Detailed Landscape Concept

Neighborhood Trees The following native tree species meet Mercado Districts's climate and planting requirements: Blue Palo Verde Cercidieum flordum Desert Willow Chilopsis linearis Arizona Ash Fraxinus velutina Desert Ironwood Olneya tesota Velvet Mesquite Prosopis velutina Blue palo verde planted as street trees in Tucson's historic Armory Park neighborhood.

Mercado District landscaping is defined, in part, by exposures:

North and East Exposures

These areas enjoy the benefit of natural sheltering because of the alignment of buildings is close to or at the frontage lines. These streets, then, have little or no street plantings. The sides of streets will have sidewalks that are wide enough to provide access while taking maximum advantage of the shade provided by adjacent buildings.

Additionally, the following streets are identified for their specific landscape design character within the neighborhood:

• Congress Street
  With its commercial presence, it will receive regularly space trees to help define it as a wide thoroughfare while providing shade and visibility to pedestrians.
• Avenida del Convento
  As the neighborhood's main street, it receives significantly sized, paired rows of trees to provide shade and comfort while accommodating commercial activity at a pedestrian scale.

West and South Exposures

In the time-tested practice of Southwest urbanism, streets are often asymmetrical in their planting, with the emphasis on the west and south exposures. This practice is followed in the landscape concept for the Mercado District, as well.

Generally, the streetscape objective for these sides of streets is to provide substantial shading for the buildings and sidewalks, while making interesting public places.

Specific landscape design character applies to:

• Acequia Street
  The east side of this street will receive grouping of trees within a modest swale that will provide water harvesting and a place for respite from the summer heat.

  
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