Abstract
Street trees provide many environmental and stormwater management benefits including increased aesthetic values, reduced heat island effects and stormwater runoff reduction. Through their incorporation into residential streetscapes and commercial area landscape designs by councils and city planners, street trees have become an integrated part of daily life in many urban environments. However, urban landscapes do not provide a good environment for trees to grow because altered soil conditions as a result of compaction lead to decreased water availability, lack of rooting space and increased soil temperature. Permeable pavements are relatively a new type of SUDS treatment system that allows water and oxygen to infiltrate through the paving structure and soil. This article presents the interim results of a study in Queensland, Australia, investigating the potential for permeable pavements to improve soil conditions to increase street tree growth and health.