The organizing principle in the design of the city-wide Linear Urban Forest (LUF) for Springfield, Massachusetts involves gradually converting sections of paved roadways,which accommodate the electric vehicle revolution, into a connected network of natural forest ecosystems throughout the urban realm. 

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As the future of urban mobility steadily shifts towards autonomous transportation, a transformative opportunity emerges. Urban open space is typically at a premium in which to deploy nature or nature based solutions (NbS) to climate change. The evolving landscape of urban transportation marks a pivotal moment to address this need for publicly owned urban open space.

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With the utilization of autonomous vehicles, the demand for traditional street surface requirements diminishes, clearing the path for the gradual integration of the LUF. A LUF is defined as a multi-layered native forest ecosystem derived from indigenous forests of the region distributed linearly throughout the street network of the city.

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This phased, creative and pragmatic approach aligns seamlessly with the evolving landscape of urban transportation and the application of NbS that can leverage benefits like climate change adaptation, carbon mitigation, increased health outcomes, urban cooling, low-ipact stormwater management and community development by pairing natural and nature based solutions with transportation corridors. 

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