In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, the team sits down with Emily Bell, a landscape designer and founder of Emily Bell Landscape Design, to talk about real-world challenges—and smart solutions—in site planning. From stormwater management to tree stabilization, Emily shares the tools she actually specifies, including TreeStaple, Silver Cells, CarbonSmart wood, and ProFlow pavers. They also tackle the realities of budget constraints, developer resistance, and the all-too-common spec-and-switch problem. If you're in urban planning, landscape architecture, or product development, this is the episode to rethink what belongs in your design toolbelt.Timecodes:00:00 – Welcome and introduction to Emily Bell01:10 – Core site challenges: drainage, trees, and materials03:08 – Developer pushback and the value engineering dilemma04:20 – What makes TreeStaple so useful in the real world06:05 – ProFlow pavers: where they fit and why they matter08:20 – Cost vs benefit in spec decisions09:33 – CarbonSmart wood and circular material sourcing12:22 – Specifier considerations and contractor habits14:04 – Urban vs rural: where these tools shine15:35 – Silver Cells explained and why they’re needed18:11 – When it’s too late for root management19:07 – Personal design inspiration from transit and urban systems21:24 – How travel shapes Emily’s landscape perspective23:08 – What makes a product worth advocating for25:21 – Examples of product trends that don’t work27:00 – Collaboration between specifier, contractor, and client28:31 – The spec battle: why holding the line matters30:04 – Final thoughts on tools that elevate site performance31:08 – Closing remarks and call to advocate smarter toolsResources:Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.comConnect with Jim Mancini on LinkedInConnect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedInConnect with Emily Bell on LinkedIn

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