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I don’t see cars as inevitable as the weather.. i see them as something that will be transformed to our will. It is possible to decrease car use – I disagree with your statement that excluding them will just put ‘the problem’ somewhere else. I geuss I don’t see cars as here to stay..’the problem’ is transportation; the solutions, over time, have…[Read more]

I can’t say I like cars much, either. I survived till the age of 25 without one and I’d gladly still be without one. My sister is four years older than me and has never gotten a drivers license, which I find impressive even if no one else does. But they exist here, and something else would take their place even if they disappeared.
People in the…[Read more]

Treehugger- brought to you by the Discovery Networks, proud of such environmentally conscious shows as Ice Road Truckers, The Deadliest Catch, and Ax Men…

This just came out on Treehugger:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/12/97-climate-scientists-humans-causing-global-warming.php
OK, so its Treehugger. Consider the souce, right? And someone’s probably going to say that just because 97% of climate scientists say its happening it doesn’t mean it is. Yawn.

Re: Bob’s comments. Down in the virgin island where ALL domestic water is what falls from the sky they catch it on the roof, run it inot a tank and drink it. Period. Sometime there is a simple cartridge filter in the mix. I know they don’t have the air pollution issues we do, but It makes you think about how simple this really all could/should be.

Good thoughts Miles, and I appreciate the counterpoints. I think the main goal (aside from checking the LEED boxes for water-reuse) of the system is to provide non-potable water for use in gardening as well as reducing the burden on the municipal stormwater system. We may use automated irrigation for part of the landscaping, so I’d like to at…[Read more]

Phillip I’m going to play devil’s advocate here. Are you going to be setting up a pump inside the cistern and using the water for a real irrigation system? Or will you just have the hand pump for hand watering? Unless you are either drinking the water or using it for an automatic irrigation system the whole rainwater harvesting into a cistern…[Read more]

Rainwater Harvesting – Studies reveal that as much as 60 percent of a homes water use doesn’t need the stringent treatment undergone by most water treatment facilities. Rainwater harvesting provides a great alternative source of water you can use for these tasks: things like laundry, irrigation, and washing the car, potentially reducing your use…[Read more]

Local authorities publish a price including maintenance and lifespan for benches placed in area with a little plaque to commemorate folk. This often seems dear but of course the more famous the artist the higher will be the cost and fee until you get really silly.

A competition or challenge to colleges and/or youth organisations can get results…[Read more]

For any residential project, for constructing and maintaining, keep it simple. I’ve personally had to clean out large tanks before and its much easier if you’re able to get a ladder in the opening and crawl through. I would also think a direct line from your downspouts directly to the tanks, coupled with a first flush bypass type valve, would be…[Read more]

Hello, roland. In Southampton, NY., two large commercial centers were presented as shared space – an addition to Bridgehampton Commons, and a new commercial development across the street, forget the name..You can see it on google. earth. ..they were not calling them woonerf, I was stretching the concept of my own volition..we did traffic calming…[Read more]

Hey Trace, where did you see that info about the reverse flow bike lanes in Colorado? I couldn’t find anything on them. I think it was you who mentioned them.
Parking lot/plazas? Is that what you’re comparing to a woonerf and shared space? I guess there’s a shopping street called a winkelnerf that could be compared in a very rough way to a parking…[Read more]

Long time no hear from me – my ‘real’ job has been very focused on events. The passing of James Rossant this week prompted me to return here to Land8. Rossant designed Lake Anne’s plaza in Reston in his work with Bob Simon.
I will gladly tell you you’re wrong about Reston being a bedroom community, as at least 60,000 people are employed here, for…[Read more]

Thanks for the resources guys.
The tank I’m designing needs to hold 850-1000 gallons, and I’m thinking it’ll probably polyethylene though it could possibly be built out of concrete. I’m assuming I’ll have to bury it so the top is 42″ below grade to avoid any freeze/thaw issues in Chicago.

My plan is to have the roof drains discharge into planted…[Read more]

Phillip this is a really good website with lots of good resources.
http://www.harvesth2o.com/

I also have a book called ‘Design For Water’ by Heather Kinkade-Levario. It’s full of technical information, photos and diagrams of actual systems. A cistern in a cold climate like where I live (Maryland) should be thought about like a septic tank. Frost line…[Read more]