Horizontal/Subsurface Infrastructure & Transportation

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  • 1.  Biophilic Transportation & Pedestrian Projects

    Posted 09-08-2020 02:54 PM
    California includes landscape standards  in metropolitan areas. However, in recent years I have seen more and more rock scape which is disappointing.  We have some landscape including a park on a bridge over the I 805 freeway in San Diego. This very costly project was done because the new freeway bisected a neighborhood and issolatted one part from access to local park facilities. Not a project I would recommend because of the extreme cost. A very successful project is the bikeway along the San Diego River which provides an excellent transportation option away from traffic. The enhanced landscape is a definite plus for the environment and increases the use of this transportation link. The Ramona Trails Committee is working with county staff on a similar project that will provide safe linkage between apartment housing, the town center and the public library.  These are more traditional approaches but very cost effective, especially because once established trees along waterways need less water, perhaps non in some regions.

    I would like to see discussion on how to get people to be educated to  plant high carbon consuming trees on their own property. Much of the USA was deforested for farmland over 200 years ago, we now have similar problems on other continents, plus large scale fires that are burning not just the duff and small trees but the canopy.  Much of Yellowstone N.P. burned in 1988, completely destroying forests.  Now California is on fire with similar intensity.  I have also seen a trend to convert landscape guidelines so streets are no longer canopied by large trees but are lined by small trees.  The same is true for parking lots. I can see the maintenance advantages but this is not helping to reduce carbon. 






  • 2.  RE: Biophilic Transportation & Pedestrian Projects

    Posted 09-09-2020 08:23 AM
    Edited by Tirza Austin 09-09-2020 08:23 AM
    Barbara, Think about it. If we plant all those trees, why would we need to pay people to capture carbon?

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    Al Field, Aff.M.ASCE
    President
    Al Field & Associates
    Phoenix, AZ
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  • 3.  RE: Biophilic Transportation & Pedestrian Projects

    Posted 09-11-2020 03:12 PM
    Love the humor.  I was in the Sierras backpacking when the California Creek fire started only a few miles away.  I have a new understanding of the environmental impact of climate change.  If we do not replace the trees that are currently burning from Mexico to Alaska, and in other parts of the world  we are in trouble. I recommend looking at the Cal Fire website to see the extent of multiple currently burning fires. It is astounding.  Perhaps we need a global program to identify new areas that can support trees and start planting. 



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Biophilic Transportation & Pedestrian Projects

    Posted 10-11-2020 09:00 PM
    Edited by Oanh Le 10-11-2020 10:21 PM
    I made a similar post with the same post title discussing CO2 emissions. I don't know where that post is now and I was talking about how instead of planting trees that could take a long period for them to mature, there were some companies experimenting with moss because a small amount of it converts more CO2 to Oxygen compared to an acre of trees. The California wildfires are concerning to hear especially when we consider the amount of oxygen producing material we are losing, but another concerning factor is the loss of building materials and property destruction during these incidences, not to forget to mention the drought conditions that California is known for.

    Edit:
    This also makes my head spin because we have:
    1. Wildfires
    2. Drought
    3. Loss of forestry
    4. Loss Building Materials

    I wonder, if there is anyone who is acquainted with firefighters? What do they do to put fires out in California? Temperatures are rising causing most of the wildfires, there's a drought so there's very limited amount of water, maybe even resources to put out the fires, and because our forests are burning, not only are the properties being burned with it, but the material to rebuild it is being burned down too. From what I have observed we have an imbalance in resources and the supply and demand are out of balance, I am not sure what good solutions I have at the moment, but thank you for creating this platform for this imperative discussion.


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    Oanh Le (She/Her)
    Rochdale MA
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