Building where I used to work downtown is one of the few buildings that has a plan for next time. (They got severely flooded by Sandy)

They have an 8-foot perimeter wall that can get setup in a few hours. They test it annually to ensure it will hold back water for several days. You can see the perimeter installation posts in the concrete around the building. Seems like a much better idea than sandbags. Also their vulnerable stuff like network and power access is now moved up from the ground floor.

Owner here (private home)

Love our city tree We sweep up (no blowing into the street) throughout spring summer and fall. It’s good exercise and a way to meet your neighbors.

Norway spruce is messier than some but not as bad as a female Ginkgo tree I suppose. But we would be happy to have any heathy tree.

We also fought for a dozen new trees for our block and after a few years of patient requests got almost all of them.

Roots can be a pain sometimes but again, worth it to have a shade tree in front of our home and it certainly beautifies the city. Birds and squirrels call it home now and it’s lovely to watch it bloom in the spring.

Funny part of poking fun of NIMBY is that once violent crime and/or property crime spikes no one wants derelicts, homeless, offenders or addicts in their neighborhood, I don’t care who they are.

And to be honest, if these places are not being actively monitored for criminal activity (and I don’t believe they ever are) then don’t put these places filled with people prone to crime in neighborhoods where families or seniors live.