July — The Fundamentals of Urban Greenspaces
Guest post written by: Matthew Shapiro, Founder & CEO – 6 Wheels Consulting
Everyone should have the ability to enjoy outdoor greenspaces and landscapes. However, sometimes people with disabilities do not have access to accessible spaces to enjoy the outdoors. This blog will help provide some strategies to help change that dynamic.
My name is Matthew Shapiro. I’m the Founder and CEO of 6 Wheels Consulting LLC and a person with Cerebral Palsy (CP), who uses a power wheelchair. Our mission is to make the world more accessible and inclusive for all people with different types of disabilities.
Oftentimes, people with disabilities struggle to find outdoor spaces that work for them. We must remember that disability can affect all of us. Disability is the only minority group anyone can join at any moment, and the one we all join as we age. Accessibility in spaces is something we should all consider.
What does an accessible space look like, and how can everyone, including landscape architects, contribute to making this happen? The first step is realizing that accessibility needs to be considered throughout the entire project’s process. This means from bidding on a project, engaging with the community, developing blueprints, identifying accessible amenities, and building out the space. Accessibility should always be at the forefront of your decision-making.
When creating an accessible landscape space, several accessibility factors must be evaluated. One of your first major decisions is how to structure the navigational pathways and what type of surface materials to use. Why does this matter? Developing a free-flowing pathway that is easy to navigate reduces stress and makes the space more enjoyable to engage with. For some individuals with disabilities, the various types of surfaces can be easier or more challenging to navigate, depending on the material used. I recommend a solid material, such as asphalt, instead of a more malleable material like gravel. Gravel may cause wheelchairs to become stuck unexpectedly, limiting mobility. Additionally, this type of surface can be challenging to navigate for individuals who are blind and use a cane, as well as for those who use a walker.
Other accessibility features to consider include shaded areas. Heat sometimes negatively impacts people with certain types of disabilities. You can include accessible park benches and picnic tables:
Image source: https://www.aluminum-bleachers.com/commercial-outdoor/Wheelchair-accessible-picnic-tables-for-sale.html
Image source: https://aprcomposites.com.au/composites/benches-and-seats/
Many of these spaces also encourage people to engage in outdoor activities, such as maintaining a garden. There are accessible planters that allow people with disabilities to also enjoy this experience:
Accessible playground equipment can also be explored:
Image source: https://www.gametime.com/solutions-environments/inclusive-playground
These are just some of the basic accessibility elements that can be incorporated.
Beyond accessible amenities, consider involving people with disabilities in the planning and building of the landscape project. Their lived experience brings valuable expertise. We must ensure they have a seat at the table.
Why does this matter? Because everyone deserves access to outdoor spaces. It is up to all of us to ensure accessibility is part of every project. I hope this blog encourages you to make accessibility a consistent priority. Creating inclusive spaces will require the collective effort of all of us.
July — Urban Greenspace Maintenance
Written by: Mary Petres, Horticulture Manager
Normally this time of year we would be lamenting about dry hot temperatures. While the hot part has certainly been present, the moisture is another story. Normally Richmond receives about 4 and half inches for all of July. I believe at last count we were over 10”! Depending on the plant, this situation can be great, or it can be a death sentence. With the recent garden designs/renovations, we have been moving toward planting more plants that are drought tolerant to reduce the need for supplemental watering or irrigation. In some cases, the excess moisture has caused these drought-tolerant plants to rot or at the very least not thrive. Only time will tell if we need to tweak our adaptation strategy. Stay tuned for an update in August.
In the case of weeds in the garden, we are seeing a proliferation of crab grass, nutsedge, three seeded mercury, pigweed, and ground ivy. All of these weeds seem to exhibit accelerated growth in moist conditions. Our strategy is to pull them before they set seed thereby reducing the seed bank for the following year. Crabgrass is particularly difficult to stay on top of, once the plant matures it quickly sets seed over and over again. We recommend removing the seed heads from the garden as the seed will continue to mature even after being removed from the plant.
It is amazing what a difference an hour or two of weeding can make in the look of the garden. Below are before and after pictures at James Christian Park. The crabgrass had overtaken the garden. But after just a few hours of work, order was restored.
Volunteer hours are critical to the longevity of public gardens. We appreciate every minute a person donates to working in the various gardens. For opportunities check out CFengage and/or our website.
Upcoming community workdays:
Aug 9, 2025 — Hotchkiss Green General Bed Maintenance
September 20. 2025 — Hotchkiss Green Pollinator Garden Planting
Nov 1, 2025 — Byrd Park Tree Planting near the Roundhouse
Nov 7, 2025 — Henrico Park Tree Planting (Exact location TBD)
Nov 8, 2025 — Henrico Park Tree Planting (Exact location TBD)
We look forward to having you join us in the gardens!
July — Featured Trees Seasonal Update
A black gum tree at Great Shiplock Park in the height of summer, and partially obscured from view by the bright pink blooms on the garden phlox.
Throughout 2025, we’ll be documenting the black gum tree, Nyssa sylvatica, which is planted at many of our urban greenspaces. This native tree is one of our favorites, hence its wide use. It offers interest every season of the year — shiny green leaves in the summer, brilliant reds, yellows, oranges and purples in the fall, and architectural structure in the winter.
Important for our purposes, black gum trees thrive in a variety of growing conditions making it suitable for planting in urban soils. They are tolerant of drought, heat, and both dry and wet soils. Typically, in cultivated conditions, the tree matures at 20-30 feet in height with a 1-2 inch diameter trunk. Because it’s native, it supports a variety of wildlife including mammals, birds, and insects.
You can learn more about black gum trees here.
July — “Spotted At”
Our urban greenspaces can be a lifeline for some of our smallest but most important creatures — pollinators. We always take a moment to pause when we’re in the gardens to see what sort of insects are enjoying the blooms. There’s usually a wide variety sampling the equally wide variety of plants. Recently, we snagged a picture of a honeybee on mountain mint (left), and a bumblebee on buttonbush. We hope you’ll stop by and peruse the blooms yourself soon, the buzz of the pollinators at work serves as a constant hum and reminder of the importance of the work we do.
