Visual Buffers and Landscaping

Design off-street parking to maximize visual buffers and landscaping where applicable. Landscape materials, art, visual buffers, or other aesthetics are effective tools to minimize the visual impacts of surface or structured off-street parking.

 

Provide internal parking islands with trees wherever possible to divide masses of pavement, provide shade, and mitigate heat island effect, as well as external landscaping to visually buffer the parking area from streets and other facilities.

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An illustration of a parking lot with callouts for visual buffer (trees/bushes) and a parking island.
Parking with Trees for Shade

A photo of a parking lot with a parking island with trees.
Parking with Trees for Shade

A photo of tall shrubs between a sidewalk and a parking lot.
Visual Buffer (Source: Flickr - Sergio Ruiz)

Minimize use of tall shrubs in favor of lower shrubs and groundcovers to allow for greater visibility within a parking area for pedestrian and vehicular safety. Clear lines of sight minimize the risk of pedestrian and vehicular collisions. Mass planting of low shrubs and groundcovers provides an aesthetically pleasing design with minimal maintenance.

 

 

 

 

 

 


A photo of a bio-retention garden adjacent to a parking structure.
Native Landscaping - Berryessa BART Station

Select native, non-invasive planting that can thrive in areas with urban development and support sustainable water use.