Activity

I would like to say that I took his course a few years back and was a TA for him in Manhattan, KS. His course truly offers people a way to loosen up and build a solid foundation for rapidly cycling ideas and refining them through spatial organization. The key here is rapid. If you are sitting in front of a client and they would like you to change…[Read more]

I took his 2 week workshop back in college and I don’t remember a lot of it, but I do still use the book. I actually just got it off the shelf last week to refresh! He’s doing some workshops all over the country this year (check his website, anyone interested). I briefly considered going to one, but can’t quite rationalize that kind of spending.

Different parks should do different things. We have all seen benches that never get used and we have all seen makeshift seating where people want to congregate for one reason or another where benches were not put in. Parks should be responsive as well as creating a response.

I can only speak to what the Maryland Stormwater Design manual states, but most of these BMP’s/LID Devices/Enivornmental Site Design facilities, are conceptually the same thing with minor differences in soil profile, flow-splitting requirements and drainage area. Raingardens traditionally were for residentail or small-scale applications, and…[Read more]

Great discussion!

I’ve been to Stapleton, got family that lives there very happily, and agree with what some of you are saying about these neighborhoods being great in some ways but being their own arch-nemesis’ as well. We just happened to be there for one of the farmer’s markets, and had brunch at Udi’s, had a lovely time. But in order to get…[Read more]

BUT,

some of the best places most fond in my memory didn’t have any path, but certainly a destination. The path was undefiuned and thats what made the journey so great..it was about discovery, whereas if all our parks are organized around (formal) paths I think you have a museum of landscape (plants trees, lawn, outdoor stuff, rather than a true…[Read more]

All that said, I would have to say that Mike LIn’s book was my bible for several years before I went to school. I learned to draw and all the principles of design and drawing from that book.

I’ve never met Mr. Lin so I can’t make any judgement of his character, but you have to give him credit for bringing the ‘Be Loose’ philosophy (which I still…[Read more]

I like to think that I grew up in an anomolous situation as a kid.

In Maine, I still walked two miles home from school when I missed the bus (detention). In high school, no one had cars until they were getting ready for college or had a full time job and then we still walked all over the city to get anywhere..miles of walking. When I skateboarded…[Read more]

I’m surprised he’s still offering this class… I emailed him when I was with my old firm to see if he’d be interested in offering a course in the MD/DC area that I’d gladly hook up with the local ASLA to coordinate, and he (or his secretary, whoever), got back to me A YEAR LATER.

Tim, you’re an all-star! Working part-time at three firms? What an awesome experience to work at all three of those companies in different areas of the design discipline. Way to be a go-getter!

Tax and economic structures affect growth patterns enormously..Look at the highway subsidies for the past forty years – yet Amtrak’s little budget just clings on to life..Look at the ease of getting mortgages – our entire economy melted down in small part because of that..In Germany, you don’t own a house, you rent..Look at how in America, renters…[Read more]

NIck, I strongly believe that, as a general rule (of course if you have the General Sherman Oak or something, that is different..) if you let the plantings dictate the design, you are not letting them be plants..I feel the same for the use of color in plantings – should be very minor element..What we have, that architects dont’ is weather..Plants…[Read more]

NYC does a lot of programming for its parks, in the way of organized events and sports in addition to allowing and even encouraging concessionaires. Central Park has the Woolman Rink for skating in the winter, a pond specifically for toy boats in summer, concerts, plays, etc. The New Urbanists seem to feel that public space needs to be filled with…[Read more]

Sounds like he’s selling the same old-time religion he was 20 years ago. Amazing. Yeah, some of his stage banter will make the more intellectual and socially conscious LAs cringe. I attended his seminar as it was offered as part of our curriculum. I never really cared for those kind of gaudy, cartoony renderings he does, though I’ll admit they do…[Read more]

‘ the plantings should NOT dictate the design…’

You mean, like…never? That’s a pretty big statement.

‘circulation is number one..’

IS it not sometimes appropriate to think about having places to go before you make ways to get there?

Debbie, I’m from Everblue and I can tell you that we use the feedback from our live courses to constantly update and refine our materials. The fact that we wholly create and religiously maintain our own content while teaching thousands of students a month around the country allows us to definitely answer your questions above about what is…[Read more]

william whyte discovered that you need to let people move things around in the park..give them things they can interact with..and sound – can be a design element.. the plantings should NOT dictate the design..circulation is number one, besides drainage..don’t be too fussy – AE Bye said all you need for a good park is a tree stamp and a bench…[Read more]

Have you been able to contact any nurseries yet? If not, we had a project in Guangzhou, China and were in contact with some nurseries when we were looking for trees. Surely they should have plants as well. Let me know if you would like me to dig up these nurseries…

Agreed, Ed! A trip would be very helpful and welcomed! Thanks for the assist!

Thank you Kelly…I will check it out!