By Mary Velan
Gov1
What Happened?
The city of Meridian, Mississippi, recently deployed new installations in the downtown area that enables trees to grow near roads and sidewalks. Part of the city’s Downtown Revitalization Project, the Silva Cell system places open, crate-like structures underground in downtown areas. In the open structures there is loosely compacted soil where trees are able to plant roots and grow big despite the surrounding concrete environment. Trees are able to have pavement placed on top of the soil and roots without inhibiting their health and growth in the long term.
Goal
The goal of the installations is to enable cities to conserve plants and vegetation in downtown districts where green space is limited. Rather than forcing planners to sacrifice either vegetation or transit infrastructure, the systems allow for the natural and constructed components to exist harmoniously. The soil contained in the cells absorbs rainwater while nurturing the trees, which is vital to stormwater management systems. Furthermore local air quality is improved with increased presence of trees.