5th/6th Street Livability & Circulation Study
Landscape/Streetscape
Plant materials for the corridor should reflect and celebrate the environment in which we live, the Sonoran Desert. The 5th/6th Street Corridor is located in the urban/suburban context of the City and special treatments in designated areas can punctuate the importance of trees and vegetation for human comfort, relief and improvement of environmental quality.
- Whenever possible, landscape planting buffers should be created between the edge of roadway curb and the sidewalk.
- Planting area/buffer should be a minimum of 5’ wide to provide adequate planting area for trees.
- When space is not available to create a buffer planting strip, trees can be planted at the edge of sidewalks utilizing tree grates to maximize walkable surfaces.
Mixed Vegetation
Variety in plant materials provides species diversity, reflecting the richness of draught-tolerant, low water use plants. In order to create neighborhood ambiance, specific plant palettes will be determined in Phase III, on a section-by-section basis.
- Provide variety of vegetation in landscape
- Provide variety of color, texture, heights in landscape design
Desert Character
- Use vegetation with desert character to maintain a sense of place along 5th/ 6th Street
- Provide a variety of trees, shrubs, groundcovers with color, texture, and varying heights in the landscape
Street Trees
Street trees are the most prominent plant materials in the landscape. They provide comfort for the pedestrian by potentially lowering the summer temperature by ten degrees in the shade, provide visual relief for the traveler along the corridor, and contribute to environmental quality (i.e., absorb gases and release oxygen).
- Provide theme trees along 5th/ 6th Street and next to sidewalk to create neighborhood and/or corridor identity
- In areas where right-of-way is narrow and a minimum of 5’ wide planting strip cannot be created between the roadway and sidewalk, trees can be planted in 4’ square planting areas with or without tree grates
- Provide sense of place for area utilizing accent or special vegetation at nodes or special interest areas
