TREE LAWN

A 'tree lawn', also called a 'boulevard', 'berm', 'verge', 'nature strip', 'utility strip', or 'devil's strip' in some areas, is a small area, often planted with trees and grass, between a street and the sidewalk of that street. Tree lawns are most often found in residential areas.
Tree lawns and sidewalks are typically public property. Public tree maintenance is usually a municipal responsibility. Some municipal governments demand that abutting private property owners maintain the public sidewalks.
Some advantages of tree lawns include: aesthetics, increased safety and comfort of sidewalk users, during inclement weather, sidewalk users are moved outside the splash and spray of passing vehicles, storage area for snow plowed off the street, and room for benches, bus shelters, street lights and other amenities.