Chicago-area native - thing I've noticed about downtown Phoenix (Glendale: tenants, maintenance)

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by AZSunDevil83

This. The city has been doing a good job in this regard as Downtown Phoenix Inc has been replacing many of the Palo Verdes with actual shade trees (Ash, Chinese Pistache, etc). However, I still see some developers ignoring the Tree and Shade Master Plan or just choosing to go w/ crappy Palo Verdes instead.

Or even worse, palm trees.

[AZSunDevil83]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

Or even worse, palm trees.

LOL palm trees serve their purpose as more decorative in nature. If used for function (i.e., shade), then yes they're horrible. For example, the palm trees at Arizona Center. They will be tagged and relocated temporarily due to the new AC Marriott hotel and Palm Court apartment tower. They will be re-planted once construction is done. I'm all for that!

But the sidewalk along 3rd St, they chose nothing but Palo Verdes!! Come on maaaaan lol

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by AZSunDevil83

LOL palm trees serve their purpose as more decorative in nature. If used for function (i.e., shade), then yes they're horrible. For example, the palm trees at Arizona Center. They will be tagged and relocated temporarily due to the new AC Marriott hotel and Palm Court apartment tower. They will be re-planted once construction is done. I'm all for that!

But the sidewalk along 3rd St, they chose nothing but Palo Verdes!! Come on maaaaan lol

Palm trees serve no purpose, given the ones here do not grow coconuts, they are also not very good trees at supplying oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide which doesn’t help our summer temperatures. People’s obsession with them is peculiar.

They should not be used along sidewalks or anywhere where people spend time outside (think parking lots and alongside benches and playgrounds in parks) except that’s where a lot of them are located.

Getting rid of the palm trees down Central was a good thing. We are not Miami or Beverly Hills.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

Palm trees serve no purpose, given the ones here do not grow coconuts, they are also not very good trees at supplying oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide which doesn’t help our summer temperatures. People’s obsession with them is peculiar.

They should not be used along sidewalks or anywhere where people spend time outside (think parking lots and alongside benches and playgrounds in parks) except that’s where a lot of them are located.

Getting rid of the palm trees down Central was a good thing. We are not Miami or Beverly Hills.

Because they look nice especially when they are bunched together in neat rows, like at ASU or along Central.

Chandler street scapes use them well. They alternate Palm, shade tree, Palm, shade tree.

[AZSunDevil83]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

Palm trees serve no purpose, given the ones here do not grow coconuts, they are also not very good trees at supplying oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide which doesn’t help our summer temperatures. People’s obsession with them is peculiar.

They should not be used along sidewalks or anywhere where people spend time outside (think parking lots and alongside benches and playgrounds in parks) except that’s where a lot of them are located.

Getting rid of the palm trees down Central was a good thing. We are not Miami or Beverly Hills.

See post below.

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Because they look nice especially when they are bunched together in neat rows, like at ASU or along Central.

Chandler street scapes use them well. They alternate Palm, shade tree, Palm, shade tree.

Exactly 100%. This is why I said they look nice and are more decorative than anything. Look at the new median on University between Mill and Rural. Landscaped w/ palm trees and love the whole look at ASU, especially Palm Walk. Pam trees serve a specific purpose, shade not being one of them.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

Because they look nice especially when they are bunched together in neat rows, like at ASU or along Central.

Chandler street scapes use them well. They alternate Palm, shade tree, Palm, shade tree.

It’s not enough for the shade. Try walking those streets along Chandler at 1 pm and you tell me if it feels nice. Along sidewalks it needs to be entirely shade trees and only that. An exception would be if there were tall buildings or other shade structures as a replacement. Some streets have medians where palm trees would be a much wiser placement than shade trees and can be in a neat row, so it’s all about making good choices.

Some of the coolest parts of the city is north central and why do you think that is? A combination of huge shade trees and less asphalt. Phoenix chooses to do neither and instead favors palm trees and road widening with very small sidewalks.

We live in one of the hottest cities we can’t act like palm trees are functional, we need shade moreso than any other city if we are trying to create urban, walkable environments like downtown Chicago. Aesthetics do not take precedent over efficiency. And if that’s your opinion then move to Beverly Hills where it is cooler and don’t need as much shade as we do here. Besides I’d rather have cacti planted around for aesthetic purposes than palm trees, it makes us unique instead of more LA mimicry.

[JGMotorsport64]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

It’s not enough for the shade. Try walking those streets along Chandler at 1 pm and you tell me if it feels nice. Along sidewalks it needs to be entirely shade trees and only that. An exception would be if there were tall buildings or other shade structures as a replacement. Some streets have medians where palm trees would be a much wiser placement than shade trees and can be in a neat row, so it’s all about making good choices.

Some of the coolest parts of the city is north central and why do you think that is? A combination of huge shade trees and less asphalt. Phoenix chooses to do neither and instead favors palm trees and road widening with very small sidewalks.

We live in one of the hottest cities we can’t act like palm trees are functional, we need shade moreso than any other city if we are trying to create urban, walkable environments like downtown Chicago. Aesthetics do not take precedent over efficiency. And if that’s your opinion then move to Beverly Hills where it is cooler and don’t need as much shade as we do here. Besides I’d rather have cacti planted around for aesthetic purposes than palm trees, it makes us unique instead of more LA mimicry.

You're not understanding. If you place the shade trees in a row with Palm trees dividing them then it is shade and it looks great.

Plus I live in a green area I know that. I get functinality but it's not either/or like you're making it. You can have both.


Btw, Beverly Hills has a tree canopy and palm trees.

[AZSunDevil83]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

You're not understanding. If you place the shade trees in a row with Palm trees dividing them then it is shade and it looks great.

Plus I live in a green area I know that. I get functinality but it's not either/or like you're making it. You can have both.


Btw, Beverly Hills has a tree canopy and palm trees.

LOL. I'm moving on...poster clearly doesn't get that we are basically saying the same thing...

[ShampooBanana]

Aside from giving little shade, palm trees require a fair amount of water, as well as more frequent trimming and maintenance than other types of trees and for those reason should be used sparingly in a place like Phoenix. Yes, I'll give you they do look great in certain situations, though.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by JGMotorsport64

You're not understanding. If you place the shade trees in a row with Palm trees dividing them then it is shade and it looks great.

Plus I live in a green area I know that. I get functinality but it's not either/or like you're making it. You can have both.


Btw, Beverly Hills has a tree canopy and palm trees.

You aren't understanding me. It needs to be only shade trees along places where there are pedestrians and cyclists. Switching between them is still not enough. We can't grow shade trees as thick and luscious as out east and because of that we need only shade trees as they are not as efficient. In addition our sun is more brutal given we are one of the least cloudy places in the US. Walk that section of Chandler you are referring to during the peak of the day and tell me if it's enough shade. I'll give you a hint: it won't be.

Beverly Hills is not as hot and can afford to have sunnier sidewalks than we can because people won't be at risk for dying being a pedestrian walking outside during the peak of the day from heat stroke.

Again palm trees serve a purpose... not where pedestrians are. Random spot in your backyard? Sure. Medians? Sure. Along the light rail corridor and in our more walkable areas? Absolutely not.

And like the poster said below me, require more maintenance and water which comes out of our taxes.

Originally Posted by ShampooBanana

Aside from giving little shade, palm trees require a fair amount of water, as well as more frequent trimming and maintenance than other types of trees and for those reason should be used sparingly in a place like Phoenix. Yes, I'll give you they do look great in certain situations, though.

If palm trees provided better shade and/or carbon absorption I'd have a different opinion, but they require a lot of maintenance with little payoff.