Street trees are planted incorrectly in many cities!

Here's a better way for cities and towns to plant street trees. When they're given more space for their growing roots and trunks, they live longer, healthier lives and are more beneficial to our urban environment.
Too often, the trees are planted in very small sidewalk cutouts and are expected to grow as if they were in their preferred habitat. However, the urban environment is typically very stressful for street trees, and a small sidewalk square with compacted soil makes things much more difficult. Trees in small pits often struggle to spread their roots and therefore struggle to obtain much of the water, oxygen and nutrients that they need to survive.
Footage from this video was taken at the University of Pennsylvania, where new buildings have much more optimized spaces for tree to be planted along streets.
Follow me on TikTok and Instagram for more trees, plants and nature!
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/ andrewthearborist
Linktree - linktr.ee/AndrewConboy

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

For all commenting: Yes, trees need OXYGEN too! 1. Trees need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Through this process, they produce their own food (sugars). 2. However, in order to use those sugars and turn them into energy that the plant can use, trees undergo cellular respiration (like you and I!), which requires oxygen. Tree roots especially need a good oxygen supply for this purpose and for gas exchange. If the soil is not oxygenated, the roots will die eventually. For more information, give it a quick Google search! I'm an ISA-certified arborist, and I know basic tree biology.

[@mannnnuuu]

Yo it's type of things we study in middle school man Quite hilarious people don't know this

[@KillerKobold2121]

​@@HamishMilne-yj4pyYou're going to be stunned when you learn about fish.

[@Cynnabuns]

​@@HamishMilne-yj4pyi sense a joke. At least my brain wants to hope its a joke.

[@karbonkillershorts8551]

I thought a bunch of ATP gets released during photosynthesis? And they use the O2 made during photosynthesis to respirate, not from the outside environment..?

[@KillerKobold2121]

@@karbonkillershorts8551 That's true but it's weird and kind of the other way around. Plants can't infinitely cycle oxygen to carbon dioxide and oxygen to carbon dioxide because of the way they are structured I believe. But. While they don't use much of the Oxygen from photosynthesis to respirate, they use most of the carbon dioxide from respiration to photosynthesize, ONLY in the cells that CAN photosynthesize. The easier part of the answer is also that they are separated too. Respiration takes place in all plant cells throughout the tree. Photosynthesis ONLY takes place in the chloroplasts which are commonly found only in leaves. So they can't rely on only the oxygen they produce. Tl:Dr, the entire tree can't do photosynthesis only the leaves and areas with chloroplasts. And that doesn't give them enough oxygen.

[@atherisGAY]

We all need street trees so badly. They offer shade and condensation cooling, things we desperately need in our hot cities

[@rustyshackleford1910]

That “condensation cooling” has a pretty cool name, it’s called: evapotranspiration . It’s one of those things I find really fun to say, like “spontaneous stratification” or “Isaac newton’s flaming laser sword”.

[@richardmoore609]

Citys are so much hotter then the surrounding suburbs and country side because the lack of shade and dark colors of buildings and roads. Like 10-15° F hotter. I used to hate working outside in the city because of just how unbelievably hot it got.

[@OverDunkNessSEVEN]

They make heat waves so much less of a problem in residential areas if you have enough of the right size

[@Padraigp]

​@@rustyshackleford1910its great when they're a certain size after that it can leave the side of your house cold and damp and no light in your windows.

[@ThomasSawyers]

Lol I guess it's what happens when paradise is paved into a parking lot with concrete trees

[@OrangeCat1992]

I really want every city planner to watch this video.

[@pelago_]

I’ll keep that in mind.

[@adiktadoalamusika]

@@pelago_a minute ago lol

[@omi_mq]

City planner or urban designer?

[@CanariasCanariass]

Me tooo

[@OrangeCat1992]

@@omi_mq both and all of the above.

[@bc4198]

That's an embarrassingly simple and elegant solution 🤩

[@mortenfrosthansen84]

Stop planting big grass lawns, and see what happens to your garden.. It will flourish

[@drby163]

​@@mortenfrosthansen84what

[@mushy470]

It's not where I live where we just don't have the space

[@starseed39]

It looks really nice.

[@michealjaymurphy]

@@mortenfrosthansen84some people have allergies and depending on where you live no it won’t look good it will look like shit

[@shrk7]

also, because of the connecting soil, the tree’s roots are able to pass nutrients to each other and even communicate!

[@kelseyguillot9954]

Came here to say this 🌳 I belive trees are meant to communicate and is essential in their health

[@duyhungle9375]

Yup. So they can make friends through their mycelium network

[@AtlasNL]

Aaand the bricks look a lot nicer than just having concrete slabs. Win win win win I’d say

[@QueensQuorner]

But having the concrete next to it is perfect for those with mobility aids that cant travel well on brick/cobblestone!

[@onyxtay7246]

​@@QueensQuornerCurbs already make it hard to get around, so I don't know where you're going in a city where entering the street is a death sentence.

[@ms.pirate]

And for safety, so no one is walking to close to the road (well, yes you can walk over them, but our unconscious minds usually stays on the path)

[@CrypticCobra]

Sure, just pay for it.

[@ahpjlm]

@@CrypticCobraThat’s why taxes exist

[@fp1912]

Yeah those are ridiculous. Wish we had more street trees!

[@dakota8189]

This guy is gonna shit when he finds out about forests

[@B3RyL]

I wish they planted them in the middle of the street. Fuck cars, plant more trees.

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

​@@thatv8life186why?

[@brucebehner4142]

Street trees are the most idiotic idea. Grow something more sustainable that doesnt ruin infrastructure. Berry bushes or vegetables are a much better idea to try and be "green." Dont be an idiot and work against yourself

[@adamperry4610]

Until you have a major storm and have millions/billions of damage caused by trees.

[@Millermacs]

I have always HATED seeing these insane concrete covers, great video

[@raviolitoespacial]

Love the brick part! Also, you need to know which type of root your tree have-it can grow down, sideways, both, etc. So its easier to choose a tree for your needs!

[@thisiswhatilike54]

The vast majority - as in only a handful of exceptions - of tree species have roots that run only a few feet down, but grow much more laterally wide as if not wider than the branches above ground. The roots get much more water and CO2 the closer to the surface

[@bluewolfchicken7310]

Finally a city planner that thinks of trees as actual trees and not just decoration to make your city seem more ecologically friendly

[@savaialaddams6273]

Now if they would just include female trees in their planning to provide free food to people instead of planting all male trees to avoid a mess. City planners tend to go for the cheapest solutions.

[@shrimpwaffle]

​@@savaialaddams6273 not to mention how horrible all the pollen is once it's hayfever season

[@charliec.3518]

@@savaialaddams6273yeah you cant eat most of the things on trees used by cities, so basically all that would do is murder people with allergies.

[@ettbattresverigenu]

Well spoken!

[@bluewolfchicken7310]

@@savaialaddams6273 true

[@Iluvpie6]

I just wish city planners cared enough to do it right

[@ragglerock2682]

I wish city planners actually planned

[@bocagelandscape]

​@@Joseph-ke3xccars and underground utility lines.

[@J_Caban]

@@Joseph-ke3xcmassive beautiful 10 lane mega highway or disgusting ugly walkable city? Easy choice

[@AnimeSunglasses]

@@ragglerock2682 I wish city politicians cared for planner's plans.

[@chadwells7562]

@@Joseph-ke3xc100%. Of course city planners know this stuff, but it’s not the planners and engineers who make the final decisions. Their managers and political leaders will cry and complain about the slightly increased cost and tell them “yeah just stick them in one of those little sidewalk planters that’s what I have by my house”

[@lindapaxman7788]

RIGHT ON...GOOD TO GET THIS INFO OUT!!! I feel SO BAD for plants that aren't planted CORRECTLY!! ❤❤❤

[@novamouy17]

that is a very nice sidewalk style. I wish people would put more effort into making our public spaces prettier.

[@schrodingerscat4503]

This design also allows trees to share water and nutrients with each other. Trees naturally do this in forests, often with the added help of fungi. This network helps to keep all of the trees healthy even if one is weak or injured.

[@Pixal_Dragon]

Mycelium my beloved

[@janmajer4662]

​@@Pixal_Dragon😂😂

[@agavebob3462]

They do all.of that underground. All this does is bring.more dirty@$$ rain to the trees, it's better to have an underground irrigation system. I've seen trees growing between hugest rocks with almost zero soil on top of the surface and they have grown humongous.

[@kyosokutai]

Are you saying trees are natural... **socialists**?

[@flopsnail4750]

Communism at it's finest

[@heathero.7643]

The continuous cobblestone path is the most important part. Many people forget that trees are just as big, if not bigger, below ground compared to their branch structure above ground. Like, imagine if you as a human were told to grow as big as you could and walk as far as possible every day, but we’re only ever given size 4T toddler shoes to walk in and cram your feet into. That’s how these street trees are treated most of the time.

[@Doug_Fany]

That last sidewalk is really beautiful and spacious

[@ozramblue117]

Always nice to see something you haven’t considered before and it is suddenly so obvious that you wonder how it’s not done that way everywhere.

[@keelerrobinson5772]

“A stressed tree: a tree that won’t live very long or live up to its potential” I’ve never related more to a tree

[@a.c.i7020]

Because complaining about it helps

[@LA_HA]

​@@a.c.i7020 The story of 99% of humanity

[@notinavacuum5966]

@@a.c.i7020Do you know jokes? Are you an alien?

[@galladegamer6950]

@a.c.i7020 complaining may not relieve the problem itself but I can relieve some of the stress you might be feeling about the problem it’s called venting and it’s actually someone good for you. You should try talking about your problems sometime instead of just berating others for talking about theirs even if it might not be an exactly orthodox way of talking about it.

[@LA_HA]

@@galladegamer6950 You're exactly right. However...it doesn't mean they're wrong. We Do tend to gripe and not actually make a plan to Help Fix The Problem, and See It Through. We just vent and then leave the problem-solving to someone else to tackle. So, I dunno. Both things are true at the same time

[@grovermartin6874]

What a gracious, welcoming sidewalk with the bricks and trees! Much more comfortable with the shading. That all encourages walking and enjoyment of the neighbourhood.

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

I agree! :)

[@wishingwell_333]

id walk there all the time for reall

[@grizzlygrizzle]

It also gives more places for dogs to relieve themselves more comfortably than on the pavement. I wonder what that does for the trees, though.

[@grovermartin6874]

@@grizzlygrizzle The urine is probably just providing a bit of fertility, depending on how established the tree is and how many dogs pass by! Does your city have no dung cleanup regulations?

[@grizzlygrizzle]

@@grovermartin6874 Most cities do, but in my observation, some of it doesn't get picked up. I was wondering more about the urine, and the salts in it and pH.

[@adamFromDurban]

Every so often, KZbin actually teaches you something worth knowing

[@allisonmarlow184]

That's brilliant! It only took us 70 years to figure this out.

[@TheMunkzilla1]

Someone needs to tell Louisiana this. They insist on planting live oak trees in the sidewalks with no room at all, then wonder why the sidewalks, street and tree are all damaged. Live Oak is a protected tree here and we can't cut them so they grow too big for space, get diseased and drop heavy limbs.

[@bobbygetsbanned6049]

Yeah even with those bricks a live oak is going to destroy the sidewalks. They have the same thing here, tiny area with live oaks planted, the street view is nice but the sidewalks are FUCKED. They usually plant them too close together too.

[@curlyfryactual]

About par for the course with Louisiana, sounds like.

[@Uapa500]

Change oak tree for pine tree and you have Rome. We have exactly the same problem, bit with pines.

[@noelsalisbury7448]

They should be able to carry-out 'shaping' pruning operations, in order to create a major framework of approx 5/6 large limbs, which should then project above Large vehicles and most residential buildings ( this is- 'eventually' ) The projected life of a Large Highway-side street tree ( eg one of the Lime species ) - should be 100 years plus . This ( reasonable,imo )time span is longer than many buildings . There's a book I can heartily recommend - ' A New Tree Biology ' by A L Shigo , subtitled "A N T B - Facts Photos, and Philosophies on Trees and their problems and proper care " 161 : 164 : 245 : 416 : 443 : 852. Copyright 1986. Alex L. Shigo and Trees , Associates GET The N. T. B. Dictionary in Conjunction . This is essential. Please get a copy of each, or failing that, order it from your Local Public Library or Horticultural College Library. 4 Denbow Road, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824

[@Dbb27]

An oak is the absolute last tree that should be used. Aren’t these ‘urban planners’ supposed to have a college degree?

[@therealdeal3672]

Important information for city planners to grasp.

[@everyone8043]

Yes stop using tree prisons.

[@quickdraw6893]

Problem is they'd have to make wider sidewalks then. In some places, not even just rural, you're lucky to have a sidewalk at all... and it often sucks to use.

[@cocomoman2236]

They can integrate electric cabels, optical fiber etc side under that bricks pore. Easy maintenance, win win solution

[@serf3662]

@@quickdraw6893we should have sidewalks anyways.

[@quickdraw6893]

@@serf3662 We should, but modern city planners in the US only seem to care about cars

[@vickieadams6648]

That correctly planted group of trees had an intelligent city planner.

[@modolief]

Cities should be judged by their beautiful gardens, trees, and parks, not by their GDP.

[@joemaloney1019]

When I visit cities I visit their parks and gardens, it says a lot about who runs them. Any city can be made nicer all the way around by being clean painted with lush gardens and parks as well as vibrant street trees.

[@slappy8941]

Yeah everyone should just live on air and sunshine, like trees!

[@simonji2940]

​@@slappy8941gdp only shows if rich people live there or not, it doesnt trickle down at all. But street cleanliness shows that there are atleast social programs in place that might help people

[@LimitedWard]

This is already a thing. There are studies which measure the percentage of populations that live near parks. In Seattle, for example, 99% of residents live within a 10 minute walk to a park. Google "ParkScore".

[@andieeandrew]

as well as walkability

[@forg5580]

It makes me so happy to see those trees having a thoughtfully planned space :D

[@TheBooban]

Remarkable govt. is so dumb as to not do things properly.

[@yudoball]

+1

[@windowsxpmemesandstufflol]

Might contribute to ground soil erosion if the drainage system is not up to spec though

[@raynjpg]

The better way you showed LOOKS better too! I love the look of those bricks!

[@indigo_alligator4081]

Not to mention the trees can connect their roots as they would in nature, making them more resilient and enabling them to share resources and communicate

[@CelticFish0103]

My city has a law that whenever a sidewalk is made that theres a generous space of grass between the sidewalk and the road so there can be trees. Its honestly really nice having trees in what would otherwise be a stuffy city

[@gaijininja]

In an area of Australia I lived in for a while, the local council wanted to refurbish a mall. (Mall in the English style, not the US shopping mall. A paved open space for pedestrians that used to be a street.) they installed a series of 2.5m diameter and deep concrete pipes in the ground, connected by a drain system which us passers by thought was going to be the mall’s drain system. Instead, they were filled with soil, and five year old oak trees planted in them. The tops were covered with a plastic drain plate to allow water running off the cambered road surface to naturally water the trees, and the excess drain out the bottom and into the local creek that ran across under the mall. Trees grew, lower limbs pruned to encourage vertical and straight growth, and now just over 30 years later, they are essentially giant bonsai with massive heads above the street, and no broken sidewalks. They likely are root bound, but they seem to be fine with it. Fertilised often in the warmer months, and are looking happy.

[@tomwhitington8737]

Where is this, would love to check it out

[@smartsquirrel1]

Where is this? I'm a civil engineer looking for inspiration to redesign and retrofit greenspacd in a very urban city in UK

[@Wtfinc]

That sounds incredible. Any chance u can drop the coordinates or something?

[@popenieafantome9527]

A university i have been to had a nice system for trees. In a large building with lots of offices, to liven it up, the added trees in the center inside the building. Top of building has lots of windows to allow for natural light and the tress are planted on soil. Not sure how much was used, but they added some planks around the tree to allow for small tables and chairs to sit on the sides of the tree.

[@useyournoodle100]

@@AshAshAshAshAshAshAshAshAshAsh That is the original definition.

[@customink1576]

Heard a story once where a guy visited a city with trees planted into dedicated areas between the street and sidewalk much like how you showed em and they were nice, thick, and healthy looking, and when a car lost control drove into the sidewalk, the tree stopped it.

[@MerkhVision]

That’s a win win win scenario! So many benefits from doing it the right way!

[@WhoThisMonkey]

Healthy trees are the root of the issue, council members should branch off into healthier practices. Sorry, they were terrible puns, I'll just leaf.

[@arashkhanegol]

An icon of my city (Esfahan) is the trees that seep into each other from the opposite sides of the street. Here, the trees actually have a line separate from the sidewalk just for themselves. Check out Abbas Abad street in Google images. I love the place.

[@clamh84]

@@arashkhanegolwow! I checked out Abbas Abad on Google and the trees are stunning! Especially when the leaves are changing for the autumn! What a beautiful place ❤

[@Cup815]

@@WhoThisMonkeyI really wish you could make suggestions to the city and they make updates, like in games, it would be really efficient and bring attention to important things.

[@Juke172]

This was actually informative unlike many other youtube shorts. thanks!

[@liliththeraccoon355]

The roots making the side walk uneven basically just made ramps for me when I was a kid

[@vodkat07]

Singapore just has a whole ass grass strip beside almost every single road with trees and flowers planted on them😅

[@MonkeyJedi99]

Meanwhile, some US cities fine people for planting flowers in the dirt strip between the road and the sidewalk.

[@tylerk.7947]

Singapore really is leading the way in greening up cities

[@javihernandez2755]

​@@tylerk.7947most European cities are already quite green in a natural way outside the historical center (which still usually contain one or several parks), with green belts, grass strips on the sidewalks and urban gardens everywhere

[@twilightraven1232]

​@@MonkeyJedi99 I am a proud member of the illegal department of forestry. 😂

[@kkupsky6321]

They still have caning too don’t they?

[@MrRezRising]

My building in nyc had this problem. We paid to have the cutout made much larger. It's a good tree, glad it'll be around for awhile.

[@andrewroberts7428]

you should have just taken a sledge hammer to the concrete slab, busted it up real good

[@MrRezRising]

@@andrewroberts7428 They did. Then they poured new flags (sidewalk squares) and made the space for the tree twice as big as it was. 🤘

[@chicgal3]

@@MrRezRisingThat’s wonderful Love NYC but it needs to keep as many tress as possible 🌳💞🌳

[@lesliecano4963]

I live in Philadelphia and I have a tree with overgrown roots bubbling out onto the surrounding sidewalk like the one shown here. So do you think it’s easier to just widen the concrete space around it, rather than to remove the big tree and plant a smaller one?

[@boidavidman]

the ones with wider pits actually look really nice, it feels more like they're actually considered a part of our ecosystem rather than just decoration

[@ominousintrusivethoughts3947]

We need walkable cities

[@cooky_2076]

NYC needs this information.

[@Gitn2it]

Chicago, too. It's sad to see all those tree roots above the ground and broken sidewalks.

[@Johnny-apples4]

NYC is a trash pit

[@cinnflowergirl]

They have this information. They choose to ignore it because it's cheaper to. Plus, there's a bunch of people who don't think trees are important that are in charge of budgets.

[@johnmartinez7440]

They have the information, but enacting it requires too much space.

[@Zraknul]

Every city and town should have it. More people need to get involved in municipal politics where these decisions get made.

[@rexxer2792]

Type of tree is also important... No reason to get a tree that will grow to 60 feet and need a large trunk and root system...

[@petuniasevan]

And no reason to plant weed trees like Callery pear, black locust, ailanthus, or silver maple. Also messy trees are not a good idea. Norway maples....I've resented mine on the terrace for 22 years but now I get to move away from the danged thing.

[@BenjaminWalburn]

Sounds better to me

[@dillonvandergriff4124]

​@petuniasevan In defense of black locust, it produces nitrogen, which provides a significant advantage in nutrient poor soil. The others are terrible, though. Like seriously, if we're planting pear trees, then why do we pick the ones that don't actually produce pears!?!

[@stephanos6128]

​@@dillonvandergriff4124so the poor and homeless dont eat them and most likely get sick especially considering if they cant take care of trees properly the fruits produced definitelywont be anything healthy or edible. which gets the city in trouble. not that a city cares about its homeless' well being its more so just not wantingn to get into trouble.

[@MrVenturadog]

A lot of the wrong tree being planted is due to going to the lowest bidder for planting.

[@grimblezz]

This man chose the Arborist KZbinr class

[@randomexploring541]

I’m glad I’m one of the few smart and kind ones who knows better and tries to help the trees de-stress by removing trash from them and giving them water and saying thank you to them! 😅❤

[@M_SS1]

That's exactly what happens in Spain, and it breaks my heart to see it, as well as the bad pruning. Some people even tarmac the soil area, stopping the roots from being able to breathe... 😢

[@ZurditaDinamita]

Lo corroboro 😔 Tenemos un clima magnífico, nuestros árboles crecen y ¿Qué hacemos? Los cortamos y tiramos como si fueran basura, nos cargamos escenas urbanas preciosas y plantamos nuevos arbolitos, que repetirán el destino de su predecesor 🙄

[@milagrosalfonso2501]

Ex superpower dropping this low. Sad

[@ebonymaw8457]

@@milagrosalfonso2501current superpower is doing the same thing to be fair.

[@M_SS1]

@@ZurditaDinamita Sí, así es, y yo esta primavera tuve que escribir al ayuntamiento para que no podaran todavía (severamente además) unos magníficos ficus que rodean un parque, en ambos lados de la acera que lo rodea, y que no sólo hacen una sombra estupenda y muy necesaria en estos espantosos veranos, sino que cobijan a muchos pájaros que construyen sus nidos en ellos (palomas, gorriones, mirlos, verdecillos, jilgueros tórtolas etc). Es increíble pero ha habido años que podaban justo antes del verano, fastidiando a todas estas aves y sus nidos, y quitando la sombra en verano, y se quedaba con sombra en invierno que es cuando más gusto da sentir el sol, aparte de no ser el verano la época adecuada para podar, si es que tienen que podar (que yo los dejaría). En fin, por lo menos me contestaron y además confirmaron que no lo iban a hacer. 🙂

[@ARTala88]

The trees are suffering and that is sad

[@onehope4heaven591]

Exactly... ppl get all mad cuz of the bulging roots. I HATE to see trees cut down!

[@nitrocell9287]

Thats bulging tree stump actually

[@alyssachasse1661]

I used to be the lead carpenter at superior concrete in auburn maine - I single handedly created concrete forums for the filter underneath these city trees. They're called Filtera's.

[@markmolenaar4479]

When I was in Bulgaria (a country that does not have a lot of money), I was struck by how charming their streets were, even when they mostly consisted of old soviet-style buildings. This was mainly due to the large amount of proper street trees they have everywhere :)

[@user-nv1gm2zj7y]

everything is bricks. its really nice to look at

[@Getouttamyfaceatgmaildotcom]

​@@user-nv1gm2zj7ycan't tell if you're joking or not. Some city people are this stupid

[@valeriykim6342]

Soviet city planning

[@Lenny.262]

Bulgaria is known for Hollywood studios producing films there because of the tax breaks.

[@vvk393]

Bulgarian here, can confirm the cities look great in the summer and spring, in the winter - not so much

[@hedegitsin]

The problem is that we don’t treat trees like living beings. They are alive and deserve more careful planning. Thank you for bringing this 🙏

[@trehugr4life]

Mitakuye Oyasin

[@vcrbetamax]

Especially in the city. It’s like they don’t know anything about agriculture.

[@neffhundo4642]

@@vcrbetamaxmaybe u should take up a job or start a go fund me save the trees call it that 😂

[@vcrbetamax]

@@neffhundo4642 Nah, go fund me is for people who pretend to help but don’t actually do it. Makes sense you would recommend it.

[@sealy1]

They aren’t…

[@FlymanMS]

It’s so good to know that arborists and urbanists are concerned about the same problems 🤝

[@quintongill9685]

having stuff like this also surely helps mitigate heavy water buildup after a lot of rain.

[@alexrogers777]

love this, America needs so much more of this kind of design

[@dreamsister6339]

Me too

[@SamuelRU]

Imagine a modern American city with sidewalks wide enough for any trees!

[@slimbrady6004]

City planners need to watch this video so I can stop tripping over elevated cracks

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

If you trip over whatever trees create, you are not enough used to nature, imo.

[@slimbrady6004]

@@FrogeniusW.G. If I was walking through a forest then yeah I’d watch out for protruding roots, but it’s a little weird tripping over a root hidden under a sidewalk while walking through downtown.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

@@slimbrady6004 I know what you mean. But on the other hand: Not, if there's a tree growing. Where a tree grows, I automatically watch out for roots.

[@SpringBonnie1983]

​@@FrogeniusW.G.you probably would hear the word tree and go on root lookout mode like Brian from Family Guy (Brian did not look for roots though)

[@nobodyyyyy556]

Go collect your pain and suffering settlement money

[@sertifikali]

I did not know that it was like torture to put trees in such small covered spot. Every local government should apply this knowledge into their designs. Great KZbin short.

[@AfraidMonsters]

The bricks one is way prettier anyways too… even the dirt expanded rather than more concrete. Way prettiet

[@George.Coleman]

Trees are the reason we're here. Let's protect and honour them.

[@cloudsteele1989]

It's funny how people don't realize that even without all of our forests, the life in the oceans provide enough oxygen for the world to be fine. Of course, after the ocean get acidified and polluted to enough of an extent... that won't be the case and we are going to need those forests.

[@johnc3539]

@@cloudsteele1989 Eighty per cent of land animals and plants live in forests and without the trees most of them will die, Then our soil quality would suffer so bad many places would become barren wastelands. I guess we can last a little while by cloning food, but life would be a sad existence to say the least.

[@pinkybro5671]

@@cloudsteele1989we need more than just oxygen from the forests dude. And producing oxygen isn’t the only thing, it’s also a large carbon reservoir, releasing all of that carbon will negatively affect life of earth and that’s too much carbon for the ocean to process in a short amount of time.

[@seth7745]

@@pinkybro5671 That still doesn’t qualify the statement "trees are the reason we are here". That’s rather simplistic take. On a separate note. Time rates of change are important like you say. But that makes me wonder if cutting carbon production too fast could also be bad.

[@pinkybro5671]

@@seth7745 I never said it did, hence why I explained that they aren’t even the largest oxygen producers. It’s impossible to “cut carbon production too fast”, carbon will always be produced as long as there is life on this planet outside of plants.

[@noreenkhan8817]

So true, city management and local authorities in charge of trees need to learn this.

[@bocagelandscape]

They know. Most of the time nobody is listening and that's the problem.

[@jons.6216]

Yes, something like this situation occurred when my mom decided to do some root removal to the city planted parking strip tree on front of our house! Even though these trees were usually put in lawn areas they could still develop problems. Eventually that poor thing - an ornamental sugar maple - was stunted in growth so my parents took it out and replaced it with something that flourished a lot more!

[@blauemadeleine]

Thank you for pointing that out! It is SO cruel for trees to be planted with no future!

[@vacafuega]

Fascinating. Rooting for the trees!

[@cfomascatepetrolina8341]

The sidewalks in here Brazil are ridiculously small, so that mostly neither the tree nor the person is able to be on the same sidewalk at the same time.

[@Aurvqny]

Pior que é verdade. Incrível como um país tão grande como o nosso consegue ter ruas e calçadas TÃO pequenas que nem duas pessoas consigam andar tranquilamente. Eles matam a razão da calçada quando colocam árvores e nem vou falar dos postes....

[@hermosisimamay]

FINALLY! someone pointed to the obvious problems these little branches encounter to become working trees.

[@laurabenevelli6783]

You need to let Chicago about this. I love the fact that the trees can grow and thrive when planted correctly EVEN in the cities when planted in tight spaces. So many people truly don’t understand how important trees and plants are. They are so vital for our health and existence.

[@funlife3484]

Very thoughtful video. We need to create awareness for trees who cannot speak up their pain, but still tries to survive so that we can breathe oxygen. Trees definitely need more space.

[@benjaminledford6111]

A great approach, and looks good, too! Btw, those are Belgian blocks (granite), definitely not bricks.

[@dylanb2990]

Blocks are bricks. Bricks are any building material formed into block shapes.

[@benjaminledford6111]

@@dylanb2990 It is my sad duty to inform you that you've been using the word brick incorrectly all this time.

[@MADGUNSMONSTER]

​@@benjaminledford6111 This is the hill you want to die on, arguing about bricks and blocks? You obviously have NO WOMAN.

[@starlinguk]

​@@dylanb2990Bricks are always baked.

[@Scott-got-caught]

​@@MADGUNSMONSTER😂

[@kkanth0ny]

Every cities need to hire you to redo their trees

[@marilynrowland5197]

Good on you! Trees are precious in so many ways! We need to treat them like the natural treasures they are! Thanks for pointing out the deficiencies they are so often forced to endure!

[@dianemoonstone4715]

Agree completely.

[@davidfitnesstech]

Nice. Also use a species of tree that's not going to *outgrow..* or be *too large* for that environment. (It's specific location).

[@cheyennes7681]

That is exactly what I thought too!

[@jasonayres]

In Australian cities, in recent years, native trees have been planted along sidewalks/ footpaths, in inappropriate conditions. They often grow out over the streets, which is great for shade, but bad for people, especially those who have mobility problems, to get into and out of their cars. These native trees don't respect the paths, or the plumbing systems we've built around them, and smash them up, as the trees grow up. This makes simply walking along the paths, and far worse for those in wheelchairs negotiating their way around them, very difficult. Nice work. Thanks for sharing.

[@plompedu]

This feels alien to watch as someone living in an area with healthy big trees about everywhere

[@clynn4mk]

I never thought about it but it totally makes sense and I love your plan. It looks beautiful.

[@cinnamoncigarettes]

How deep does the soil in the trenches have to be though

[@Dal_9000]

Growing annoyed with trees tearing up the sidewalk only to learn that the issue was that the people who planted it expected it to be able to grow surrounded by concrete, I think there's a good life lesson in there. Thank you, wise old street tree.

[@kathynj6479]

Thank you for this!! I always hated those cut outs. Now I can explain why and have facts to change things.

[@jannajacob219]

This is so sensible that it's amazing it hasn't always been done this way.

[@Billyjoe888]

Engineers literally don’t think trees work like this. They deadass ignore when we tell them it’s not worth it and go ahead and plant trees

[@samgraham6628]

Thank you! I always wondered why the heck they did that to those poor trees. And what a waist of time and resources in the long run. Here in Texas (especially central) they started making new homes and businesses leave a certain amount of existing trees. Well... They DO. But then they will also leave this tiny little hole while the rest of the area is completely paved over. 🤦‍♀️. All of our beautiful shade producing live oaks are having a hard enough time surviving because of oak wilt and then they do stuff like this. We KNOW that it's bad for trees to be like this so why are they still doing it???

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

It’s a shame! We know better, but now we have to do better. We have to demand these types of things whenever we can!

[@samgraham6628]

@@Andrew_the_Arborist yes, we have to just keep pushing! Thank you for making this informative video and sharing💚

[@Andrew_the_Arborist]

@@samgraham6628 Thanks a lot, I appreciate it :)

[@genescallop3179]

Ts just so they can get paid again when it all breaks and they have to redo it using our taxes. Nothing is built to last and its important to hold onto your integrity when making decisions like this as an architect or engineer.

[@KeVIn-pm7pu]

​@@genescallop3179na usually there is some politician that makes restrictions like that so cars dont get less space.

[@zekelor]

The roots also lock together and can provide stability to the sides of the road in the case of disasters or accidents.

[@penpenpencil860]

I went to place the other day that had super large sections of dirt for the trees that was covered by a metal grate so people could walk easier on the sidewalk and the tree could still get water and have room to grow. I found it neat

[@teksight9714]

Thank you. Finally someone said it. We need more youg people like you. You give me hope for the future.

[@valaya.3]

This seems like something that you just don't know until you're told. It wasn't something I thought had such an easy and simple solution! Thank you for sharing the information ❤️

[@destinyhntr]

If you know about roots, it should be common sense that those roots need space

[@valaya.3]

@@destinyhntr but the solution wasn't common sense to me. And it's just one of those things that you don't really think about (unless maybe you're a landscaper/designer)

[@rvind000]

Local authorities in my city need to see this.

[@DawnSuttonfabfour]

Ok Andrew, you are now in charge. You get my vote. Free the trees!

[@arthurhenningsson2166]

Where I live, you'll often see a lawn between the road and the sidewalk, interspersed with trees at such a density as too create a nice roof of leaves above the sidewalk.

[@brewcityboatclub8299]

Also, when the roots push up the pavers, they lift them up more gradually as a mesh rather than as a slab, lessening tripping hazards

[@brianbailey462]

i would think they produce MORE tripping hazards

[@aldomartinez421]

They do this very well in Mexico City! A lot of the streets there look so green and luscious with all of the trees they have there

[@jhezzy]

Disappointing that ppl who plan these projects don't know this information, which seems pretty intuitive. Ty

[@that1pianist]

Cities be planting trees like it's Minecraft

[@bradleymiller7375]

Well said! Now get Cities to listen.

[@frogmanjr]

I LOVE the second tree design!! Much prettier, better for the trees and more shade in the summer

[@NotSure-ky4yo]

Inventory arborist here going around surveying and inspecting trees all around the USA. Trees need space to grow if they are restricted they will try to find a way through it or around it. Let’s plant trees right, care for them as they grow, prune correctly and appreciate them.

[@MsJay0913]

I love the alternative. 😊 I think part of the issue too is that some people just didn't take the time to learn important details about the trees they were planting, like the diameter of the trunk at maturity. But I realize most things are much easier to find now than 20 years ago...

[@tammara]

Get this to all the city planners!!

[@johnmacdonald-bb2zj]

We need thousand more street trees in and around our cities .... these trees strive on and love Carbon.

[@thunderbird1921]

Not to mention they might help with air pollution.

[@AxlAX]

But but but carbon! The evil gas! Honestly, we need more carbon.

[@deadaccount2048]

@@AxlAXHuh? Cant tell if your being sarcastic or what

[@Humulator]

@@AxlAX ?

[@tebec3624]

I was today's years old when I found this out! Wow all these cities planting trees incorrectly! 😢

[@ofcv1238]

Great design upgrade for oblivious communities funding sidewalk & landscaping design planning.

[@mjrussell414]

“A tree grows in Brooklyn” is a good book.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

What's it about?

[@brandywineblue]

And that type of tree will grow anywhere, even a crack in the sidewalk without anyone deliberately planting it there

[@kktg8370]

Summary: street trees need space

[@grim_2000]

and that's exactly the reason why it's not done

[@miles5600]

@@grim_2000why not? We’ve got enough street space to take back from cars which can easily be used for this.

[@FrogeniusW.G.]

Not exactly. The need unsealed soil.

[@grim_2000]

@@miles5600 in big cities it's not an option, because the streets are already in place. You can't remodel the whole city. So you gotta either take space off sidewalks (and even those are not everywhere) or the roads in order to implement this. In most places there's just no space for that. It's a good solution overall & should be definitely done, where possible (in newly developed areas for instance). I'm just saying you can't expect this to be done in the middle of NYC or Chicago, for example

[@miles5600]

@@grim_2000 you know that you can take streets out of their foundation right? It is possible. US cities and especially NYC have roads that’re too wide so this works perfectly. You can take out a piece of the road and put the trees there to narrow the road.

[@carcas3d]

bro honestly that looks good and well planned too

[@watsonwrote]

I imagine the soil around the properly planted street trees also helps with rain drainage vs the fully concrete sidewalks

[@prateeksha4040]

Authorities in Vancouver need this information

[@Von_Magnus]

New Orleans government needs to see this video.

[@Buttercup697]

Every city govt needs to see this video

[@Robert.Smith6969]

I don’t think a few trees are gonna fix New Orleans

[@Von_Magnus]

@@Robert.Smith6969 nothing will fix Nola.

[@masonsharrison]

I actually thought the image in the thumbnail was of a New Orleans street in the Central Business District and decided to watch the video.

[@Von_Magnus]

@@masonsharrison it does look like S. Peter street. Right where Republic and Red Eye grill are.

[@GeographicallyFree]

Thanks for caring. 🌳

[@genespell4340]

I hope some city planners see this video and put the information to good use.

[@shanesanchez2827]

Another clever design I've noticed in a suburb near here is using a rubberized tarmac in place of cement on the sidewalk next to the tree. As the tree grows, it doesn't create any cracks and instead pushes the rubber up, making a lump that's easy to get over or across.

[@Cindy4004]

I really do like that idea, except I wonder how easy/ safe it is to get a wheelchair across it?

[@nicoleowens2318]

​@@Cindy4004or for the visually-impaired

[@a.m.keller3241]

⁠@@Cindy4004there’s a patch I walk by often, it’s pretty even (still sloped but gradually and consistent). I’d say it’s definitely wheelchair friendly

[@a.m.keller3241]

@@nicoleowens2318They are definitely safe for the visually impaired, it’s a gradual and even slope (there’s one by my house). You can definitely tell it’s a different material but it just has a little bit of give which is softer on the feet