URBAN TREES REALLY NEED SOIL.

Street trees are an excellent example of how important it is for a tree to have access to a large volume of good quality soil, protected from compaction.

Trees have traditionally suffered in any location where they are planted in areas where they are surrounded by pavement. Anchorage is no exception, with a poor track record for trees downtown: Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Avenues have a large number of locations where previous street tree locations have been filled in with concrete where the trees failed. These locations include some where great effort was expended on technical solutions intended to provide for good tree health. These areas likely failed due to the unintended consequences of maintenance around them (physical and chemical damage), lack of access to the volume...