PEDESTRIAN STREET TO STREET FOREST
The purpose of this article is to bring light on “Tree plantation on the streets”.
Problem
The cities were designed in a congested form with very little open space. In the cities, we can find hardly one tree in a street that creates more stress on the tree. Due to more concentration of people, the cities have made to build more houses without any required spaces. Hence, the people residing in cities will find it difficult to plant trees though they are interested.
No vehicle zone
During the festival season, certain market areas would be declared as no vehicle zone and people are supposed to go only by walking in those zones. This also happens in certain residential areas to avoid the air and noise pollution that is being created due to the movement of vehicles. These restrictions are generally temporary for certain days or hours. In rare cases, the restrictions are imposed for long periods or permanently.
Ideology
Considering the declaration of no vehicle zone as the permanent restriction, the tall trees can be planted in those no vehicle zone, as one tall tree will require only 1 Square foot of space for the first 10 years of its growth and 2 square feet of space after 10 years.
Street forest
Similarly in residential streets also plantation of tall trees is possible with the support of all the residents of the particular street. Let us consider that there are around 30 houses constructed in a particular street of 200 feet length. The houses were constructed till the road without any space in front of houses but residents want to plant trees. If all the residents accept to plant trees, they can do so in the street by just adapting to the no vehicle zone and converting their street into pedestrian streets. If 30 tall trees are being planted in front of 30 houses, it will become a street forest in 7 years.
Advantages
This avoids the pouring of water on the streets for cooling down during the summer season, where the water just evaporates, the same water can be given to the plant and after 2 years the plant wound not need that water.
This helps the residents to enjoy the cool breeze in the evening and in seven years no sun rays will fall on the streets ensuring the lesser effect of heat radiation on the streets.
(This was the personal note written by Dr.S.Ragavan, Assistant professor, R.B.Institute of Management Studies, Ahmedabad, Gujarat)
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