only nature can provide.

The book U.S. Landscape Ordinances, written by Buck Abbey, ASLA, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture received a national award from the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1999. Abbey’s study is the most current and most complete study of landscape codes and standards currently in print. The book surveys codes from across the country, sets forth some of the known history of landscape codes and presents an outline to model code that could be adapted by communities everywhere. Abbey’s 1998 study of over three hundred and fifty landscape laws in two hundred and ninety nine communities has defined the most common landscape design components and technical standards in use across America.

The book describes in detail the known vocabulary of this particular type of research

Many of the ideas and concepts of this presentation are documented in more detail in Abbey’s book that was published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The book which may be ordered direct from John Wiley Publishers at www.wiley.com

or from The American Planning Association Book Service, www.bookservice@planning.org.

or from Amazon.Com at www.amazon.com.

You local book seller can also help you acquire a copy of the book.

Please note that many of the plant material photographs in this program were sponsored by Live Oak Gardens, Ltd,. They are wholesale plant growers, in New Iberia, Louisiana. Live Oak Gardens, Ltd has long supported research at LSU. They are growers of quality container grown, balled and burlap, and wire ball stock. They serve the landscape industry and ship their stock over a large region in the southeast.

79. (Green Laws And Community Design, The CD)

The CD, Green Laws and Community Design, was written and produced by Buck Abbey, ASLA, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University for the State of Louisiana, Urban Forestry Program within the Louisiana Department of Agriculture And Forestry. The CD was prepared as a ‘speaker’s program’ and a ‘self study guide.’

The ‘speaker’s program’ was prepared to assist individuals, groups, non-profit landscape organizations and others who wish to inform citizens, elected officials and other about the importance of landscape codes and how they assist nature in towns and cities. The slide show has been designed to be informative, fast paced and explicit. Photographs, drawings and landscape plans have been included for interest.

The ‘self study guide’ is a detailed written guide to this program that can be used by landscape architects, architects, engineers, horticulturists, urban foresters, arborists and landscape contractors who wish to understand and study the concepts, standards and requirements usually found in community landscape codes. Attorneys who practice real estate law or provide municipal law services may also find this study guide useful. Planning Commission staff, those who deal with zoning law, land development and permit approval may also benefit from some of the technical information found in the the study guide.

This is a companion document to Abbey’s 1998 award winning book U.S. Landscape Ordinances, published by John Wiley, NYNY.

The book can be ordered from John Wiley Publishers at www.wiley.com or www. amazon,com. Together the book and the CD paint the picture of landscape codes and how they can be used to preserve, protect and re-build nature in America’s towns and cities.

The CD is available free (while supplies last) from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry, P. O. Box 1628, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70821-1628 225.925.4500, Attn: Bonnie Stein.

The CD has been designed so that it can be modified for local use. Louisiana State University only request that you credit Prof. D. G. Abbey, School of Landscape Architecture, Louisiana for the use of all photography and drawings. Please let us know if the program proves useful to you in establishing a community landscape code.

80. LSU Green Laws Web Site www.greenlaws.lsu.edu

81. Q & A Session

Please use this time to formulate any questions which you may have about this program. You may e-mail them to Prof. Abbey at this time during the live session and or e-mail them to lsugreenlaws @aol.com if you are using the archived version of this distance learning seminar. In both instances the professor will respond to your question. If you use the archived version of this program please include in the RE section of your e-mailer the words ‘Green Laws’ so that all identified incoming mail will be recognized as being an element of this class.

Thank you very much for taking this course.

Merci beaucoup cher, as we say down in Louisiana.

Prof. Buck Abbey,ASLA School of Landscape Architecture

‘la maison sur la cote’ LSU

Mandeville, Louisiana Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803

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82. (Exit Exam)

REVIEW QUESTIONS AND SELF STUDY EXAMINATION

The following questions are being provided to allow anyone who uses the archived version of this program to quiz himself

or herself about the content of this material.. This set of questions has been prepared for experienced code administrators,

public officials, environmental consultants and motivated individuals all of whom have studied the seminar program and

reviewed all of the study materials presented here.

QUESTIONS

1. Land clearing is a legal activity in most communities. Why is land clearing so destructive to nature.

2. What is a street yard? What is a street wall? What is the purpose of a ‘buffer yard’?

3. What is the fundamental purpose of a landscape code?

4. There are several problems of urban design that landscape codes can solve. List five problems in order of their importance to society and explain how landscape codes may be used as a regulatory measure to solve them.

5. Can you describe the theory, which is called, ‘the geography of a development site,’ and why it is a good way to think about organizing a landscape code?

6. Please list five methods of capturing storm water on a development site.

7. Landscape installation practices, arboricultural services and landscape maintenance activities are important aspects of any well-crafted landscape code. Please describe six ‘landscape best management practices’ that should be included within any well written landscape code.

8. Many communities require that landscape plans be prepared and sealed by registered landscape architects. Why is a landscape architect’s involvement important and what health, safety and welfare issues are involved in that decision.

9. List the principles of ‘green parking lot’ design.

10. What are the benefits of shading parking lots.

GRADING AND REWARD CRITERIA

9 TO 10 Correct answers earn a Gold Star or an Oak Leaf

8 TO 9 Correct answers earn a Silver Star or a Pine Cone

7 TO 8 Correct answers earn a Green Star or a Magnolia Blossom

6 TO 7 Correct answers earn a Blue Star or a Pecan Nut

Less than 5 correct answers earns an Orange Star or a Louisiana Satsuma

83. (Credits)

LSU Green Law Survey 12 easy questions, Three minutes to complete…..

Please take a few moments to provide us with some information about your home town and your practice. You may answer the questions and e-mail them back to us. Merci beaucoup, Cher!:

Landscape Ordinance Research Project LSU School of Landscape Architecture Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810

phone 225.578.1434 fax 225.578.1445 e-mail _greenlaws@aol.com

1..In which town or city and state do you practice? __________________________________

2..What it the population of your city or town?

<100,000

>250,000

>500,000

>1,000,000

3..What is your level of understanding concerning landscape codes? Beginner,

Average,

Experienced,

4..Does your town or city have a comprehensive Landscape Code? Y N

5..What other communities in your area have landscape codes? _________________ __________________

_________________ __________________

CONTINUE, IF YOU HAVE A LANDSCAPE CODE IN YOUR COMMUNITY

6..Do you consider the landscape codes in your area to be?…..

Non-existent

Poor

Average

Superior

7..Is your landscape code based upon?…..

Design

Environmental Goals

Meeting Numbers

8..Who wrote the landscape codes in your town?

LA’s

Planners

Horticulturists

Arborists

Others

9..Name six (6) things your community landscape code requires! __________________________ ________________________ ______________________ ______________________ ___________________________ _____________________

10..Must landscape plans be sealed, by a registered Landscape Architect? Y N

11.. Are landscape codes good for the profession of Landscape Architecture? Y N

12..Should landscape law be taught in Schools of Landscape Architecture? Y N

13. How do you work with landscape codes?

a. landscape architect who must interpret them for clients.

b. landscape architect who draws plans to meet the landscape code.

c. landscape contractor (maintenance company) who must abide by them.

d. landscape administrator that writes them.

e. landscape inspector who enforces them .

f. landscape material vendor that must meet the specifications

g. arborist who works to preserve trees as a result of the code.

Optional: Your name_____________________________

Your e-mail _____________________

Would you like to receive a copy of the results of this survey? Yes___________

84. (Credits)

85. (Production Staff)

This project was produced by faculty and students of the Landscape Ordinance Research Project at Louisiana State University for the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and funded in part by a USDA Forest Service, Urban and Community Forestry Grant and with special support from the Louisiana Nursery And Landscape Association and Live Oak Gardens Nursery, LTD, New Iberia, Louisiana.

86. ( Ending Title Slide)

End of Seminar Notes

C’est trop ca? Adieu cher!

Prof. Buck Abbey,ASLA

School of Landscape Architecture

Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA 70810

225-LSU-1434

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Landscape Code and Administrative Definitions follow.

_____________________________________________________________________________

LSU Landscape Ordinance Research Project

LANDSCAPE CODE VOCABULARY

“the geography of a development site”

c. 2003 all rights reserved.

ADA Spaces. Site spaces, defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act, which must be barrier free. ADA spaces must be of a certain size, location, gradient, surfacing and use. Often found in parking lots and near building entries

Buffering. The use of landscaping or retained native vegetation or the use of landscaping along with berms, walls or decorative fences that at least partially and periodically obstruct the view from the street or an abutting property in such a manner that vehicular use areas, parking lots, parked cars, detention ponds and conflicting activity areas will be partially or completely screened.

Buffer Yard. A landscaped area usually at the side or rear of development sites which are provided to separate and partially obstruct the view of adjacent land uses or properties.

Foundation Area. A proscribed area of ground immediately adjacent to a building wall.

Heavy Vehicle Loading Area. A paved area designed to accommodate the maneuvering, loading and unloading, and parking of commercial vehicles having extra length and excessive weight which may require an increase in pavement depth or ability to carry heavy loads.

Hydrozone. A portion of the landscaped area having plants with similar water needs that are served by one irrigation valve and a set of head with the same schedule of water flow and timing.

Impervious Surface: Land area covered by a surface treatment that hinders the ability of the underlying soils to percolate water.

Island. In road and parking area design, one of several types of a raised planting area, usually curbed, and placed to guide traffic, separate lanes, limit paving (impervious surface), preserve existing vegetation and increase aesthetic quality.

Light Vehicle Loading Area. A paved area designed to accommodate the maneuvering, loading and unloading, and temporary parking of commercial vehicles.

Drive Through. A paved extension of a vehicular use area whose sole purpose is allow for the pick up of deliver of goods.

Loading Areas. An area which contains trash collection areas of dumpster type refuse containers, outdoor loading and unloading spaces, docks, outdoor shipping and receiving areas, outdoor bulk storage of materials or parts thereof, and outdoor repair areas of any service stations, safety equipment, inspection stations, or dealers.

Native Plant Community: A natural association of plants dominated by one or more prominent native plant species growing in its natural habitat.

Habitat Protection Areas, HPA. An area identified on an approved site plan containing native vegetation, natural features or unique habitat which will remain undisturbed when the property is fully developed.

Open Space. the unoccupied portion of a lot or building site that is open to the sky and which may or may not contain landscaping, landscaping structures, or garden facilities..

Outdoor Storage Area. An uncovered area used for storage of equipment, materials, goods, and supplies including the keeping of automobiles, trucks, boats, trailers, buses, and lawn and garden equipment which are not enclosed within building walls.

Parking Bay. A defined number of parking stalls separated by interior landscape islands, plantings or shade trees.

Parking Lot Screen or VUA Landscape Strip. Is a landscaped area which separates the vehicular use area of any development site from adjoining property and/or public right-of-way and whose purpose is to enhance the visual appearance of the site and to provide screening of the vehicular use area and certain other activities.

Permeable Pavement. An area of a vehicular use area paved with material that permits water penetration into the soil. Permeable pavement may consist of any porous surface materials which are installed, laid or poured.

Pervious Area. The area of a development site remaining after the area of structures, vehicular use areas, storage areas, utility areas, access ways, pedestrian pavement or wet retention ponds are subtracted.

Protected Tree. A tree of a certain size, species, age or character which can not be removed from a development site without a tree removal permit.

Retention Area: Areas designed usually by hydrological calculations and used for the permanent storage of storm water runoff. Micro-retention areas are sculpted minor depressions, swales and irregularly shaped parts of a building site whose purpose is to interrupt, slow and allow the seepage of storm water into landscape beds or directly into the ground.

Detention Area: An area designed by hydrological calculations for the temporary storage of a determined quantity of water with a release rate that is either fixed or variable.

Sign Monument Zone: An area of a site dedicated or permitted to the erection of a permanent sign or sign cluster often lighted and planted with low brightly colored seasonal flowers.

Sight Triangle. The area on either side of an access way at its junction with a public street forming a triangle within which clear visibility of approaching vehicular or pedestrian traffic must be maintained.

Storage Area. Any exterior of a site which is used for the keeping of garbage or trash cans, dumpsters, newspaper containers, oil and bottled gas tanks, swimming pool equipment, air conditioners and mechanical appurtenances.

Stream Bank Buffer. This is a setback zone along a active bayou, creek, stream, river or other water course which is left in its natural state for the purpose of preventing sedimentation or pollution from finding it way into a public water supply.

Street Tree Planting Area. The street tree planting area is the area of a development site that lies between the street right-of-way line and the edge of the street curb parallel to the street. This land is publicly owned but is often used for street tree planting, public utilities and street maintenance. It may also include public space within the center of boulevard medians fronting development sites.

Street Wall. A space to be planted of a proscribed dimension attached to the building wall fronting a public street.

Street Buffer. An area with a defined depth which is attached to a front property or servitude line which lies between the street right-of-way line and the actual front wall line of the building facing a public street. A variant is the preserved street buffer in which all native trees of a certain size must be preserved.

Street Yard. The street yard is the area of a lot, which lies between the street right-of-way line and the actual front wall line of the building facing a public street.

Technical Standards. Criteria, requirements and standards of a technical nature, usually specified in quantities, dimensions, sizes, qualities and performance outcomes and spelled out in a landscape ordinance to guide designers in the proper design of various parts of the development site, building lot or property.

Travel Lane. The main access way, one way or two way, which serves a vehicular use area or parking lot.

Tree Protection Area (TPA) : Any portion of a site wherein are located numerous existing trees and other native plant materials which are proposed to be preserved.

Tree Protection Zone. The area, at the base of a tree, where the root zone is protected, from any of a number of harmful activities.

Utility Service Area: An area which contains any surface mounted HVAC equipment, utility boxes, booster stations, switch boxes, irrigation controllers and transformers that are part of a site utility system.

Vehicular Use Areas. All areas subject to vehicular traffic including access ways, driveways, loading areas, service areas, and parking stalls for all types of vehicles. Commonly thought of as parking lots, driveways and interior streets.

Visual Screen. A physical obstruction, partially opaque, consisting of living plant material, natural or manmade construction material, or a combination thereof used to visually separate two areas of a building site.

Yard Area. That portion of any building site covered by the front, side and rear yard areas as established by the minimum setback requirements of a zoning ordinance.

Yard, Waterfront. A waterfront yard is the yard adjacent to public waterways. Waterfront yards front bays, bayous, wetlands, lakes, canals, aquatic conservation areas, aquatic preservation areas and similar waterways.

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ADMINISTRATIVE TERMINOLOGY

Administrative Standards: The set of rules, procedures and requirements set forth in a landscape code for both public administrators, consultants, builders, developers or contractors associated with making permit application, assembling materials for pubic review, meeting the requirements of the landscape or tree regulations, seeking approvals, enforcement, conducting site inspections, collecting fees, issuing permits and filing reports.

Arborist or Urban Forester: A person trained in arboriculture, forestry, landscape architecture, horticulture, or related fields and experienced and licensed in the conservation and preservation of native and ornamental trees.

Comprehensive landscape code or land alteration code.: Very sophisticated ordinances, codes that regulate not only landscaping but land alteration, tree protection, tree removal, storm water management, erosion control, ground water recharge and land clearing and habitat preservation.

Landscape Administrator. A professionally educated or trained and licensed person who is responsible for advanced technical and supervisory work in the enforcement of Landscape regulations. Work involves supervising and coordinating landscape inspection and plan review work, reviewing peer professional prepared landscape plans and specifications and writing administrative reports and giving expert testimony in regards to site development.

Landscape Architect. Professionally educated and licensed designer who is authorized to prepare landscape plans, specifications and provide expert testimony in regards to site development and compliance with municipal landscape regulations.

Landscape Inspector. Technical municipal employee, whose work involves on-site inspections for landscaping of new construction sites and older existing sites to ensure landscape code compliance. Generally reports to the Landscape Administrator.

Design Components. Sections of a landscape ordinance that make reference to specific parts of a site, building lot or development property that must be designed using standards, specifications or technical requirements specified in that ordinance.

Design Manual: A companion document to a landscape code which is prepared to summarize the technical language of a landscape code or tree regulations and the administrative procedures involved with preparing landscape design plans, seeking building permits, tree removal permits, land alteration permits conditional use of property.

Design manuals generally contain information that is helpful to designers such as a description of design components, technical standards and administrative procedures included within the landscape code. Design manuals often contain formulas, tables, diagrams, typical construction details, materials lists, standard specifications and helpful appendix material. Design manuals are written in easy to understand language and illustrated with graphics so that city officials, permit applicants and property owners can under stand the technical landscape architecture, construction, horticulture and forestry terms contained within the landscape ordinance.

Green Law. This is a sobriquet for the term landscape ordinance or any site specific law that preserves, protects or enhances natural systems on a defined parcel of land or zoned development site. Common green laws include post construction landscape ordinances, tree preservation ordinance and land alteration ordinances whose prime purpose is the protection of native habitat including vegetation, soils, natural drainage and wildlife. Published with permission of John Wiley & Sons publishers of Abbey, Buck, U.S. Landscape Ordinances, John Wiley, NYNY, 1998.

Landscape Code: Created as a result of a landscape ordinance to create and a set forth of set of technical landscape standards and responsibilities which are included within a municipal zoning ordinance to ensure that the public health, safety, and welfare is protected in regards to the development of land and changes to natural systems such as vegetation, soil, water, climate and wildlife associated with such land.

Landscape Ordinance: A public law, requiring public review and approval of a permit and creating a landscape code or tree regulations, often contained within a zoning ordinance or land development code that regulates landscape design, landscaping, landscape installation, horticultural practices, tree removal, planting, care and general site maintenance.

Landscape Code Standards. These are specifications, requirements, quality determinations or performance guidelines for judging acceptable compliance with the provisions of a landscape code.

Landscape Plan. The preparation of graphic and written criteria, specifications, and detailed landscape plans to arrange and modify the effects of natural features such as plantings, ground and water forms, circulation, walks, irrigation, landscape lighting, erosion control, on site drainage and other features to comply with the provisions of a community landscape code.

Low Impact Development Strategies, a series of actions and activities that mimic pre-development site conditions that can be used to treat on-site storm water within planting areas that are used for buffers, screens, street yards, site open space and parking lot interiors while at the same time reducing the need for expensive traditional storm water collection and conveyance systems.

Permit. An official public document issued to a contractor or developer that authorizes performance of a specific regulated activity on a development site.

Post Construction Certification Statement: A statement that is filed with municipal officials by the landscape architect certifying that all landscape construction has been implemented according to the requirements of the landscape ordinance or any public law that may apply.

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REVIEW QUESTIONS AND SELF STUDY EXAMINATION

The following questions are being provided to allow anyone who uses the self-study documents to quiz himself or herself. This is an opportunity for the user of these self study tools to see if they fully understand how to use these materials to enhance their knowledge of municipal landscape and tree law. The first set of questions have been prepared for any high school class that may want to make use of this program. The questions for school children are all taken from the slide show part of this presentation with most of the questions addressing the urban design problems which are solved by landscape code. Questions may be asked verbally.

The second set of questions in the self-study quiz, are professional level questions. They are in greater depth, more focus, require a greater understanding of these materials, and require longer more detailed written responses. This set of questions has been prepared for experienced code administrators, careful reading public officials, environmental consultants and motivated individuals all of whom have studied the CD program and reviewed all of the study guide materials. These are advanced questions that go into greater detail about landscape and tree law.

STUDENT QUESTIONS

1. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry is a state agency. Why do you think they are interested in urban trees?

2. Please give five examples of nature in the city! Why are those examples important to you?

3. What is a ‘green law’?

4. Who builds cities?

5. Can you name five problems that landscape laws solve?

6. Land clearing is a legal activity in most communities. Why is land clearing so destructive to nature.

7. What is ‘hatracking’?

8. Can you tell me what the following professionals do for a living? a..An arborists, b.. A horticulturist, and c..A landscape architect?

9. Why is it important to plant the right kind of tree below power lines?

10. Why does commercial developer wants to remove all trees, shrubs and grasses on sites they wish to develop?

11. What is a street yard?

12. What is a street wall?

13. Why is it important to plant trees within parking lots?

14. What is a ‘green parking lot’?

15. Please list three reasons cars are often screened from view.

16. Where does storm water go after it falls into a parking lot?

17. What is the purpose of a ‘buffer yard’?

18. Why do people like to use irrigation systems?

19. Every city issues permits for new construction and renovation. Why do you think the city does this?

20. Why do people landscape their property? Can you give five important reasons why people landscape their commercial property?

21. What is a landscape code?

22. Why protect trees on construction sites during construction operations?

23. Landscape architects, architects and engineers prepare drawings for what purpose?

24. What is a construction footprint?

25. Can you name three cities that have adopted landscape and tree laws in order to protect nature in their community?

GRADING AND REWARD CRITERIA (you must come to Baton Rouge to claim it)

25 TO 20 Correct answers earn a Gold Star or an Oak Leaf

15 TO 20 Correct answers earn a Silver Star or a Pine Cone

10 TO 15 Correct answers earn a Green Star or a Magnolia Blossom

5 TO 10 Correct answers earn a Blue Star or a Pecan Nut

Less than 5 correct answers earn a Orange Star or a Louisiana Satsuma Orange

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL QUESTIONS

1. What is the fundamental purpose of a landscape code?
2. Why are landscape codes and tree laws included within the police power of zoning?
3. Please name eight common sections of a well crafted, reader friendly landscape code.
4. There are several problems of urban design that landscape codes can solve. List five problems in order of their importance to society and explain how landscape codes may be used as a regulatory measure to solve them.
5. Landscape codes generally are written to cover three board areas of issues. Can you name each of the three areas and give examples of the types of responsibilities, actions and results that lead to specific code language.
6. Is landscaping, tree preservation and land cleaning included in the ‘standard building code’ (IBC)? Why do you think landscape construction related activities are not included within the standard building code.
7. Can you describe the theory, which is called, ‘the geography of a development site,’ and why it is a good way to think about organizing a landscape code?
8. What is LID, and how does it apply to landscape codes?
9. Can you list ten design components that might be found within a very comprehensive landscape law often known as a ‘land development code?
10. What are three effective ways of screening a vehicular use area?
11. Street yard planting design standards can be based upon what factors?
12. How can parking lots serve society better than just a place to store automobiles?
13. What is the coefficient of run off of a parking lot and what kinds of sediments, debris and chemicals can be washed into public water bodies.
14. What are the benefits of shading parking lots?
15. Please list five methods of capturing storm water on a development site.
16. Landscape installation practices, arboricultural services and landscape maintenance activities are important aspects of any well-crafted landscape code. Please describe six ‘landscape best management practices’ that should be included within any well written landscape code.
17. Many communities require that landscape plans be prepared and sealed by registered landscape architects and that they oversee the installation of landscape construction by landscape contractors, irrigation installers, chemical applicators and land clearing contractors. Why is a landscape architect’s involvement important and what health, safety and welfare issues are involved in that decision.
18. The understanding of tree biology, tree growth cycles and proper removal, pruning and maintenance of trees is an important concern for maintaining natural habitats on construction sites. Do you think it is important for communities to require licensing and continuing education for anyone acting as an arborist on a construction site whose duty it is to protect trees during construction activity?
19. What percentage of the interior of the vehicular use area in Collier Country Florida must be landscaped and what is the maximum distance to a shade tree.
20. In Mandeville, Louisiana the street yard buffer is called a what? What is the size and species name of the tree which if found there must be protected and can not be removed?
21. In Hoboken, New Jersey, tree permits are required as part of the development review process. List all activities for which they issue permits.
22. Explain the concept of a ‘tree bank’ and how it can benefit a communities urban forestry program.
23. How does the City of Southlake, Texas motivate developers into preserving trees and installing landscaping on construction sites?
24. In Santa Monica, California, storm water must be captured on site and not allowed to run freely into Santa Monica Bay. How much rainwater must be captured and detained on site during every storm.
25. List the principles of ‘green parking lot’ design.

GRADING AND REWARD CRITERIA (you must come to Baton Rouge to claim it)

25 TO 20 Correct answers earn you the honorary title as Landscape Supervisor

15 TO 20 Correct answers earn you the honorary title as Landscape Inspector

10 TO 15 Correct answers earn you the honorary title as Landscape Architect

5 TO 10 Correct answers earn you the honorary title as Urban Forester/Arborist

Less than 5 correct answers earns you an invitation to enroll in the graduate program at Louisiana State University.

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