cover

1
cover
Green Laws
Green Laws

• title

Community Design
LSU Green Laws Research Project
Chad Prejean
Louisiana Department of Agriculture
Forestry EBR Parish Tree And Landscape
Commission


2
Community Landscape Codes
Landscape codes or green laws are special parts
of a communitys zoning ordinance. Certain
provisions are written to influence the design of
parking lot interiors and make improvements to
the environment of urban areas Notable codes
include Orange County, Florida Orlando,
Florida Delray Beach, Florida
3
Interior Vehicular Use Areas

• Landscaped areas are provided within interior
  vehicular use areasin
• order to provide visual and climatic relief from
  large expanses of
• pavement. Interior parking lot planting spaces
  also help to define
• logical areas for pedestrian and vehicular
  circulation.
• Parking lot interior planting spaces consist of
  one or more of the following parking lot
  features.
• Islands
• Peninsulas
• Medians
• Planting Diamonds
• Parking Lot Detentions, or Interior Bio-swales
• Landscape codes that contain language that will
  require that all
• parking lots be planted will conserve the value
  of land and
• buildings on surrounding properties and
  neighborhoods.

4
The Problem 1.
No plantings
5
The Problem 2.
No parking bays defined
6
The Problem 3.
Parking bays peninsulas defined with paint, not
landscaping or trees.
7
The Problem 4.
No defined pedestrian system or medians
between parking bays.
8
The Problem 5.
Hot, hot, hot! Temperatures within autos may
reach 120 degrees allowing car plastics to give
off deadly fumes and film.
9
Purpose of Vehicular Use Interiors
Create a logical order for the circulation of
vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Minimize views
of parked cars and large expanses of
pavement. Screening of utilities. Creation of
shade and reduction of warming caused by mass
paving. Separation of head to head parked
cars. Uphold the value and integrity of
surrounding buildings and land. Absorption of
water runoff and pollutants. Creation of
habitats for wildlife.
10
Types of Interiors
The interior requirements for parking areas are
often satisfied through different methods
1. Some cities require that a certain percentage
of the VUAs interior be used for landscaping.
(usually around 10-15)
2. Others are more specific and require things
such as landscape breaks between parking spaces,
curbs to protect the landscape, parking islands
and/or medians, minimum shade tree requirements,
and minimum size requirements on each landscaped
area.
11
Code Writing Essentials
Purpose Location With VUA Size of VUA How large
is your parking area and what percentage of
should be landscaped? How many trees per parking
space? Traffic volume and pedestrian
circulation How can interior landscaping direct
pedestrians safely to the building? Site Use How
heavily will the site be used daily, weekly,
monthly? Plant Sizes and Specifications How
large will shade trees grow and how much space
will they need to grow? Clear Vision for
Drivers Maintaining a safe view of pedestrians
and other vehicles.
12
A Visual Galleryof Parking Interiors
13
Visual Gallery 1.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
14
Visual Gallery 2.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
15
Visual Gallery 3.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
16
Visual Gallery 4.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
17
Visual Gallery 5.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
18
Visual Gallery 6.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
19
Visual Gallery 7.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
20
Visual Gallery 8.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
21
Typical Code Specs
Orange County, Florida
Interior vehicular use areas are defined as all
VUAs except those on a perimeter where a
landscape screen is already required. At least
10 of the interior VUA shall be landscaped. Each
separate landscaped area shall be a minimum of
25sq.ft. and will have 1 shade tree for every
100sq.ft. These landscaped areas adjacent to
parking areas will be protected by curbs or wheel
stops. A maximum of 10 continuous parking spaces
are allowed without a landscape break. Landscape
breaks are a minimum of 8ft.x8ft. and include 1
shade tree of an acceptable species. Head to head
breaks (8ft.x16ft.) shall require 2 shade trees.
Shade trees are a minimum of 10ft. in height with
a 3 inch caliper. Alternative solutions may
involve a 7ft. wide center median between all
lineal rows of parking which face head to head.
These areas may be provided with 1 shade tree per
60 lineal ft. of median. A landscaped island
(singular or head to head) is required at the end
of each row of parking spaces. Singular minimum
of 1 shade tree head to head minimum of 2 shade
trees.
22
Typical Code Specs
City of Orlando, Florida
Landscaping areas shall be provided for interior
vehicular use areas so as to provide visual and
climatic relief from broad expanses of pavement
and to channelize and define logical areas for
pedestrian and vehicular circulation. (a)   Interi
or vehicular use areas shall be deemed to be all
vehicular use areas except those parking spaces
contiguous to a perimeter for which a landscape
screen is required, or parking spaces which are
directly served by an aisle abutting and running
parallel to this perimeter. (b)   At least 2.5
of the gross area of the interior vehicular use
area shall be landscaped. This interior
landscaped area shall contain sufficient canopy
trees to receive at least 1.0 tree points per 100
sq. ft. of gross landscaped area or fraction
thereof. (c)   Interior landscaped areas shall be
dispersed so as to define aisles and limit
unbroken rows of parking to a maximum of 100
feet. (d)   Each separate required landscaped
area shall contain sufficient canopy trees to
receive at least 1 tree point, in a planting area
of the size required by Section 60.208, Minimum
Planting Areas for Trees. (e)   If the specific
application of the interior landscape
requirements will seriously limit functions of
the building site, the Zoning Official shall have
authority to permit consolidation and relocation
of these landscaped areas on the building site.
23
Typical Code Specs
City of Delray Beach, Florida
The amount of interior landscaping within
off-street parking areas shall amount to no less
than ten percent (10) of the total area used for
parking and access ways.

There shall be a group of palms or a shade tree
for every one hundred twenty-five (125) square
feet of required interior landscaping. No more
than twenty-five percent (25) of these required
trees shall be palms..
Landscape islands which contain a minimum of
seventy-five (75) square feet of plantable area,
with a minimum dimension of five (5) feet,
exclusive of the required curb, shall be placed
at intervals of no less than one landscaped
island for every ten (10) parking spaces. One
shade tree or equivalent number of palm trees
shall be planted in every interior island. Where
approval for the use of compact parking has be
approved, islands may be placed at intervals of
no less than one (1) island for every thirteen
(13) parking spaces.
Each row of parking spaces shall be terminated
by landscape islands with dimensions as indicated
above, An exception to this requirement is when a
landscaped area exists at the end of the parking
row.
24
References
City of Orlando, Florida, Land Development Code,
Sec. 60.254. Landscaping in Interior
Areas. Orange County, Florida, Land Development
Code, Sec. 24-4. General Design and Development
Standards. City of Delray Beach, Florida, Land
Development Code, Sec. 4.6.16 Landscape
Regulations.