Are Tree Roots Really to Blame for Cracked Sidewalks?
Lifted sidewalks, cracked pavement, uneven walking surfaces: when these problems appear around mature trees, the roots usually get the blame. It’s an understandable conclusion. We can see the roots beneath the damaged pavement, so the tree appears to be the obvious cause. But the real issue often starts much earlier. When trees are planted in […]
How to Build an Urban Tree
Urban tree populations in cities around the world are under pressure. Despite the clear benefits trees bring, including cooling streets, managing stormwater, improving air quality and creating better places to live, too many fail to establish, or never reach their full potential. Successful urban trees are the result of careful, considered design, where soil volume, water availability, rooting space and overall site conditions are […]
Building Urban Drainage Resilience Through Distributed Solutions
Our existing urban drainage systems are being asked to do far more than they were ever designed for. Denser development, hard landscaping, population growth and increasingly intense rainfall are combining to expose a fundamental weakness in traditional sewer networks. The symptoms are now familiar: surface water flooding that appears without warning, wastewater assets pushed beyond […]
Building Climate Resilience into our Street Trees
It may feel counter-intuitive to discuss heat stress as the nights are starting to turn colder, but the climate change data is unambiguous: hotter, drier summers and shorter, more intense downpours are here to stay. With this in mind, Forestry England recently released a new ‘species for the future’ list of trees most likely to […]
Thoughtful Design Means Trees Thrive Near Utilities
Urban environments are complex spaces where every inch serves a purpose, yet greenery remains essential. Trees do more than beautify streets; they improve air quality, reduce urban heat, stabilise soil, intercept rainfall and create habitats for urban wildlife. Beyond environmental benefits, trees enhance social well-being, offering shade, encouraging outdoor activity, and improving mental health. Economically, […]
Why Roots Decide the Success of your Next Tree Scheme
Most urban trees fail not because of poor species choice, but because their roots are starved of space and soil. The result? Shrinking canopies, failed specs, and wasted investment. Autumn is a reminder: while leaves fade, roots keep working. But in hard landscapes, compacted soil and limited rooting volume can cut life expectancy from decades […]
Healthy Soil Systems in Tree Pits Are the Foundation of Climate-Resilience
When we think about the infrastructure that keeps cities running, we picture roads, drains, cables and pipes. Yet beneath our feet lies another form of infrastructure that is just as critical, though it often escapes attention: soil. In the context of urban environments, soil should be understood as an active, living system rather than simply […]
Drought today, deluge tomorrow – but there’s a solution for climate whiplash
It wouldn’t be a British summer without a crop of news platform articles about how hot, cold, wet or dry it is. And there’s more to hit the headlines than in the past, too. Britain’s summer weather patterns – so long associated with rain that jokes about a Bank Holiday correlating with a certain downpour […]
Shaping Safe Streets with Urban Trees
Cities in the UK are changing. New developments are expected to serve multiple functions, from moving people efficiently, to offering access to nature and keeping communities safe from both crime and climate-related risks. As this shift continues, there is growing recognition that trees are essential to how we build safer places to live and work. […]
Balancing the Urban Equation Through Green Infrastructure
In an era of rapid urbanisation and climate change, how we allocate our limited land resources has never been more critical. The concept of land budgets offers a systematic approach to ensure land is used efficiently and equitably, balancing development needs with environmental preservation. This challenge has gained renewed urgency as planners and policymakers increasingly […]