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Linear planting strips in a parking lot
Trees can grow very well in long planting strips in parking lots. Combined with the traditional island at the end of the strip as shown above, this design can lead to many shaded parking spaces.
In the design pictured above, security lights have been placed about 30 feet off the ground (blue arrow). As trees grow in the abundant soil space provided in this design, the canopy will expand into the lights. There will be two solutions at this point: 1) The lights will have to be moved down under the canopy in order to preserve the well lit characteristics desired in the parking lot; or 2) the trees will have to be pruned so the light shines through.
It is very difficult to impossible to prune trees enough to allow light to penetrate and preserve the desired canopy for shade. The real solution is to place the lights close to the ground (10 feet) when the parking lot is designed.
