As one of the oldest shopping destinations in Madison since opening in 1962, Hilldale is a unique collection of high-end retailers. The current redevelopment underway at Hilldale marks the reinvigoration of the stable but aging suburban shopping mall through a multi-use approach. This strategy integrates restaurants, entertainment, lodging, office space, structured parking, and additional retail.

The original development pattern of buildings surrounded by surface parking was replaced by a dense urban layout with outdoor spaces for cafes, plazas and pocket parks to create a new and inviting pedestrian environment between shops. This scheme transforms the busy mall into a street style outdoor shopping experience equipped with pedestrian walkways, social gathering spots, and lush landscaping.

GreenBlue Urban were brought in by the designers, REALM Collaborative and Saiki Design, to consult on the best way to achieve a mature tree promenade for this “street-style” shopping space. Considerations like walkability, maintenance vehicle access, and minimal closure times during construction were examined during the design of the RootSpace ArborSystem into this area. The trees along the pedestrian walkways that provided access to the various shops needed to grow into large specimen shade trees that would provide beautiful décor as well as comfort and protection from the outdoor elements.