cover

1
cover
Green Laws
Green Laws

• title

Community Design
LSU Green Laws Research Project
Prof. Buck Abbey,ASLA
Louisiana Department of Agriculture
Forestry EBR Parish Tree And Landscape
Commission

Photographs Live Oak Gardens Ltd. Abbey
Associates Landscape Architects

2
Community Landscape Codes
Landscape codes or green laws are special parts
of a communitys zoning ordinance. Certain
provisions are written to influence the design of
parking facilities and make improvements to the
environment of urban areas Notable codes
include New York City, Gainesville, Florida,
Cary, North Carolina, Davis, California,
Portland, Oregon, Charleston, South Carolina,
Austin, Texas, New Holland, Illinois, Dublin,
Ohio Gross Ile Township, Michigan Annapolis,
Maryland and Mandeville, Louisiana require
improvements to parking lot environments.
3
VUA Screening
The purpose of screening Vehicular Use Areas with
landscaping is to reduce the visual impact of
parked automobiles and parking facilities while
raising the environmental quality of parking
lots within urban areas.
4
The Problem 1.
5
The Problem 2.
6
The Problem 3.
7
The Problem 4.
8
The Problem 5.
9
Purpose of VUA Screening
Improvements to views from the street and from
lower intensity districts Minimize views of
parked cars and Large expanses of
pavement Screening parking lot utilities i.e.
trash, water, electric and gas. Prevent paving
lots to the property line Add decorative
elements to a community Can be used to absorb
non-point pollutants
10
Types of Screening
Simple Hedges 24, 36, 72 Formal or Informal
Hedges Mixed Vegetative Plantings Earth Berms
and Planted Screens Low Planted Walls
11
Code Writing Essentials
Purpose Location Size- length, width, height,
plant size Design Composition Opacity Plant
Specifications- native, deciduous, evergreen,
spacing, growth rate Related Elements- irrigation
, drainage, walls, baffles, fences, walks,
amenities
12
A Visual Galleryof Hedges
13
Visual Gallery 1.
Low Hedge Screen with parking lot tire
stops. Celebration, Florida
14
Visual Gallery 2.
36 Hedge with Trees-Celebration, Florida
15
Visual Gallery 3.
24 Parking lot hedge screen-Orlando, Florida
16
Visual Gallery 4.
Parking lot screen Detention-Orlando, Florida
17
Visual Gallery 5.
Parking Lot Screen and Trees-Orlando, Florida
18
Visual Gallery 6.
Sculpted Screen-Casselberry, Florida
19
Visual Gallery 7.
Parking lot screen and detention-Orlando, Florida
20
Visual Gallery 8.
Naturalized Parking Lot Screen-Orlando, Florida
21
Visual Gallery 9.
Shrubs and Small Tree Screen-Orlando, Florida
22
Visual Gallery 10.
Shrubs, Trees Earth Berm-Orlando, Florida
23
Visual Gallery 11.
Berm Walkway Screen-Orlando, Florida
24
Visual Gallery 12.
Shrub Grass Border Screen-Orlando, Florida
25
Visual Gallery 13.
Open Space Screen-Orlando, Florida
26
Visual Gallery 14.
30 Year Old Hedge-Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
27
A Visual Gallery 15.
Parking lot seating area-Celebration, Florida
28
Visual Gallery 16.
Simple Shrub Screen Orlando, Florida
29
Visual Gallery 17.
Irregular Mixed Planting Screen-Orlando, Florida
30
Visual Gallery 18.
Screen And Detention-Orlando, Florida
31
Visual Gallery 19.
Curvilinear Screen-Celebration, Florida
32
Visual Gallery 20.
Screen And Bed Edging-Orlando, Florida
33
Visual Gallery 21.
Screen, Berm Detention-Orlando, Florida
34
Visual Gallery 22.
Walled Screen-Baldwin Park Orlando, Florida
35
Visual Gallery 23.
Double Shrub Screen-Orlando, Florida
36
Visual Gallery 24.
Tree Edge Screen-Orlando, Florida
37
Visual Gallery 25.
Mixed Planting Screen-Casselberry, Florida
38
Visual Gallery 26.
Shrub and Tree Screen-Casselberry, Florida
39
Visual Gallery 27.
Hedge Small Tree Accents Screen-Orlando,
Florida
40
Visual Gallery 28.
Hedge and Ground Cover Screen-Orlando, Florida
41
Visual Gallery 29.
Layered Screen-Casselberry, Florida
42
Visual Gallery 30.
Parking Bay Screen-Orlando, Florida
43
Visual Gallery 31.
Tree Planted Earth Berm-Ann Arbor, Michigan
44
Visual Gallery 32.
Mixed Planting Parking Lot Entry-Ann Arbor,
Michigan
45
Visual Gallery 32.
Tall Informal Screen-Ann Arbor, Michigan
46
Visual Gallery 33.
Mixed informal low screen-Homewood, Alabama
47
Visual Gallery 34.
Large Shrub Planting Hedge-Pensacola, Florida
48
Visual Gallery 34.
Small Tree Planted Hedge-Research Triangle,
North Carolina
49
Visual Gallery 35.
Greenbelt, preserved natural screen-Mandeville,
Louisiana
50
Visual Gallery 36.
Preserved natural screen-Woodlands, Texas
51
Visual Gallery 37.
Planted Detention Screen-Gainesville,
Florida
52
Visual Gallery 38.
Mixed Planting Screen-Gainesville,
Florida
53
Visual Gallery 38.
Green Parking and
Screen-Gainesville, Florida
54
Visual Gallery 39.
Trees, Hedge and Wall-Addison,
Texas
55
Visual Gallery 40.
Sunken VUA-Alpharetta,
Georgia
56
Visual Gallery 41.
Tree Hedge and Fence-Atlanta,
Georgia
57
Visual Gallery 42.
Formal Hedge
Screen-Roswell, Georgia
58
Visual Gallery 43.
Formal Hedge-Jefferson
Parish, Louisiana
59
Visual Gallery 44.
Informal Hedge Earth Berm Mandeville,
Louisiana
60
Visual Gallery 45.
Low Double Hedge-Mandeville,
Louisiana
61
Visual Gallery 46.
Simple Hedge Tree
Accents-Mandeville, Louisiana
62
Visual Gallery 47.
Hedge With Tree Accents Mandeville,
Louisiana
63
Visual Gallery 48.
Simple Hedge Mandeville, Louisiana
64
Visual Gallery 49.
Raised Bed Hedge-Mandeville,
Louisiana
65
Visual Gallery 50.
Tree Trunk Hedge Mandeville,
Louisiana
66
Visual Gallery 51.
Mixed Formal Hedge Baton Rouge,
Louisiana
67
Visual Gallery 52.
Mixed Screen Baton Rouge, Louisiana
68
Visual Gallery 54.
Two Level Screen Baton Rouge,
Louisiana
69
Visual Gallery 51.
Sculptural Screen Wall-Casselberry, Florida
70
Best Hedge Plants
Abelia grandiflora Buxus microphylla Ilex
cornutabufordii Ilex cornuatRotunda Ilex
cornutaCarrissa Ilex attenuatafosteri Ilex
vomitoriaNana Juniperus chinensis Ligustrum
sp. Lonicera fragrantissima Loropetalum
chinense Michellia figo Miscanthus
sinensisGracillimus Myrica cerifera Nandina
domestica Nerium oleanders Philadelphus
coronarius Photinia sp. Raphiolepis
indica Rhododendron indica Ternstroemia
gymnanthera Viburnum suspensum Spiraea sp.
State of Louisiana
Tall Hedge Plants Camellia japonica. C.
sasanqua Ilex cornutaBurfordii Ilex
vomitoria Juniperus virginiana Osmanthus
fragrans Podocarpus macrophyllus Prunus
caroliniana Magnolia grandifloraLittle Gem
71
Typical Code Specs
City of Gainesville
All vehicular use areas shall be separated by a
perimeter landscaped area, a minimum of nine feet
in width. The landscape area shall commence
within five feet of the paved surface area. The
perimeter landscape area shall contain shrubs,
arranged to provide a visual screen of 75 percent
opacity and achieve a height of at least three
feet within three years, at least one shade tree
shall be planted for each 50 linear feet with the
distance between such trees not exceed 55 feet.
72
Typical Code Specs
City of Kenner
A three (3) foot wide minimum landscape strip for
effective buffering of the vehicular use area
must be provided from streets and other views,
including adjacent vehicular use areas. A
hedge, wall, earth berm, or other durable
landscape barrier with a minimum of thirty-six
(36) inches in height must be placed along the
perimeter of the landscape strip. If the barrier
consists of nonliving material, one (1) vine or
shrub must be planted every ten (10) feet and
abutting the barrier. The remainder of the
required strip must be planted with grass, ground
cover or other landscape material. Automobile
dealerships may request a buffer of twenty-four
(24) inches in height. In addition one (1) tree
must be provided for each forty (40) feet of the
common property line.
73
Typical Code Specs
City of Orlando, Florida
Sec. 60.253. Landscaping shall be provided
between vehicular use areas and the contiguous
property as follows(a)   A masonry wall or solid
fence at least 5 feet high, or a durable
landscape screen at least 4 feet in height above
grade when planted, to grow to 5 feet within one
year, between the common property line and the
vehicular use areas. If a masonry or wood wall is
used, the same vine, shrub or design variation
requirements as in Section 60.252 above shall
apply. Living screening materials (except trees)
shall be planted in areas not less than 5 feet in
width.(c)   Sufficient canopy trees to receive at
least 2 tree points per 100 lineal feet or
fraction thereof, in planting areas of the size
required by Section 60.208, Minimum Planting
Areas for Trees.
74
Typical Code Specs
Orange County, Florida
Sec. 24-4. General Design and Development
Standards. (Edited)   (1)   Vehicular use areas. 
  Where a vehicular use area lies adjacent to a
public or private roadway landscaping shall be
provided as follows  A landscape strip at least
seven (7) feet in width. One (1) shade tree for
each forty (40) lineal feet, or fraction thereof
and a continuous hedge at least thirty (30)
inches high at planting of a species capable of
growing to at least thirty-six (36) inches in
height within eighteen (18) months, which hedge
shall be maintained at a height not less than
thirty-six (36) inches. The height of the hedge
shall be measured from parking lot grade and
Where wheel stops are not used, the required
plantings shall not be planted within two (2)
feet of the curb, to allow for vehicle
overhang.   (2)   Landscaping adjacent to other
properties.  Where a vehicular use area lies is
adjacent to other property landscaping shall be
installed to screen the vehicular use area from
the adjacent properties as follows  The buffer
shall be completely opaque from the ground to
height of at least six (6) feet and shall be a
minimum of seven (7) feet in width. The buffer
may utilize a masonry wall, berm, planted and/or
existing vegetation, or any combination thereof
which maintains the minimum requirements. The
buffer shall be four (4) feet in height and
seventy (70) percent opaque at planting and be
capable of attaining full height and opacity
within three (3) years. The buffer shall have at
least one (1) shade tree every fifty (50) feet of
common lot line or fraction thereof.
75
Typical Code Specs
Proposed Baton Rouge VUA Screening Specs
Article 18.3 Landscape Standards (edited) Sec.
18.3.B.8. Vehicular use area screens,
shall be planted visual screens installed within
designated landscape strips parallel to all
vehicular parking areas exposed to views from
public streets or zoning districts of a lower
intensity classification. VUA interiors shall be
designed, planted, maintained and calculated
according to the following design standards.
Screens shall be planted in strip a minimum of
three (3) feet in width and shall extend the
length of the VUA. The planting design of this
strip may consist of any of the following design
concepts. 1.     - A hedge thirty six (36) inches
in height . 2.      -A mixed planting of shrubs,
small trees and flowering plants all of evergreen
character. 3.      -A combination screen
consisting of any combination of planted
screening berms, planted low masonry walls or
mixed planting as mentioned in 18.3.B.8.b.
above. 4.      -All shrubs used for screening
must grow to the proper hedge height within a
three year period of time. Plants may be
installed in single rows, double rows or
staggered rows as the landscape design may
require.Small trees when they are used in the
design shall be spaced no closer than twenty (20)
feet on center. The landscape strip may be
designed to be a functioning micro-storm water
facility that captures, detains, absorbs and
infiltrates storm water runoff and non-point
pollutants originating on the parking surface
being screened.
Adopted by the Tree And Landscape
Commission May 16, 2007
76
References
City of Kenner, Louisiana Landscape Code, Section
20.09.01 Landscaping Regulations. City of
Orlando, Florida, Land Development Code, Sec.
60.250. Parking Lot Landscaping
Requirements. City of Mandeville,
Louisiana,Code, Cluro, Article 9, 9.2.5.5.2
(1) Gainesville, Florida, Land Development Code,
Chapter 30, Article VII, Division 2, Subdivision
I, Sec. 30-252 East Baton Rouge Parish,
Louisiana, Unified Development Code, Chapter 19
Landscape And Trees, Section 18.0 Orange County,
Florida, Land Development Code, Sec. 24-4.
General Design and Development Standards.
77
.