Reso 2001-021 RDA 2001-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Landscape A flowering vine over a simple trellis sytem turn this rear entrance area into an outdoor patio for thin restaurant. i t Landscape. Plants can contribute greatly to the overall character of the urban environment. They soften the hardness of buildings and paving, adding seasonal beauty and life. In addition, they help to reduce smog and airborne dust in the downtown area, while creating cool microcli- mates by shielding the streets, pedes- trian areas, and buildings from the sun. '~'" Street trees are essential Street trees Currently, Downtown San Lean- dro has an active street tree program in place. Recent new plantings have been made along E. 14th Street and Parrott Street. These trees reinforce the axes of the established grid, and create a visual continuity within the downtown area. All streets should be formally planted on both sides of the street with evenly spaced trees whenever possible. Achieving this regular rhythm in a dense urban setting re- quires careful attention to under- ground utilities and surface meters, boxes, light standards, and other el- ements of urban infrastructure. Plantings schemes should be simple, ideally with a single species planted along each axis with diver- sity achieved by using a variety of tree species throughout the overall downtown area Deciduous trees with open branching patterns are generally rec- ommended. These provide shade in summer and allow sun and light through in the winter. Special areas can be highlighted with evergreen broadleaf, conifers, or palm trees. Care should be taken that street trees do not block building signs and hinder retail activity. Page 7g October 2000 San Leandro Downtown Plan & Urban Design Guidelines