Planters

In early spring, volunteers and DSP staff take to the streets to turn downtown into an urban garden. Annually the DSP maintains over 100 downtown planters and added 128 hanging flowers baskets for the beautification of the sidewalk environment.

Clean-up kicks off during Spring Clean Week in April and plants are in place by Bloomsday and other Spring in Spokane events. The Clean Team and Downtown Ambassadors maintain and water the plants throughout the summer months. The DSP and BID are able to bring the plants to you thanks to revenue generated by parking meter money downtown.

If you would like to enjoy planters outside your downtown business, contact Downtown Spokane at 509.456.0580.

Trees

Large canopy street trees help reduce building cooling costs and extend the life of asphalt and pavement. Street trees cool and shade downtown's sidewalks, encouraging shoppers to stay longer. Large street trees create a strong "sense-of-place," soften the urban landscape, and are a competitive advantage for downtown. Street trees positively influence the distance people are willing to travel to shop in downtown.

The City of Spokane Urban Forestry office has developed a preferred list of urban trees and best practices for downtown.

Custom tree grates have been designed for designated downtown zones. Tree Grates are not only an aesthetic improvement surrounding our downtown trees, but they also provide significantly more access to run-off water and air circulation than the concrete grates. Contact the Downtown Spokane office for information on downtown street tree replacement and custom tree grates.