HONOR AWARD / BSLA
Landscape Analysis and Planning
Kyle Zick Landscape Architecture
Emerald Necklace Management Plan Boston and Brookline , Massachusetts
This study was undertaken to inventory , assess , and make recommendations for managing the urban forest of the Emerald Necklace , an innovative parks and parkways system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted . The study is being used to establish an approach for investment of labor and funds into this nationally significant site .
Through an inventory of 7,000 individual trees , 8.25 miles of river and pond bank , and 196 acres of woodland , a comprehensive snapshot of the condition of the Emerald Necklace urban forest was obtained . All inventory data was collected and managed using Geographic Information Systems ( GIS ) and made available to stakeholders with a customized web-based viewer .
Management recommendations challenge the status quo in terms of urban forest management . The recommendations address soil compaction , soil nutrients and chemistry , invasive vegetation management , woodland regeneration , tree care , tree planting , maintenance , and climate change . All recommendations support the historic character of this nationally significant landscape .
Boston Society of Landscape Architects Fieldbook
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