I'm going to deviate from the NW Portland-centric theme of this blog for a moment to show you some examples of an urban place that is something of an obsession for me: the hell strip. The hell strip is a name I use to designate the planting strip and all that lives between the sidewalk and the street. My longtime obsession with this spot arises out of a strongly held view that it doesn't need to be hellish. These urban spaces are technically in the publically-owned right-of-way, and are home to many a tree. The homeowner who lives adjacent can implement all manner of landscaping weirdness here, but a common choice is to do nothing, as in the photo above.
Even worse is the idea that the planting strip is a messy place, and needs tidying up. Instead of planting anything, a homeowner will decide on the low-maintenance option: paving or bricks, like this:
Other landscaping decisions about this spot are beyond my understanding, like this fake plastic planter.
It's true the planting strip doesn't necessarily lend itself to a tree; they come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes the spot is just too constrained for anything with a root system. But there are nice little touches you come across, even in constrained spots.
Even if the spot doesn't have trees and contribute ecologically to the city, it can have a meaningful impact aesthetically. One tasteful design choice is to echo the landscaping decisions of the private property. This tunnel of red foliage in NE Portland is a favorite example of this.
Ecologically, planting trees in these somewhat marginal spaces has a significant impact. Trees are important contributors to air quality, act as giant filters for stormwater runoff, and are the places where birds and other urban animals do a good portion of their living. What's more, the design decisions you make here can improve the walking experience for your everyday pedestrian, like me. Whatever your motivation, the message is simple: plant more trees.
