ABSTRACT

At some point during the second half of the 20th century, civil engineering in America lost its way. The profession has had a long, rich history of people who were not only technically proficient but artful as well. One of the most significant contributions of the new urbanist movement has been to reinstill the importance of the street as a basic element of community building. In fact, urban sidewalks can serve as the predominant form of public space in denser neighborhoods, so long as certain relationships are present. These relationships can be explained by picturing the street as a three-dimensional linear room with the sidewalk as the "floor". Street trees play a deceptively simple role within a city. Fortunately, many cities are adding urban foresters and tree biologists to their staffs so they can catalog and maintain the collection of trees along public streets. Trees also help create urban rooms that are graceful and welcoming.