Innovation !!!

Narrow road vegetation

I was walking home from work staring at the pavement when I thought curiously, why don't we have vertical vegetation beds on pavements? I believe we can do more within the industry which includes disturbing public works such as paths and roads. Why can't it become a standard to have a narrow upright vegetation bed made out of corten steel about 15cm wide on pavements?

This is how I see it

Advantages

• Increasing vegetation in densely populated areas
• Possibly could plant carbon sequestrating plants 
• A physcial barrier between pedestrians and vehicles- road safety 
• Could assist in draiange, reducing surface run off

Disadvantages 

• Carbon cost of manufacturing
• Creating it as a standard would need LOTS of approval, including health and safety
• Would only be fitted in areas where pavements are wide enough to fit wheelchairs and buggys 
• Could attract pests/ insects which would disturb pedestrians DEPENDING on the planting 

Autistic- friendly paving 

Walking home from work, once again. I was stood on textured paving at the lights, waiting to cross the road. The tile that I was stood on was wobbly so I began shuffling my weight side to side essentially bouncing from one end of the tile to another. Across the road stood a child, greatly intrigued by my childish behaviour which sparked my mind. 

Having worked with young autistic people before I first-hand acknowledge the struggle of road safety, some struggle to stand still. And with such danger on roads with oncoming vehicles, why should'nt we install wobbly textured pavings? There could be mechanisms beneath such as springs that are activated through kinesthetic energy such as a jump to enable the paving to wobble side to side when a child wanted it to. This way wheelchair users would not be interrupted at pedestrian crossings as well as buggys etc.