Would we benefit from paving the sidewalks with sod?

Question

I'm thinking about, this conservation-thing and "going green." What are some expected pros and cons?

Answer 1

Perhaps rocks, clay, hmm.. but sod would just become dirt after time of being walked on over and over. As I'm sure you've seen in areas where sod is walked on a lot!

I'm certain that their are many other areas where going green and thinking about conservation would be more beneficial.

Now if you replaced roofs with sod, instead of using shingles or tiles, or clay, ect ect.. That would be something beneficial!

Answer 2

Pros: the cement would be replaced by green grass.  

Cons: Roller-blading chicks n stuff would have to do it in the road and they could be hit by cars while in the act.  That would not be NICE!!! Roller blading chicks n stuff....Mmmmmmmmm!

Answer 3

I think "going green" has more to do with making ecologically responsible decisions rather than literally making things green.

I can't think of the pros of covering the sidewalks with sod. Grass requires water, fertilizer, weed killer, and regular mowing to keep a good appearance. Runoff from lawn care ends up in our creeks, rivers, and lakes and impacts their ecologies.

A better option is to hardscape with rocks and plants that don't require a lot of water or fertilizer. You can also xeriscape by replacing your lawn with plants that are native to your area and are adapted to the local weather conditions. This may not be acceptable to your local government which may have ordinances on lawn appearance (We get a fine if our grass/weeds are over 6" long).

If you cover the sidewalks, where will people walk? In my neighborhood there are no sidewalks, so people walk in the street. This is really dangerous when kids are walking to the bus stop or when people jog or walk their dogs after work. The negative aspects of the sidewalks are that they need to be maintained, snow needs to be removed, and they need to be salted in the winter. Salt also runs off into the local water.

Better to reduce your use of electricity and petroleum products than cover your sidewalks.

Answer 4

all of the above answers are good, especially the first one. Grass, unless in its native area, is not very environmentally friendly, is extremely high maintenance, becomes very slippery when it gets wet, and is not suitable to many "sidewalk users".

The greener options to plain old concrete is permeable concrete which allows water to seep through it into the ground below (eventually repleneshing the water tables far below us), and in special areas flagstone or pea gravel can be used; anything that allows water to pass into the earth instead of flooding down the sewers and storm drains.

Answer 5

Rollerbladers and women in heels wouldn't.

Answer 6

Another alternative that may suit some situations is to recycle 'old' carpet to use instead of concrete sidewalks or pathways,, Carpet is frequently replaced long before it is worn out and the synthetic materials therein have long half-lives..  I've  had discarded carpet as walkway around our garden for years, and it still hasn't shown signs of  major deterioration in spite of sun and rain.. There are an embarassing number of areas in Edmonton with NO pedestrian walkways along major roads.. e.g. 170 St or Calgary trail.  It would be worth a trial I think.. needs a way to securely link the pieces, homogenize colours.. design anchors etc..  Maybe start with paths in a park or some limited area..

Answer 7

As the above answerers have pointed out, no.  However, I have heard of using recycled tires to "pave" sidewalks, which prevents them from going into landfills.  I understand it's easier on the joints of people who use them and the sidewalks won't crack when tree roots expand.

Answer 8

Taking your question literally, the answer is interestingly enough yes!  The sidewalks as well as roads and parking lots are all categorized as impermeable surfaces.  These surfaces tend store chemicals such as oils, pesticides, and fertilizers, which build up on the surface of the pavement until it rains, at which point there is a surge of chemical run off, which causes a large fluctuations in water quality of near by streams and rivers.