Insertion of 'Green Webs' – a Holistic Approach to Urban
INSERTION OF ‘GREEN WEBS’ – A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO URBAN TREE PLANTING IN DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS By NIVEDITHA DASA GANGADHAR Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON MAY 2020 i Copyright © by Niveditha Dasa Gangadhar 2020 All Rights Reserved ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my committee chair Dr. Diane Jones Allen, and my committee members Prof. David Hopman and Dr. Amy Archambeau for all your guidance and encouragement throughout this journey. Also, I would like to thank my family for their unwavering support and patience throughout this journey. May 2020 iii ABSTRACT INSERTION OF ‘GREEN WEBS’ – A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO URBAN TREE PLANTING IN DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS Niveditha Dasa Gangadhar, MLA The University of Texas at Arlington, 2020 Supervising Professor(s): Diane Jones Allen The urban space poses many challenges for the growth and survival of trees. The urban fabric is often knitted with concrete, stone, copper, and iron, in the form of sidewalks, parking lots, buildings, wires, and pipes, which displace elements of the natural environment. This has given rise to urban heat islands, polluted air, ineffective water management, and other social problems (Nowak et al., 2010). Currently, efforts are being made worldwide to bring back the natural environment through green infrastructure strategies. Ecological inserts in the urban fabric called ‘Green Webs’ can provide environmental, economic, and social and ecological benefits. ‘Green Webs’ are networks of mature trees with interconnected root systems made possible via mycorrhizal fungal activity.
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