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Trees for T.O. Streets please.

M

miketoronto

Guest
Guys, check out these pics from downtown Portland, OR. Notice anything in these pics? Yep, the trees.
And its not just a couple streets that have this treatment. Most downtown Portland streets are covered in trees. Just think if Toronto did this on our downtown streets. It would make a summer stroll even more great.

If Portland can seem to keep them alive, I am sure we could. Look at how much they add to the city.

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Okay. First of all, the left coast tends to be extraordinarily tree-friendly (ever been to Vancouver?), and it's underlined by the fact that the "tree industry" practically *made* Oregon. It doesn't mean one can snap one's fingers and turn Toronto into urban Oregon.

Second of all, maybe this doesn't apply to the downtownest of downtown streets, but IMO Toronto *does* have a tree-friendly reputation already--thanks to the older residential areas, the ravines, etc.

Third, cities are about people. And for all those trees, I don't see an awful lot of people in those pics--there's even a bit of desolation...
 
I'm a big tree fan as well...a lot of city streets would be enhanced with the presence of trees.
 
Thats true, the west coast has tons of trees there!
I love it. It does make the city look good too, but we do have a lot of tress here in T.O, however where the new condos are going up (cityplace) there isn't a lot there.
 
I agree that Toronto has a mixed history when it comes to its urban forest -- during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, for example, many a street tree was chopped down to make way for road widenings.

It's not as simple as simply encouraging more tree plantings in Toronto, though. Yes, we could do better. But the biggest enemy of street trees in this city is not complacency or lack of effort -- it's road salt (and to a lesser extent bad planting techniques -- although the City's Forestry department has for the past few years been mandating that plantings be done in a manner so that the trees are at least viable). The road salt does more damage to Toronto's street trees than anything else. I have never been to Portland, but I suspect it's geographic location and more temperate climate result in substantially less use of road salt, allowing the street trees to thrive.
 
We haven't a d MikeToronto - I saw these pics and thought they would be adaptable to Toronto's situation without actually thinking about the logic - in a long time.

More trees - great, but we can't just magically snap are fingers and hope for the best.
IMO Toronto's residential area's are well treed, downtown does seem to be lacking, however, overall be do have more trees then Montreal.
 
In addition to the salt problem, it would be interesting to learn how the trees in Portland are nourished... ie... they go right into the sidewalk in a lot of pics... what's underneath?

Our trees are stuck in little concrete boxes. Perhaps Portland's have a larger area for their root system?

Some cities supposedly have underground watering systems too.
 
We have plenty of trees, but Portland obviously has us beat when it comes to rocks for the mermen to sit on.
 
Those are beautiful streetscapes and the use of paving stone and landscape is definately something we should aim for in more areas (as opposed to tree stumps and tar patches on sidewalks).
 
In addition to the salt problem, it would be interesting to learn how the trees in Portland are nourished
Click to expand...

Portland like Vancouver gets a lot more rain than we do.
 
Which not only nurishes the trees, it also means that it's never sunny, so shadows aren't a problem, right? ;)

I'd like to see more trees on streets, but given the state of the current crop of trees and other landscaping along city streets in Toronto, I'd fear for their lives. I'd hate to think of sending all those poor trees to their deaths.
 
Look at some of Toronto's older residential neighbourhoods.. incredibly lush and green in the summer. We certainly have the climate to support trees, which I agree we need more of in certain parts of the city.

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