Purpose driven design makes an urban impact
They keep on coming. Lee County’s population continues to expand and as it does, we become more aware of the sustainable efforts required of us. It’s imperative that our community prepares for the future and works to develop cost-effective space for everyone.
A key part of the task ahead starts with simply planting trees. In celebration of the recent #loveatreeday, we want to take some time to talk about the work we do to help provide a sustainable environment through landscape architecture.
When you think of #loveatreeday, you may envision a group of people hugging trees and celebrating nature. While this may sometimes be the case, but it is certainly not the only way to mark the occasion. At EnSite, we see the benefits that integrated landscaping can bring not only from an environmental perspective but also from economic and social standpoints.
This informative analysis on The Conversation.com dives into the value of natural space, and trees in particular. Trees are not only aesthetically pleasing but can help clean air and water, reduce stormwater flooding, improve building energy use and mitigate climate change.
Planting trees and maintaining them so they provide ideal canopy coverage has real-world impacts. The researchers who conducted the study for The Conversation.com looked at some of the most densely populated regions in the world and assessed the relative tree coverage. They found that each square kilometer of canopy coverage provided savings in air pollution health care costs, capture of water runoff, and reduced building energy heating and cooling costs.
At EnSite, we use tools like i-tree to develop landscape designs for our customers that not only meet minimum landscape plans for municipalities but also provide additional benefits for our client and the communities in which they operate. We promote responsible tree planting and help our clients navigate the complex waters of tree-planting codes in Florida. We also develop plans for continued good stewardship to carry our work forward into the future we envision.
Efforts such as integrated irrigation systems and guidelines for staking and guying — the stakes and wires that support saplings after they’re placed in the ground — ensure the carefully crafted landscaping designs we produce endure through the years. Whether we’re helping a municipality plan a park or teaming with an independent developer, EnSite strives to give key stakeholders the information they need to implement sustainable landscaping that fosters positive outcomes for all involved.
