The ornamentally landscaped median strip: A significant feature of the urban streetscape

Different visual elements of the streetscape differentially impact people's perceptions of their surroundings and various studies reveal that ornamental flora in the streetscape projects a more positive image than streetscapes void of ornamental flora. Landscaped median strips are significant culture landscape features of many thoroughfares in many cities and this study tests four hypothesis that explore the spatial distribution and content of landscaped median strips in four neighboring Orange County cities.; This study concludes that cities with a higher level of affluence and a larger area in square miles will display more total linear miles of landscaped median strips and greater variety of ornamental species on their roadways compared to cities that demonstrate a lower level of affluence and smaller area in square miles, but do not necessarily display a greater proportion of their streets as possessing landscaped median strips than less affluent and less expansive cities. This study also concludes that species composition of the median strips' ornamental flora does not change with increasing distance inland from the coast and that the composition and design of landscaped median strips are not planned with the intent of distinguishing a city from nearby cities.