My favorite boulevards in Chicago

It's that time of year again when the trees and flowers are in bloom - spring! As a scholar of urban forests, these are the months when I most appreciate the green infrastructure of our city. After a long, dark, cold, grey winter, the flowers and green are welcome.

In particular, I frequently find myself stopping to photograph the beautiful boulevards (I call them "tree lawns" since I study trees) on my walking commute to and from DePaul University's Lincoln Park Campus. Below are some of my favorite tree lawns from the past couple weeks.

(I've also included a few of my not-so-favorite rights-of-way: tree pits and streets that show the notorious lack of stormwater management and ability to cope with heavy spring rains. Signs of Chicago's aging infrastructure, as well as the heavier rain events that are symptomatic of climate change. Both the first and last picture show streets and boulevards that don't drain particularly well.)

Enjoy!