Question
QUESTION: hello
i am a superviosr of a green belt project.
the length of this project is 44 Km.
our planting model is 3 line plants in side of the road.
I want to know your ideae about this model and your Standpoint about it.
truly yours
thanks


ANSWER: Hello, Mohammad;

Iran is a very beautiful AND large country at 1.648 million sq. km.

From the lowest point at the Caspian Sea (-28 m) to the highest point at Kuh-e Damavand (5,671 m)  the range of climate type is extreme, from arid and semiarid to sub-tropical, along Caspian coast.   All this to say, be sure and pick the right kind of plants for your climate area!

There are different design criteria for urban, suburban, or rural settings.  I will assume that since you are spanning such a distance, it is rural in nature.

Here is a good basic guide for a streetscaping.  Look toward the bottom for other design criteria:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/.../Urban%20street%20tree%20briefing%20paper.pdf

As to general "streetscaping" ideas, availability of water is crucial.  44 km. is quite a distance, so picking the right plants for survivability and long-term maintenance is important.  If you do not have a large staff to maintain this design, you'll want plants that do not need extra care. All plants need some attention now and then, but why create a 44 km. problem by choosing the wrong plants?

Three plants deep would be a minimum for either a median or road-side.  Also consider gaps for pedestrian crossings, if this is to be installed in an urban area.

At curves in the road or at road intersections, be aware of the ability of cars and pedestrians being able to see one another.  Keep the shrubs from growing up to high (no more than 0.5m), and keep the trees trimmed up (no branches lower than 2m) at these critical locations.

These are only basic ideas.  Good luck!  ~Marc

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Mark
thanks for your attention.
your Consideration about iran and the site of project is very good.
our project is in kerman.
kerman stand in desert area with cold winter and hot summer so we cant use the tropical or temperature zone plants.
if you can please send me your email.
i can send to you the question with email
truly yours

Answer
----- FOLLOW UP -------  6/30/09

Hello, Mohammad -

I am sure you are very knowledgeable of your own home.  I have been told by a local Persian civil engineer of the great beauty of Iran.  It is one of the earliest homes of Landscape Architecture, too.

(http://www.iranian.com/History/Oct98/Garden/index.html)

For the benefit of others who may be reading this, the province of Kerman is in the south-central mountains of Iran,  Most of the province is largely steppe (grassland plain without trees) or sandy desert, although there are some oases where dates, oranges, and pistachios are cultivated.  They are said to be the best Oranges in Iran by Wikipedia.

The climate in the province varies in different regions. The north, northwest, and central areas have a dry and moderate climate, whereas the south and southeast are warm and relatively humid. The city of Kerman (population 400,000) and the surrounding regions have a semi-moderate to dry climate.  I am guessing it is a lot like my home in the Great Basin Desert of Nevada. We also get less than 25 cm (10 in) of rain in a year.

Supplemental water is a must for our landscaping, and the trees we use are extremely hardy but slow-growing (Utah Junipers, Pinyon Pine, Eldarica or Mondell  Pines from Afghanistan) Frankly, I do not know what is available for you, or what may survive best in your climate.

You mentioned 44 km of greenbelt landscaping ?Again, for benefit of others, that is over 27 miles.  I am positive this will cross SEVERAL climate zones within the Kerman region.  Incredible.  That would be a very large and expensive project here in the USA, as I am sure it is so, even in Iran.

I would rather not send my private e-mail address here.  There are many thousand people read these posts, and I do not need the extra mail in my in-box!

If you are looking for a landscape architect that may be more knowledgeable of Iran and the surrounding area, try the website for the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA):

http://www.iflaonline.org/indiv_asiapacific.php

All the best ~Marc