LA Course #GCE-1-2303
Neighborhood Trees
Edited by Richard W Gibney
Sections Go directly to the Section by clicking on the title below
Neighborhood Trees
Edited by Richard W Gibney
Sections Go directly to the Section by clicking on the title below
Note: Click on green text in each section for more information and photos.
The 3-30-300 Rule
Edited by Len Phillips
Urban forests provide a wide range of essential benefits to deal with climate change, global warming, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Forests also provide a calm place for people to walk and enjoy tranquility.
The current state of research and practice to grow more trees and vegetation in our neighborhoods and cities are complex and guidelines are seldom followed. One common guideline for improving the environmental quality of our cities is called the 3-30-300 rule. This simple rule was developed by Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch, the Director of Nature Based Solutions Institute & Program Director (Master of Urban Forestry Leadership), at the University of British Columbia where he focuses on our urban forests. He also recognizes that we have to consider many different aspects of the urban forest in order to be successful. The program addresses the need for urban forests to percolate into our living environments. At the same time, each rule is straightforward to implement and monitor.
-3-
The first rule is that every citizen should be able to see at least 3 trees of a decent size from their home. Recent research demonstrates the importance of nearby trees, especially visible and green, is for mental health and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been bound to their homes or their direct neighborhoods. Fortunately, this rule is already in effect in many cities, homes, and in places of great importance. This means that many trees, shrubs, and plants in gardens and along the streets of many cities are seen and appreciated. The Danish municipality of Frederiksberg, for example, has a tree policy that calls for every citizen to see at least one tree from their house or apartment. Looking at Frediksberg from the air, via Google Earth, it is clearly visible that absolutely every house has a tree in the front yard and every building is surrounded by trees. This is very different from cities in Europe and the US.
-30-
The second rule is very popular in the United States, where they take this 3-30-300 rule one step further. The goal should be 30% tree canopy cover in every neighborhood. Many of the most ambitious cities in the world such as Barcelona, Bristol, Canberra, Seattle, and Vancouver, have set a target of achieving a 30% tree canopy cover throughout the city. At the neighborhood level, 30% should be a minimum, and cities should strive for even higher canopy cover when possible. Studies have shown a person's association within an urban forest canopy derives health benefits from cooling and better micro-climates as well as improved mental and physical health. The canopy can also reduce air pollution and city noise. By creating more leafy neighborhoods, we also encourage people to spend more time outdoors and interacting with their neighbors, which in turn promotes positive social health.
-300-
Many studies have highlighted the importance of proximity and easy access to high-quality green spaces that can be used for recreation. A safe 5-10 minute stroll is often mentioned. The European Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends a maximum distance of 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the nearest green space of at least an acre (half hectare) in size. This encourages the recreational use of green space with improvements to both physical and mental health. Of course, it will be important to work with local context, as the needs in low-density suburban areas will be different from those in dense urban areas.
Efforts also need to be made to provide access to high-quality urban green space in parks or in the form of linear green spaces that double as cycle corridors and walking paths.
Applying the 3-30-300 rule will improve and expand the local urban forest in many cities, and with that promote health, well-being, and resilience.
The 3-30-300 Rule
Edited by Len Phillips
Urban forests provide a wide range of essential benefits to deal with climate change, global warming, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Forests also provide a calm place for people to walk and enjoy tranquility.
The current state of research and practice to grow more trees and vegetation in our neighborhoods and cities are complex and guidelines are seldom followed. One common guideline for improving the environmental quality of our cities is called the 3-30-300 rule. This simple rule was developed by Cecil Konijnendijk van den Bosch, the Director of Nature Based Solutions Institute & Program Director (Master of Urban Forestry Leadership), at the University of British Columbia where he focuses on our urban forests. He also recognizes that we have to consider many different aspects of the urban forest in order to be successful. The program addresses the need for urban forests to percolate into our living environments. At the same time, each rule is straightforward to implement and monitor.
-3-
The first rule is that every citizen should be able to see at least 3 trees of a decent size from their home. Recent research demonstrates the importance of nearby trees, especially visible and green, is for mental health and well-being. During the COVID-19 pandemic, people have been bound to their homes or their direct neighborhoods. Fortunately, this rule is already in effect in many cities, homes, and in places of great importance. This means that many trees, shrubs, and plants in gardens and along the streets of many cities are seen and appreciated. The Danish municipality of Frederiksberg, for example, has a tree policy that calls for every citizen to see at least one tree from their house or apartment. Looking at Frediksberg from the air, via Google Earth, it is clearly visible that absolutely every house has a tree in the front yard and every building is surrounded by trees. This is very different from cities in Europe and the US.
-30-
The second rule is very popular in the United States, where they take this 3-30-300 rule one step further. The goal should be 30% tree canopy cover in every neighborhood. Many of the most ambitious cities in the world such as Barcelona, Bristol, Canberra, Seattle, and Vancouver, have set a target of achieving a 30% tree canopy cover throughout the city. At the neighborhood level, 30% should be a minimum, and cities should strive for even higher canopy cover when possible. Studies have shown a person's association within an urban forest canopy derives health benefits from cooling and better micro-climates as well as improved mental and physical health. The canopy can also reduce air pollution and city noise. By creating more leafy neighborhoods, we also encourage people to spend more time outdoors and interacting with their neighbors, which in turn promotes positive social health.
-300-
Many studies have highlighted the importance of proximity and easy access to high-quality green spaces that can be used for recreation. A safe 5-10 minute stroll is often mentioned. The European Regional Office of the World Health Organization recommends a maximum distance of 1,000 feet (300 meters) to the nearest green space of at least an acre (half hectare) in size. This encourages the recreational use of green space with improvements to both physical and mental health. Of course, it will be important to work with local context, as the needs in low-density suburban areas will be different from those in dense urban areas.
Efforts also need to be made to provide access to high-quality urban green space in parks or in the form of linear green spaces that double as cycle corridors and walking paths.
Applying the 3-30-300 rule will improve and expand the local urban forest in many cities, and with that promote health, well-being, and resilience.
City of Hamilton, Ohio
David S. Bienemann
Trees are an important part of the City of Hamilton’s identity and history, evident in the older sections of town where large Oaks and Buckeyes still stand from the days of Fort Hamilton, 200 years ago. Ohio is called "the Buckeye State" partly because many Buckeye trees grow all over the state's hills and plains. The Buckeye name also comes from the Native American name "hetuck” for the nuts that resembled the eyes of the male “buck” deer.
In August of 1794, the Battle of Fallen Timbers occurred, and Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne’s troops defeated the Indian leaders Little Turtle and Blue Jacket. Fort Hamilton was closed in 1796 and was sold at auction.
Hamilton was incorporated in 1810 with 242 people, but when a town is built on the site of a fort (Fort Hamilton), it is allowed to use the fort's completion date as its founding date, thus, the reason Hamilton claims 1791 as its founding.
The City of Hamilton’s street trees are a valuable municipal resource and a critical component of Hamilton’s green infrastructure. For many years the city has been proactive in planting trees in the public rights-of-way, golf courses and parks. However, the need to manage the health of the city’s urban forest has become a recent and important priority. Major storms have knocked down many city street and park trees resulting in tree-related power outages and infrastructure damage. Recognizing the importance of long-term tree care and in response to such storm events, the city hired a Municipal Arborist in 2016. The Municipal Arborist provides professional management in the effort of sustaining and enhancing the urban forest for future generations.
As Municipal Arborist Bienemann began his career, he initiated two major projects in 2016 to better understand Hamilton’s urban forest and to quantify the positive impact this municipal resource has on the community. The first was a Global Positioning System (GPS) Street Tree Inventory that recorded the species, condition, diameter, and infrastructure concerns (such as wires, sidewalks, tree lawn size, and visibility) of every tree located within a public right-of-way, city golf course, or city park. The second project involved an i-Tree analysis of the city’s complete urban forest utilizing the GPS Street Tree Inventory data to facilitate benefit-cost modeling in order to identify structure, function, value, and maintenance needs. Using this information, a long-term preventive maintenance program was created and implemented for preserving Hamilton’s urban forest.
The City of Hamilton manages 14,163 street, park, and golf course trees in public rights-of way and on City-owned green spaces. All the tree planting, pruning and removals are done by contractors while two interns water all new tree installations. Hamilton Public Works has 6 employees dedicated to green spaces (i.e. - mowing, clearing brush, and right-of-way violations) while Hamilton Parks Conservancy has 6 employees dedicated to green spaces (i.e. - planting and maintaining park flowers/landscape beds, mowing, and clearing brush).
There are additional unmanaged trees located within the rights-of-way, such as natural areas and privately planted trees. The city has a total of 42 parks which includes two 18-hole golf courses covering 1,600 acres. A majority of Hamilton’s city-managed trees are in good condition (58.31%), with 26.43% classified as fair, 10.89% in poor condition, and 4.37% are dead or dying. The urban forestry management plan is designed to manage the entire existing tree population to increase its lifespan and maintain the flow of benefits.
Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths in urban areas. The total value to replace the City of Hamilton’s city-managed trees with trees of similar size, species, and condition would cost approximately $16,375,426. The breakdown is $12,028,986 for street trees, $3,110,669 for park trees, and $1,235,771 for golf course trees based on the i-Tree Project completed in 2016.
The City of Hamilton has 9,770 open planting sites (5,344 – Small Growing Trees that are 20-25 feet tall, 2,319 – Medium Growing Trees that are 35-40 feet tall and 2,107 – Large Growing Trees that are 40 feet and taller). Each planting site is being further inspected using an Urban Site Index (USI) created by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry to categorize each site as poor (P), intermediate (I) and good (G) rating for small, medium and large size trees. The objective is to plant the Right Tree in the Right Place.
We plant an average of 300 trees per year (150 in the spring and 150 in autumn). The city gives away an additional 100 seedlings to elementary school children for Arbor Day, 100 native hardwood seedlings to the Riverside Natural Area for forest restoration and 50 5-gallon trees to citizens for our Energy Saving Trees Program through Hamilton Utilities.
The City’s objective is to follow the 10-20-30 rule for diversity. The city will plant no more than 10% of any one species, no more than 20% of any one genus, and no more than 30% of any family of trees. This is necessary to reduce the impact of any future invasive insect pests or new diseases that could harm Hamilton’s urban forest.
We focused on the high-risk trees and are working our way toward routine maintenance of the trees. We have been pruning for structure and health of the new street plantings since 2016. We had 2000 dead standing trees in 2016 and less than 300 trees to finish between streets (135 trees) and parks (165 trees). Once this is finished, we will focus on trees that are dead and/or have broken branches as the next priority. We are also focused on getting the mulch levels to the root flare for better tree health. Newly planted trees are watered bi-weekly for the first two years between May and November. We have been able to maintain a 41% canopy cover with our improved urban forestry program.
Canopy cover is the driving force behind the urban forest’s ability to produce benefits for the community. As canopy cover increases, so do the benefits afforded by the leaf surface area. Hamilton’s urban forest resource is vulnerable and must be proactively managed to sustain benefits, safety, and aesthetics in the short and long term. It is critical that the city continues to plant new trees throughout the public rights-of-way and city-owned green spaces.
Under the direction of the Municipal Arborist, Hamilton’s urban forestry program aims to significantly reduce overtime costs in both the Utilities and Public Works Departments. By better managing city-owned trees, it also seeks to minimize the liability and claims due to property damage. Overall, these efforts will help the city maintain services to the public with reduced long-term operating costs.
The City of Hamilton strives to create an urban forestry program that is one of the elite programs in Ohio and the United States. The Municipal Arborist continues to pursue new technologies, the latest arboriculture training, and most recent research to bring the program to the next level. Hamilton is a great city in which to work, live, and play, and street and park trees substantially improve the quality of life in the community. The magnitude of benefits and environmental services provided by trees offer a compelling argument for continued tree care and resource management.
David S. Bienemann is the Municipal Arborist/Utility Forester for the City of Hamilton, Ohio.
David S. Bienemann
Trees are an important part of the City of Hamilton’s identity and history, evident in the older sections of town where large Oaks and Buckeyes still stand from the days of Fort Hamilton, 200 years ago. Ohio is called "the Buckeye State" partly because many Buckeye trees grow all over the state's hills and plains. The Buckeye name also comes from the Native American name "hetuck” for the nuts that resembled the eyes of the male “buck” deer.
In August of 1794, the Battle of Fallen Timbers occurred, and Gen. “Mad” Anthony Wayne’s troops defeated the Indian leaders Little Turtle and Blue Jacket. Fort Hamilton was closed in 1796 and was sold at auction.
Hamilton was incorporated in 1810 with 242 people, but when a town is built on the site of a fort (Fort Hamilton), it is allowed to use the fort's completion date as its founding date, thus, the reason Hamilton claims 1791 as its founding.
The City of Hamilton’s street trees are a valuable municipal resource and a critical component of Hamilton’s green infrastructure. For many years the city has been proactive in planting trees in the public rights-of-way, golf courses and parks. However, the need to manage the health of the city’s urban forest has become a recent and important priority. Major storms have knocked down many city street and park trees resulting in tree-related power outages and infrastructure damage. Recognizing the importance of long-term tree care and in response to such storm events, the city hired a Municipal Arborist in 2016. The Municipal Arborist provides professional management in the effort of sustaining and enhancing the urban forest for future generations.
As Municipal Arborist Bienemann began his career, he initiated two major projects in 2016 to better understand Hamilton’s urban forest and to quantify the positive impact this municipal resource has on the community. The first was a Global Positioning System (GPS) Street Tree Inventory that recorded the species, condition, diameter, and infrastructure concerns (such as wires, sidewalks, tree lawn size, and visibility) of every tree located within a public right-of-way, city golf course, or city park. The second project involved an i-Tree analysis of the city’s complete urban forest utilizing the GPS Street Tree Inventory data to facilitate benefit-cost modeling in order to identify structure, function, value, and maintenance needs. Using this information, a long-term preventive maintenance program was created and implemented for preserving Hamilton’s urban forest.
The City of Hamilton manages 14,163 street, park, and golf course trees in public rights-of way and on City-owned green spaces. All the tree planting, pruning and removals are done by contractors while two interns water all new tree installations. Hamilton Public Works has 6 employees dedicated to green spaces (i.e. - mowing, clearing brush, and right-of-way violations) while Hamilton Parks Conservancy has 6 employees dedicated to green spaces (i.e. - planting and maintaining park flowers/landscape beds, mowing, and clearing brush).
There are additional unmanaged trees located within the rights-of-way, such as natural areas and privately planted trees. The city has a total of 42 parks which includes two 18-hole golf courses covering 1,600 acres. A majority of Hamilton’s city-managed trees are in good condition (58.31%), with 26.43% classified as fair, 10.89% in poor condition, and 4.37% are dead or dying. The urban forestry management plan is designed to manage the entire existing tree population to increase its lifespan and maintain the flow of benefits.
Trees play a critical role in creating healthier, safer, and more connected communities. They clean our air, filter our water, and even slow storm surge and flooding in our cities. Trees also provide shade and cool our cities by up to 10 degrees, which can help prevent heat-related deaths in urban areas. The total value to replace the City of Hamilton’s city-managed trees with trees of similar size, species, and condition would cost approximately $16,375,426. The breakdown is $12,028,986 for street trees, $3,110,669 for park trees, and $1,235,771 for golf course trees based on the i-Tree Project completed in 2016.
The City of Hamilton has 9,770 open planting sites (5,344 – Small Growing Trees that are 20-25 feet tall, 2,319 – Medium Growing Trees that are 35-40 feet tall and 2,107 – Large Growing Trees that are 40 feet and taller). Each planting site is being further inspected using an Urban Site Index (USI) created by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry to categorize each site as poor (P), intermediate (I) and good (G) rating for small, medium and large size trees. The objective is to plant the Right Tree in the Right Place.
We plant an average of 300 trees per year (150 in the spring and 150 in autumn). The city gives away an additional 100 seedlings to elementary school children for Arbor Day, 100 native hardwood seedlings to the Riverside Natural Area for forest restoration and 50 5-gallon trees to citizens for our Energy Saving Trees Program through Hamilton Utilities.
The City’s objective is to follow the 10-20-30 rule for diversity. The city will plant no more than 10% of any one species, no more than 20% of any one genus, and no more than 30% of any family of trees. This is necessary to reduce the impact of any future invasive insect pests or new diseases that could harm Hamilton’s urban forest.
We focused on the high-risk trees and are working our way toward routine maintenance of the trees. We have been pruning for structure and health of the new street plantings since 2016. We had 2000 dead standing trees in 2016 and less than 300 trees to finish between streets (135 trees) and parks (165 trees). Once this is finished, we will focus on trees that are dead and/or have broken branches as the next priority. We are also focused on getting the mulch levels to the root flare for better tree health. Newly planted trees are watered bi-weekly for the first two years between May and November. We have been able to maintain a 41% canopy cover with our improved urban forestry program.
Canopy cover is the driving force behind the urban forest’s ability to produce benefits for the community. As canopy cover increases, so do the benefits afforded by the leaf surface area. Hamilton’s urban forest resource is vulnerable and must be proactively managed to sustain benefits, safety, and aesthetics in the short and long term. It is critical that the city continues to plant new trees throughout the public rights-of-way and city-owned green spaces.
Under the direction of the Municipal Arborist, Hamilton’s urban forestry program aims to significantly reduce overtime costs in both the Utilities and Public Works Departments. By better managing city-owned trees, it also seeks to minimize the liability and claims due to property damage. Overall, these efforts will help the city maintain services to the public with reduced long-term operating costs.
The City of Hamilton strives to create an urban forestry program that is one of the elite programs in Ohio and the United States. The Municipal Arborist continues to pursue new technologies, the latest arboriculture training, and most recent research to bring the program to the next level. Hamilton is a great city in which to work, live, and play, and street and park trees substantially improve the quality of life in the community. The magnitude of benefits and environmental services provided by trees offer a compelling argument for continued tree care and resource management.
David S. Bienemann is the Municipal Arborist/Utility Forester for the City of Hamilton, Ohio.
The Mueller Neighborhood
Edited by Len Phillips
In the Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas, there is a major project that is one of the first to achieve LEED certification for Neighborhood Development. (LEED is a national green building rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Mary Elizabeth Branch Park is providing residents with a newly SITES certified place to gather and play, making this the first project to combine these two rating systems in the world. (SITES is a sustainable program that encourages landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the local benefits that provide our communities such things as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation.) There are several major housing projects also going up in the Mueller neighborhood.
The Mueller neighborhood was carefully designed to be a beacon of sustainable development through a partnership between the City of Austin and a local development company. This neighborhood is being developed on a former airport site with the goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income housing in the heart of the city.
Gail Vittori, a LEED Fellow, encouraged the Mueller team to apply for the pilot program of LEED for Neighborhood Development, noting that the rating system would provide a concrete, actionable guide to meet their ambitious sustainability goals. LEED validates emerging concepts, supported by a transparent process that enlists experts and public comment.
In 2009, the Mueller team achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification and became the largest Gold certified LEED project in the world. This effort resulted in:
• creative solutions like solar panels to provide power to the many homes being built and photovoltaic
outdoor art,
• a commitment to native vegetation and trees,
• an extremely effective district-scale storm water management system,
• diverting more than 63,000 tons of construction and demolition debris from landfills as of 2016,
• construction of Mary Elizabeth Branch Park.
Mueller is now home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainability building practices, with 25 percent of Mueller’s residences participating in an ambitious affordable housing program, ensuring that a diverse array of residents can enjoy the health benefits of a green, sustainable and healthy home.
After witnessing the powerful benefits of LEED certification in the neighborhood for several years, it was evident that green certifications were a positive step for Mueller. That’s why the team behind Mueller’s Mary Elizabeth Branch Park pursued SITES certification for sustainable landscape development when it was time to break ground in 2017.
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park has something for everyone: a playground, waterscape, dog run, volleyball courts, a hillside viewing area, expansive open lawns, athletic fields, and enjoyable areas for all age groups. As the project team attempted to ensure it would also be sustainable, the numerous synergies between LEED and SITES made the adoption of the new rating system run more smoothly.
Tree Planting
Applying SITES strategies to the project had a direct impact on the design and distribution of program elements. Branch Park has created nature where there once was none. Over 200 trees were planted on the 3.5-acre site that was the former airport. The introduction of trees, plants and places for people promotes physical activity, restorative experiences and social interaction.
It is now home to the city’s most popular farmers’ market, with nearly 100 local and regional vendors. In addition to advancing the park’s ecological goals, these decisions create a unique, regionally appropriate civic space. The project not only features high levels of recycled materials, but most of the project’s materials are sourced from within 500 miles of the site, using native stone to replicate the Texas Hill Country landscape in which the park is situated. Many of those materials function as permeable pavers that are also part of the project’s stormwater management plan.
Branch Park’s original focus on native vegetation and re-greening paid off well. The park consists of 90 percent native vegetation. Elsewhere in the project, the plants used in the vegetative absorption zones are native and locally appropriate. Despite the extensive gardens in the park, less water is needed because of the use of drought-tolerant and adapted species. Native tree species provide shade for the site’s users and habitat for its wildlife dwellers. This cleverly designed park is a microcosm of Mueller’s overarching mission: one that works with the natural environment rather than against it, providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable neighborhood to call home.
The goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and a mixed-income community in the heart of the city has been achieved. As of mid-2021, Mueller is home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainable building practices. Through their LEED ND and SITES certifications, the Mueller teams continue to strive toward sustainable excellence.
Source
• Genesee Kortick and Sumner Byrne, “How Austin’s Mueller neighborhood is breaking new ground”,
Sustainable Sites Initiative. July 12, 2021
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Edited by Len Phillips
In the Mueller neighborhood of Austin, Texas, there is a major project that is one of the first to achieve LEED certification for Neighborhood Development. (LEED is a national green building rating system. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The Mary Elizabeth Branch Park is providing residents with a newly SITES certified place to gather and play, making this the first project to combine these two rating systems in the world. (SITES is a sustainable program that encourages landscape architects, engineers and others toward practices that protect ecosystems and enhance the local benefits that provide our communities such things as climate regulation, carbon storage and flood mitigation.) There are several major housing projects also going up in the Mueller neighborhood.
The Mueller neighborhood was carefully designed to be a beacon of sustainable development through a partnership between the City of Austin and a local development company. This neighborhood is being developed on a former airport site with the goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and mixed-income housing in the heart of the city.
Gail Vittori, a LEED Fellow, encouraged the Mueller team to apply for the pilot program of LEED for Neighborhood Development, noting that the rating system would provide a concrete, actionable guide to meet their ambitious sustainability goals. LEED validates emerging concepts, supported by a transparent process that enlists experts and public comment.
In 2009, the Mueller team achieved LEED for Neighborhood Development Gold certification and became the largest Gold certified LEED project in the world. This effort resulted in:
• creative solutions like solar panels to provide power to the many homes being built and photovoltaic
outdoor art,
• a commitment to native vegetation and trees,
• an extremely effective district-scale storm water management system,
• diverting more than 63,000 tons of construction and demolition debris from landfills as of 2016,
• construction of Mary Elizabeth Branch Park.
Mueller is now home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainability building practices, with 25 percent of Mueller’s residences participating in an ambitious affordable housing program, ensuring that a diverse array of residents can enjoy the health benefits of a green, sustainable and healthy home.
After witnessing the powerful benefits of LEED certification in the neighborhood for several years, it was evident that green certifications were a positive step for Mueller. That’s why the team behind Mueller’s Mary Elizabeth Branch Park pursued SITES certification for sustainable landscape development when it was time to break ground in 2017.
Mary Elizabeth Branch Park has something for everyone: a playground, waterscape, dog run, volleyball courts, a hillside viewing area, expansive open lawns, athletic fields, and enjoyable areas for all age groups. As the project team attempted to ensure it would also be sustainable, the numerous synergies between LEED and SITES made the adoption of the new rating system run more smoothly.
Tree Planting
Applying SITES strategies to the project had a direct impact on the design and distribution of program elements. Branch Park has created nature where there once was none. Over 200 trees were planted on the 3.5-acre site that was the former airport. The introduction of trees, plants and places for people promotes physical activity, restorative experiences and social interaction.
It is now home to the city’s most popular farmers’ market, with nearly 100 local and regional vendors. In addition to advancing the park’s ecological goals, these decisions create a unique, regionally appropriate civic space. The project not only features high levels of recycled materials, but most of the project’s materials are sourced from within 500 miles of the site, using native stone to replicate the Texas Hill Country landscape in which the park is situated. Many of those materials function as permeable pavers that are also part of the project’s stormwater management plan.
Branch Park’s original focus on native vegetation and re-greening paid off well. The park consists of 90 percent native vegetation. Elsewhere in the project, the plants used in the vegetative absorption zones are native and locally appropriate. Despite the extensive gardens in the park, less water is needed because of the use of drought-tolerant and adapted species. Native tree species provide shade for the site’s users and habitat for its wildlife dwellers. This cleverly designed park is a microcosm of Mueller’s overarching mission: one that works with the natural environment rather than against it, providing a safe, healthy, and sustainable neighborhood to call home.
The goal of creating a sustainable, transit-oriented, mixed-use and a mixed-income community in the heart of the city has been achieved. As of mid-2021, Mueller is home to 21 LEED certified spaces for their sustainable building practices. Through their LEED ND and SITES certifications, the Mueller teams continue to strive toward sustainable excellence.
Source
• Genesee Kortick and Sumner Byrne, “How Austin’s Mueller neighborhood is breaking new ground”,
Sustainable Sites Initiative. July 12, 2021
The test that follows contains 30 questions. Before taking the test be sure you have read the article carefully. The passing grade is 80% on the entire test.
LA CES will award 1.0 PDH (HSW) credit for a passing grade. North Carolina Board of LA and New Jersey Board of Architects will award 1.0 credits for a passing grade.
The cost for taking this test is $20 per credit. If you purchase an annual subscription for 12 credits, the cost per credit is reduced by 50% (see Annual Subscription link below). We will report your passing test score to LA CES. If you are also ISA* certified we will report your passing score to ISA for no additional cost. Please be sure to add your ISA Certification number when you sign in. Tests with passing scores may be submitted only once to each organization.
*ISA has approved this course for .5 CEUs per section for a total of 1.5 CEUs.
To take the test by the pay per test option, click on the 'Pay Now' button below where you can send payment securely with your credit card or Pay Pal account. After your payment is submitted, click on ‘Return to Merchant' / gibneyCE.com. That will take you to the test sign in page followed by the test. If you are an ISA and/or CLARB member, please be sure to include your certification/member number(s) along with your LA license and ASLA numbers.
To take the test as an annual subscriber with reduced rates, click on Password and enter your test password which will take you to the test sign in page. If you would like to become a subscriber see our Annual Subscription page for details.
When you have finished answering all questions you will be prompted to click ‘next’ to send your answers to gibneyCE.com. You can then click ‘next’ to view your test summary. A test review of your answers is available upon request. You can spend as much time as you would like to take the test but it is important not to leave the test site until you have answered all the questions and see the 'sending your answers' response.
Test re-takes are allowed, however you will have to pay for the retake if you are using the pay per test option.
All passing test scores are sent from gibneyCE.com to your organization(s) at the end of every month and they will appear on your certification record 4 to 6 weeks after that.
LA CES maintains a record of earned PDH credits on their website http://laces.asla.org/
ISA maintains a record of earned CEU credits on their website http://www.isa-arbor.com/