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Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2022 11:43 pm
by FangKC

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:32 am
by smh
Has anyone read or heard anything about the maintenance plan for these trees? It would be great to see these trees thrive, but given their small size I question whether they will succeed without significant attention.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 10:43 am
by moderne
Probably no maintenance plans. I tried repeatedly in vain to get watering for hundreds of trees in my neighborhood planted a year ago. They are all mostly dead looking now, will take some divine intervention for any to make it till spring. City seems to not plan for maintenance for anything it does.
In tree planting in neighborhoods they need to do some community outreach before planting to get people to take interest and realize value of trees to their environment and property values. So many trees in front of single family residences get no love. Especially problematic on east side where so many homes are rental and people have no vested interest in the long term aspect.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:05 pm
by FangKC
In residential neighborhoods, they have to count on the resident near the tree to water it. This is not a practical approach because many people don't think it's their responsibility. Your example of renters is spot on. In low-income neighborhoods, homeowners and renters aren't going to add to their water bills to do it. In some low-income neighborhoods, a majority of the houses are rentals.

The City should plan to water the trees it plants, but I doubt they have the budget for it. Community outreach should be done, but again I doubt they have a budget. The City can barely maintain the parks and boulevards -- much less street trees.

It's a shame because newly-planted trees only need to be watered for a couple of years after planting then they usually do okay on their own.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:14 pm
by normalthings
smh wrote: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:32 am Has anyone read or heard anything about the maintenance plan for these trees? It would be great to see these trees thrive, but given their small size I question whether they will succeed without significant attention.
Bridging the Gap system seemed successful. City pays for the trees and volunteers come plant them after the property owner requests them and agrees to water for 2 years.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2022 6:46 pm
by DaveKCMO
smh wrote: Sun Oct 30, 2022 8:32 am Has anyone read or heard anything about the maintenance plan for these trees? It would be great to see these trees thrive, but given their small size I question whether they will succeed without significant attention.
The Crossroads trees have two years of watering and maintenance by the neighborhood association. You're welcome!

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 7:40 am
by FangKC
A Tale of Two Cities: The Intersection of Trees, Policy and Culture

...studies show that when cities take a proactive approach to street tree care, they have lower maintenance costs with greater benefit than cities that neglect timely tree care.
...
https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/tale-two-citi ... nd-culture

The transport benefits of street trees in cities
...
The literature is quite clear on this topic: people drive fast on big wide roads, and creating a visually constrained roadway is the best means to keep then to the speed limit (ever been infuriated driving on the highway behind someone who is slow on the single lane sections, but who speeds up second they get to the passing lane? That’s them simply responding to the form of the road: going slow and cautious on the narrow winding bits, and driving faster when it goes wide and straight. Its a simple, instinctive perceptual response…)

So we prefer to see this ‘problem’ as part of the solution. Here the trees become a perceptual traffic safety device for reducing speeding and keeping traffic moving efficiently at the proper speed limit.
...
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2015 ... in-cities/

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2022 8:09 am
by FangKC
FangKC wrote: Tue Nov 01, 2022 7:40 am
A Tale of Two Cities: The Intersection of Trees, Policy and Culture

...studies show that when cities take a proactive approach to street tree care, they have lower maintenance costs with greater benefit than cities that neglect timely tree care.
...
https://ihpl.llu.edu/blog/tale-two-citi ... nd-culture

The transport benefits of street trees in cities
...
The literature is quite clear on this topic: people drive fast on big wide roads, and creating a visually constrained roadway is the best means to keep then to the speed limit (ever been infuriated driving on the highway behind someone who is slow on the single lane sections, but who speeds up second they get to the passing lane? That’s them simply responding to the form of the road: going slow and cautious on the narrow winding bits, and driving faster when it goes wide and straight. Its a simple, instinctive perceptual response…)

So we prefer to see this ‘problem’ as part of the solution. Here the trees become a perceptual traffic safety device for reducing speeding and keeping traffic moving efficiently at the proper speed limit.
...
https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/2015 ... in-cities/
DaveKCMO, when you are on a long train journey, here is some light reading.

https://www.amazon.com/Politics-Street ... e904010ad0

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2023 12:29 am
by FangKC

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2023 1:09 pm
by AlbertHammond
MARC worked with MultiStudio to create a couple of model ordinances for cities to use as a starting point for new or updated ordinances on tree preservation and weed control/native plants. Several metro cities are already using these to update their ordinance. Many others should be.

http://marc2.org/assets/environment/gre ... dEvans.pdf

Image

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:38 pm
by FangKC

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:54 pm
by moderne
Finally a plan that tries to address post-planting needs of trees.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:38 pm
by FangKC
Kansas City just passed an ordinance to make developers protect trees — or pay up

https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-03-17/tr ... fine-plant

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2023 10:22 am
by DaveKCMO
moderne wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 9:54 pm Finally a plan that tries to address post-planting needs of trees.
More details: https://kccrossroads.org/street-tree-initiative/

Next planting is in April/May and will include some trees at the KCPL substation at 18th & Cherry.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Sat May 13, 2023 9:32 pm
by FangKC
City is providing free trees to KC residents. Join the waiting list.

https://www.kcmo.gov/city-hall/departme ... free-trees

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 1:47 pm
by smh
Any idea why all of the trees were cut down on 17th in the Westside?

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:10 pm
by KC_Ari
Power lines, I believe.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 12:46 pm
by smh
KC_Ari wrote: Fri Jun 02, 2023 7:10 pm Power lines, I believe.
Grim.

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2023 2:43 pm
by rxlexi
I noticed the chopped down trees along 17th when going to Bluebird yesterday as well. It's a pretty dramatic difference, so frustrating.

Unsure if there are replacements planned?

Re: Trees in KC (ongoing)

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2023 11:35 am
by moderne
You can see lots of trees hideously butchered by utility crews when their crown grows into utility lines. City now tries to plant smaller variety trees when under power lines, but often these need attention as they grow as branching occurs so low as to interfere with peds and cars.