Shame on Phoenix home builders (Tucson: transplants, established neighborhood, allergies)

[ajonesaz]

If you buy in a cheap area, you will get a cheap house. My streets are all lined with trees on both sides of the sidewalk. The neighborhood is about 15 years old now so those trees are mature and provide a lot of shade. A lot of the nicer Gilbert neighborhoods have trees. You get what you pay for.

[AZgarden]

In metropolitan Chicago area, they are known as parkways. You hardly ever see sidewalks adjacent to the street without grass in between.

[ScottsdaleMark]

I agree with you all that people get what they pay for.

Another example of this is all the tract homes wherein they do not even throw down rock in the back yard, much less put in grass, plants, trees...it's just raw dirt, the same as the day they bulldozed/leveled the plot.

To me, this is something that would be a huge issue for me as a homebuyer since I am pretty invested in my landscaping as something that's important to me. But there must be a sizeable group of people shopping for entry-level starter homes who just want the cheapest price and would rather save a grand or two than buy a home where the builder has taken the time and expense to provide some sort of back yard landscaping. Or, maybe they really just don't care and so it doesn't really matter to them either way.

I wonder, do builders generally offer back yard landscaping as one of their many up-sells when they build these lower-cost communities? Or do they just leave it up to the homeowner to address the unfinished lot?

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Only on public property, although a city may ban certain trees such as olive or mulberry. Common areas within a development are the business of the developer. Deed restrictions as to what you must do or cannot do on your own property come from the developer and are ultimately enforced by HOAs.

OP is talking about tree lined streets, sidewalks and parkways, these are public areas and regulated by P&Z. Trees and shrubs upon pvt ppty is a different subject.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by DougStark

If you're all fine with walking down the street getting scorched with no shade, then have at it.

I have seen plenty of people walking with umbrellas for shade, maybe that would be an idea for you? If the trees can't provide shade, bring your own!

[Bungle]

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by wit-nit

OP is talking about tree lined streets, sidewalks and parkways, these are public areas and regulated by P&Z. Trees and shrubs upon pvt ppty is a different subject.

If by "parkways" you mean the space between the sidewalk and the street, they are private property, with the city having a right of way, at least in our neighborhood. You can plant whatever you want to there.

[Bungle]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_verge

[pbenjamin]

Originally Posted by Bungle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_verge

I had no idea there were that many names for the thing.

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

I have never heard them called either parkways or boulevard strips. Have never had a name for them other than "the part between the sidewalk and the street". I do know of a person that calls them "parking lawns" however. Whatever they are, we have them in the historic neighborhoods. We have a Meyer Lemon tree and a Navel Orange tree growing in ours. Many homes on our street have Sour Orange trees there.

Tree lawn or Devil Strip where I used to live.