Background
| • Trees & Sidewalks |
| • Background |
| • Sidewalk Evaluation |
| • Repair Methods |
Damaged sidewalks can cause inconvenience and safety concerns for property owners, who are responsible for the condition of their sidewalks under City law. To avoid sidewalk violations, homeowners may undertake a costly and complicated process to repair their sidewalks. Worse yet, many sidewalk fixes often involve unnecessary root cutting, which can destabilize trees and lead to root disease and decay.
Urban Trees
Trees are important to the quality of life in the City. They cool summer temperatures and clean the air we breathe, improving public health by reducing the causes of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Trees also beautify neighborhoods and boost property values.
Large trees confer many more benefits than small trees. But the larger the tree, the more potential for conflict with adjacent City infrastructure, especially sidewalks. As a tree grows, its trunk expands, often widening more at the base than higher up along its stem. At the same time, roots lengthen and enlarge, seeking enough oxygen, water, and soil nutrients to sustain the tree's growth. And, all tree roots naturally grow near the surface of the soil, most occurring within the top 18 inches.
In the built environment of the City, the natural habit of tree root growth is frequently constricted. Urban soil is often so compacted that roots cannot penetrate it. This forces roots to grow near the sidewalk subsurface, where air and water from condensation is more readily available. Sidewalks are often damaged as a result, either lifted, or cracked, or both.