u/ProfessionalSky7899

A quick selection of the ones planted in Cardiff City center, rubbish and trample damage et al. There are more (and larger) ones further out in household streets, but I didn't go out of my way on this trip. Most areas look excellent. Some haven't taken, or have been trampled. Long thin beds seem especially prone to failure. Not sure why.

Context: Cardiff has something like 5 arenas, and multiple events most weekends most of the year. The streets photographed here are between the biggest two stadiums, and the train station, and are typically turned over to pedestrians during events, and will be full of people. The climate is temperate, with frequent rain, so getting plants established here is easier than summer drought locations.

SUDS are legal requirements in new work in Wales (we get a LOT of rain, and need to sponge city as quickly as damn possible). There's been a bit of teething, but local contractors seem to be getting the hang of them now.

Surface from google maps, Union terrace, Aberdeen (looking a lot sunnier than I've ever seen it)

Underneath Image from https://greenblue.com/gb/exploring-urban-tree-planting-media-a-guide-for-urban-forestry-practitioners/

They also have a relatively good treepit design guide for individual trees - Id didn't link as it's a 10 page pdf - but basically it's making sure the young tree is surrounded by an area of uncompacted soil ~ the plan area of the mature tree and 2m deep. The uncompacted soil is needed for healthy roots, but it also gives void space for the root mass to be added as it grows, without lifting the nice stone pavement.

Look at the surface vs underneath for the enormous volume that is provided for this line of trees! THAT is how you do urban planting y'all.