Landscape & Irrigation

April 2017

Landscape and Irrigation is read by decision makers throughout the landscape and irrigation markets — including contractors, landscape architects, professional grounds managers, and irrigation and water mgmt companies and reaches the entire spetrum.

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www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation April 2017 13 Parks and sustainability go hand in hand. Lush, vibrant green spaces are the bedrock of sustainable cities, as they encourage residents to be more active and more in touch with the environment around them. To make cities sustainable, it makes sense to look to our public parks. If the landscaping industry has anything to say about it, public parks will continue to fill urban cities with natural beauty. In a survey of more than 500 students around the world, Husqvarna found that the next generation of landscape architects largely expects parks to occupy substantially more urban space by 2030. Roughly nine out of 10 students believe that the purpose of future urban parks will be to have a positive impact on the surrounding cities, acting as the cities' "lungs." The consensus among landscape architecture students from Ohio State University to the University of Tokyo is that the future will hold more green spaces to landscape and more demand for sustainable elements. Meeting consumer demand In the U.S., we have already seen a push for more sustainable landscaping services, as localities from coast to coast adopt legislation that limits the use of gas-powered outdoor power equipment. As early as 2005, the city of Palo Alto, Calif., banned the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in residential areas. More recently, in December of 2016, a similar ban went into effect in the city of Sonoma, Calif. On the East Coast, bans have been enacted or considered in Greenwich, Conn.; Maplewood, N.J.; and Washington, D.C. — just to name a few. Meanwhile, an online petition to institute a comparable ban in Seattle had nearly 1,000 signatures in February. In some cases, residents are demanding such bans because of the noise that gas-powered outdoor power equipment produces. The sound of a traditional lawn mower or leaf blower simply isn't welcome in many residential neighborhoods anymore, whether it's 9 a.m. on a Saturday or 1 p.m. on a Wednesday. In other cases, ban supporters are seeking to rid their communities of the emissions released by such equipment. According to a study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), gas-powered lawn and garden equipment can emit more than 6 million tons of carbon, nitrogen and similar substances per year. That's far less than the sum total of annual emissions from the cars and trucks we drive every day, but it's still a staggering number that helps to explain the landscaping bans that are sweeping the country. Still, the EPA did note in its study that the emissions from gas- powered outdoor power equipment are likely to reduce in the years ahead as equipment becomes more eco-friendly. In fact, no matter which way you look at the state of the landscaping industry, smarter, more sustainable technology seems to be the answer. New technologies can make landscaping teams more productive, lawn care quieter, and the air healthier. Moreover, this technology can help landscapers meet consumer demand. Last August, Husqvarna surveyed U.S. consumers to gauge their investment in outdoor green spaces, and their preferences for how those green spaces are maintained. The findings overwhelmingly demonstrated that consumers not only value their green spaces, but that they're also willing to pay more to ensure that those green spaces are maintained with the right tools. According to the survey, nearly two-thirds — 65 percent — of consumers who have a lawn would choose a landscaper who uses eco- friendly outdoor power equipment over one who doesn't. Meanwhile, more than half — 57 percent — of consumers would pay more for a landscaper who uses quieter

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