Our city has a program where they will split the cost with residents of planting a tree between the sidewalk and the street. We just got the list today of the 12 trees we can choose from. After doing some Internet research I think I am going with a hybrid called an Autumn Blaze Maple (acer freemanii). It was voted "Tree of the Year" in 1997 and "Urban Tree of the Year" in 2003 by a couple of arborist organizations. The comments I have read from people that have planted them have ALL been raves. They love 'em. I did not read anything negative about them.

It is a fast grower; three feet or more a year and can grow up to 50 feet tall and 35 feet wide. It does have surface roots, but they said not nearly as aggressive as silver maples and they said it is OK to plant near sidewalks. It turns a very very bright red in the fall. It is very resistant to all kinds of stresses including heat, cold, drought, clay, compacted soil, and salt. Disease resistant. Strong wood that performs well in strong wind and ice storms. I also learned a new term: "crotch angle". It is the angle that branches join the main trunk. The ideal crotch angle is between 45° and 60°. Less than a 45° angle makes for a weak and susceptible branch. The blaze has "superior" crotch angles.

These are the other trees we can choose from:

Japanese Tree Lilac (syringa reticulata)
Honey Locust (gleditisia triacanthos inermis)
American Linden (tilia Americana)
Ornamental Pear (pyres calleryana)
Miyabe Maple (acer miyabei)
Norway Maple (acer lanthanides)
Turkish Filbert (corylus colurna)
Hybrid Elm (ulmus species)
Swamp White Oak (quercus bicolor)
Red Oak (quercus rubra)
Bur Oak (quercus microfarad)