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This article explores the definitions of avenues, boulevards, and allées, examines various avenue patterns and famous examples, discusses management issues, and considers the cultural implications of these linear tree plantings.
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AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Linear tree plantings • Definitions, culture, layouts, management brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Aims • To consider the definitions of avenues, boulevards and allees • To examine avenue patterns • To take an overview of a number of important or famous avenues • To briefly examine management issues • To consider cultural implications brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Avenue ‘a) broad road or street, often with trees at regular intervals along its sides; b) A tree lined approach to a country house’. Concise Oxford Dictionary • Apparently first used in English in John Evelyn’s ‘Sylva’ • Probably derived from French venue or Italian venire brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Boulevard Allee Originally a Dutch word - bolwerk – bulwark, a defensive structure – usually an earthwork. It was first introduced into the French language in 1435 as boloard and has since been altered to boulevard. Often applied to an avenue with a central strip for pedestrians between two or more carriageways. In the US – a broad main road From the French word ‘aller’ – to go – widely used to describe avenues in Europe brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS What defines an avenue, boulevard or allee? UNIFORMITY • species • size • age • planting layout • management regime brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Two main groupings • Rural – associated with a country house, castle – may have been incorporated into urban park • Rural – tree-lined roads – sub-group with features often more akin to urban avenues • Urban – tree-lined roads and boulevards brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS ‘Rural’ avenues • Extension of the French Landscape School • Formal, straight lines, regular spacing • In Britain, in 17th and 18th Centuries, largely influenced by Royalty who imported the style from the Low Countries where it was particularly suitable due to the predominantly flat landscapes • Reflected the landowner’s worth and influence • Usually led to views of the house or a particular feature, such as a ‘folly’ • Large scale import of plants from Europe to Britain for avenue planting • Further period of avenue planting during the Victorian period • Planting periods reflect wealth of landowners at time. brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Such an avenue is an expression of POWER! • Temporal power • Power over Nature brian g. crane 2010
Palace of Versailles brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
‘Goosefoot’ avenue arrangement at Hampton Court, England AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS An avenue is an expression of POWER! • Temporal power • Power over Nature brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire, England • Photograph taken in 1950s when avenue was of common elm (Ulmus vulgaris) • Destruction of avenue by ‘Capability’ Brown visible to left (red arrow) • Avenue is 3 miles (4.8 km.) long brian g. crane 2010
Rural avenues • Many neglected as here, in Suffolk, where an old house has become a pub. brian g. crane 2010
Rural avenues • Another avenue, with some recent replanting at • Southill in Bedfordshire brian g. crane 2010
Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire,the effect of the English Landscape School (1) 1638 1680 brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire,the effect of the English Landscape School (2) 1730 – shows Radnor’s work 1790 – shows work of Brown and Eames brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
Single line planting Planting layouts (1) • Single line planting • Double-row (opposed or opposite) Double row opposite brian g. crane 2010
Three row quincunx Planting layouts (2) • Three row Quincunx – like the five on a dice • Double-row quincunx Double row quincunx brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS • Arose in several parts of Europe at the same time • Necessitated by urban growth or the need for better urban design • Specific ‘drivers’ in Britain, Paris and Barcelona ‘Urban’ avenues – tree-lined roads brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS • ‘Rural’ avenues • Associated with a particular property • History is very much that of the ‘family’ who owned the property • Relevance to daily life is limited ‘Urban’ avenues -v- ‘rural’ avenues • ‘Urban’ avenues • In constant use • Often associated with wider world and national history • Relevant to the daily life of large sections of the population • Can form outdoor meeting places brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS • Napoleon III commissioned Baron Haussman to re-design the city • Much of the mediaeval city was demolished – sometimes considered an architectural crime • The wide boulevards were difficult to barricade and gave quick accesss for troops to all parts of the city to quell riots ‘Urban’ avenues – Paris brian g. crane 2010
Champs Elysees, Paris brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
Champs Elysees, Avenue Grande Armee, Paris 5.5 miles 8.8 km brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
brian g. crane 2010 Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Paris, 1944
La Defence, Paris brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
Champs Elysees, Paris brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
brian g. crane 2010 La Defence, Paris brian g. crane 2010
‘Urban’ avenues – Berlin, Unter den Linden • Originally a tree-lined route to the Elector’s hunting lodge • Used as a parade ground • Became a ‘social centre’ during the Weimar Republican period • Destroyed during the Second World War • Replanted during the Cold War brian g. crane 2010
Unter den Linden, brian g. crane 2010
Unter den Linden, Berlin, 1800s brian g. crane 2010
brian g. crane 2010 1933
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS brian g. crane 2010 Unter den Linden 1935
Unter den Linden – Cold War Period • The sign says ‘Attention! You are now leaving West Berlin’ • Most of the traffic was the other way!!! • Probably one of the iconic • views of the period brian g. crane 2010
Unter den Linden, Berlin, Cold War period • 16 metre wide strip between carriageways • Central area was re-planted after World War II by the East German Government. Trees are silver-leafed form of lime, possibly Tilia tomentosa, planted opposite at 8.5 metres centres, heights 14 to 15 metres, branches forming at 2.5 to 3 metres, dbhs 15 to 55 cm. Cavities caused by poor quality pruning noted on trunks of older trees. Light dead wood present. • 3 lane road either side of central space • Trees in outer lines are mostly T. x europaea, with some T. tomentosa. Many trees are younger than those in the central plantings. Some Tilia ‘Greenspire’. brian g. crane 2010
Unter den Linden, Berlin2006 – central area - Tilia tomentosa brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS Urban avenues La Eixample, Barcelona • When the old city walls were destroyed it was clear that new development would have to be controlled and designed rather than haphazard. • Ildefons Cerda, an engineer wrote an early book on Town Planning - La Eixample • The area so designed took this name. • Trees were an integral part of his vision. brian g. crane 2010
brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
AVENUES, ALLEES AND BOULEVARDS ‘Urban’ avenues – Britain • A series of Public Health Acts in the 1870s and 1880s gave Local Authorities the power to plant trees along thoroughfares for which they were responsible • No Government funding was provided • Prompted by the Victorian social ethic as a response to the slums being created to house industrial workers • The Industrial Revolution prompted an unprecedented and unequalled movement from the countryside to the cities. • Public Health Acts also dealt with the disposal of fire cinders and the emptying of outdoor privies! brian g. crane 2010
London, Kingsway (carriageway view) London plane - Platanus x acerifolia The road was purpose built as part of a major redevelopment of the area in the 1900s which swept away a maze of small streets and slum dwellings. It is one of the broadest streets in central London at 30.5 metres wide. brian g. crane 2010
London, Kingsway (pavement view) Mainly London plane - Platanus x acerifolia The London planes were planted in (about) 1950 as part of the Abercrombie Plan, this was a scheme to rehabilitate London following World War II. The planting of long boulevards to be known as ‘parkways’ was one aspect of the scheme. brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
London, Camden area Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ This linear planting unifies differing architectural styles, breaks harsh lines, provides shade and affects micro-climate brian g. crane 2010
MANAGEMENT OF AVENUES Options • DoNOTHING • Manage existing trees to prolong their safe, useful lives • Replant – either completely or partially brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
MANAGEMENT OF AVENUES • DONOTHING !!! brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
MANAGEMENT OF AVENUES • Consider reasons for management • Establish condition of the avenue • Formulate time-specific management plan brian g. crane 2010 brian g. crane 2010
People pressure Las Ramblas, Barcelona brian g. crane 2010
