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Buffer strip too narrow-tree breaks stuff
Roots somehow found suitable soil under the pavement and walk where they grew very well in the 20 to 30 years after planting. The trunk flare lifted and cracked the curb (see arrow) as roots expanded in diameter.
The original space allocated for the tree roots was much too narrow. Trees in small spaces like this either 1) grow well because roots are able to explore the soil under pavement or 2) grow very poorly because roots are unable to explore the soil under the pavement. In either case, the cause of the problem is poor design resulting from a lack of involvement of people that understand trees.
