Congratulations to Daniels Faculty landscape architecture student Tyler Bradt (MLA 2013), on receiving a 2013 Sustainable Design Award. Bradt's project, "Free Tree City," not only won the Urban/Social Category, but was also featured in the Toronto Star by gardening columnist Mark Cullen as part of his "Saving our Trees Series."

Writes Cullen:

Let’s agree that the Trees Ontario study has informed us on a deeper level where, previously, we only understood the benefits of trees and green spaces anecdotally. The question then is, as Tyler Bradt states, “How can we make trees accessible to people who cannot afford them?” He points out that the high-income areas of Toronto are well-treed, for the most part, while the low-income and “high risk” areas are poorly treed.

The answer provided by “Free Tree City” is this: to propagate, plant and sell trees in the hydro corridors within the city limits.

Bradt's proposal would result in a more sustainable use of Toronto's hydro corridors, and provide new, closer and more affordable nurseries for people within the city.

“I think the greatest benefit of this idea is its radical scale and blunt challenge to existing norms,” Bradt tells Cullen. "It raises issues often not thought about, like the idea of access to trees being important for residents of a city. It also puts forward the idea of returning the forest and wilderness to our cities, in some capacity.”

The Sustainable Design Awards (SDAs) is an annual initiative with the goal of inspiring post-secondary students to view their education through the lens of Sustainability (ecological, social, cultural, economic, and beyond). The SDAs are organized by students for students, with the intention of evolving the dialogue around sustainability. This year the awards are able to offer $10,000 in cash prizes thanks to their sponsors.

For the full article featuring Bradt's project, visit the Toronto Star.