The landscaping of Lafayette Park was planed by Alfred Caldwell who worked in conjunction with Mies van der Rohe. What you are seeing in the google map photo is the upper story of honey locus trees. They are very sculptural and let in a beautiful dappled light.

Then below the honey locus, there's a mid-story of flowering crabs, plums, and lilacs, etc. Finally the lower story of hawthorn bushes shied the front yard areas from the parking lots and sidewalks.

55 years ago it was all planned out and planted. We continue to reap the benefits of Mies' and Caldwell's genius to this day.

Google Maps:
http://maps.google.com/maps?source=i...08218&t=h&z=17


And from Bing Maps: