Evolution of

Green Laws &

Tree

Regulations

Prof. Buck Abbey, ASLA Landscape Architect-Landscape Horticulturist Robertt Reich School of Landscape Architecture (ret)

Louisiana State University - Green Laws Research Project

email lsugreenlaws@aol.com

Web Google-> green laws research

Next Step for

Georgia Tree

Ordinances

Georgia Urban Forestry

Council

Athens, Georgia

August 14, 2013

__Preview__ • Evolution of tree

Ordinances

• Harmonizing

Tree Regulations

• Define Urban

Forestry Ordinances

Green Law Research

• Green Laws

• Protecting,

Preserving

• and

• Rebuilding

• Nature in

• the City.

Green Law Research

Protect and Rebuild Nature in the City

• Community Tree Ordinances • Street Tree, Tree Preservation, View Shed, Harvesting

• Urban Forestry Ordinances

• Land Development Regulations

• On-Site Storm Water Regulations?

• Municipal Landscape Codes

Landscape Policy

. Municipal Law .

• Vocabulary

• Structure

• Components

• Technical

Standards

• Administrative

Procedures

Green Law Research

An Important Part of Zoning Land Use, Lot Size, Intensity

Building SF-Bulk,Height,Width

Set Backs

Accessory Uses

Lighting

Parking, Drives, Fire Approach

Open Space

Signage

Sight Triangles

Servitudes

Flood Zones, B F Elev

Buffers & Screening

Landscaping

Tree Canopy & Trees

Permeability

On-site Storm Water Managm’t

Landscape Policy & Site Plans

Code of Hammurabi

Codex Hammurabi

King of Babylon 1792- 50 BC

A Set of Laws

Inscribed in Stone

Lex talionis

A Little History

1st Recorded Code

Wik

i Gra

phic

s

Magna Carta &

Charter of the Forest

1217

King John of

England 1166 – 1216

A Little History

1st Codified English Law

Wik

i Gra

phic

s

Laws of the Indies 1st Western Zoning Ordinance

Philip II

of Spain Ord. 110-121

1573

Building Towns

& Landscapes

A Little History

Philip II Builder of the West Indies

J.C

. B

log 1

.24.1

1

Pennsylvania Shade

Tree Ordinance 1700

set the pattern

What to Plant.

Where to Plant

Why to Plant.

A Little History

William Penn Real Estate Entrepreneur

Massachusetts

Tree Warden Act 1899

Duties of the

Warden

Town Forests &

Shade Trees

A Little History

Capt. Miles Standish ‘Old Comer’

Wilb

ur F.

Go

rdy,

Am

erica

n L

ea

de

rs a

nd

Hero

es

(Ne

w Y

ork

: C

ha

rle

s S

cri

bn

er's S

on

s, 1

90

5)

Ayres v.

City of Los Angeles

Planning Commission

1949

Planted, Buffer

and Screen

Allowable

A Little History

Superior Courthouse Los Angeles California

Rob

in M

ash

al B

log

11

.26

.10

Contemporary Ordinances

What to Plant.

Where to Plant.

Why to Plant.

How to Plan It.

Who Plants.

Whom Designs.

How Maintained.

Landscape Codes

1960-1970 Landscape Codes

Private Design Standards

Sea Pines Plantation Hilton Head Island SC

Charles E. Fraser

*40 pages of covenants

*A vision of nature.

*Self imposed building

code

*Buffers, Screens &

Canopy, No lawns!

Natio

na

l Asso

cia

tion o

f H

om

e B

uild

ers

Hideo Sasaki Landscape Architect

Charles E. Fraser

1968 Landscape Code

Public Design Standards

Palm Beach

County, Florida

1968 Ordinance

1970-1980 Landscape Codes

Design Standards for

Street Yard Buffers

Open Space Plantings

Minimum Open Space

Irrigation Control

Tree Plantings for Canopy

1980-1990 Landscape Codes

New standards

Buffers

Parking Lots

Plant Materials

Plan Preparation

Plan Review

Inspections

Permits

Incentives or Credits

1990-2000 Landscape Codes

New Standards

Street Wall Plantings

Secondary Business

Elevations

Drive Thru Service

Xeriscape & Water

Conservation

2000-2010 Tree Regulations

New Code Language

-Mitigation

-Minimum Canopy

Cover

-Shade Standards

-Habitat Protection

-On-site Storm

Water Management Opportunities

“Next” Tree Regulations

A New Way to Write Tree Ordinances

-Urban Forestry Ordinances/ not tree ordinances

-Staff and Equip Urban Forestry Departments

-Based upon city sustainability, not just trees

-Habitat Protection-Minimum canopy requirements

-Urban Forestry Management Plans

-Planting & Maintaining Public trees working with the

private land owners to plant “their share of the urban

forest.”

Green Parking

New Code Directions

Green Parking “Doing Environmental Work”

-Porous paving

-Climate Improvement

-Parking Lot Detentions

-Parking Lot Bioswales

-Edible Plants / Screening

-Air Purification

-Energy Use Reduction

-Recycled, Repurposed Material

-Bio-production/Soil Enrichment

-Carbon Sequestration

-Wildlife Habitat

Building Green Parking

Doing Environmental Work

7 PRINCIPLES of

Sustainable Urban Forestry

1.The Sustainable City

2. Professional Management

3. Science & Climate

based approach

4. Minimum Canopy

5. Habitat Preservation

6. Tree Protection, Planting and Maintenance

7. Harmonized Green Laws

Sustainability

Based Codes

* IRVINE, CA

• SANTA MONICA, CA

• SANTA CLARA, CA

* SEATTLE, WS

• NEW YORK CITY, NY

• HUDSON COUNTY, NJ

• BLUFFTON, SC

• MIAMI-DADE, FL

• ANN ARBOR, MI

• HAMMOND, LA

• BROWARD COUNTY, FL

• CHICAGO, IL

• NEW ORLEANS, LA

“SITES”tm & Star Rated Landscapes

It is time to

GREEN

THE

CODES

Credits

Louisiana Yards & Neighborhood Program lsuagcenter.com/LYN

American Society of Landscape Architects Sustainable Sites Initiative (SSI)

asla.org

United States Green Building Council LEED for Neighborhood Development

National Association of Home Builders Green Building Program Appendix A

City of Irvine & Sacramento CA Codes

Florida Friendly Landscaping UF Cooperative Extension Service

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_FYN

Bay-Friendly Landscape Program

www.BayFriendly.org

bayfriendly@thewatershedproject.org

Sustainable