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I like the idea of a “Place Score” or “Place Finder”. It seems similar to the PPS Great Place finder, http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/, but I’d hope it would be an easier search that includes many more spaces based on location. It seems you could get a lot of data from the designers of the places themselves, especially when it comes to…[Read more]

I especially like your No. 5.) “Support high density in order to minimize spaces between buildings and make sure architects know that you own the spaces between buildings.” The firefighters (otherwise known as the foundation savers) will like it to because when one building catches on fire they all will catch on fire! Oops! you mean we have to…[Read more]

I mean that if the energy captured for our use was not captured, it would do something. Whether that means heating the ground or air, reflected, causing wind to blow, …. I don’t know. It is hard for me to fathom the idea that the earth would notice it at all, but with all the stuff you read about the effects of different crop covers it has to be…[Read more]

My advice is that if you don’t know the plant, don’t use it. I really would not ever rely on a catalogue, but the 2 books mentioned by Jordan are very good. Just because a garden center sells a plant, doesn’t mean it will work! Take a walk around the neighborhood and you will will get the best idea of what plants to use in your “palette”.

By “somewhere else” do you mean hitting plant leaves and causing photosynthesis? Might we be displacing enough respirating plant life to have an effect on that cycle? I dunno, out here in the Mojave desert, there isn’t a whole lot of leaf area to remove to start with. Its predominantly creosote bush and coyote brush, spaced far apart. They have…[Read more]

Hi Sara, I’m currently getting applications ready, preparing to take the GRE, and putting together my portfolio. I’m hoping we can get some others to chime in with constructive ideas. I’m going to include both hand drawn plans, CAD drawings, and maybe some sketches. I would keep things consistent throughout your portfolio and I would make sure…[Read more]

I chuckle at the very first issue sited in this article it certainly does not lend much credibility to the rest of the points made in it. The bee population in China was devastated by a trachea mite. It started well over 30 years ago. And the native bee population is still to this day struggling to overcome the problem. And guess what? The same…[Read more]

You assume that Americans wish to live that close to each other. I haven’t seen much evidence of that. with the exceptions of our very largest cities. Most smaller cities have trouble even getting basic commerce in the inner cities i.e. grocery stores. Why because no one chooses to live there. Until Americans change their basic attitudes towards…[Read more]

Another article, quite timely:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11495812

Perhaps the word “suburban” has become synonymous with “sprawl” when they are actually not synonyms.

Again, your feedback (and humor) are greatly appreciated! : )

We’re working on filtering the jobs from around the web to exclude tech/web related listings, as well as, reaching out to firms that are currently hiring. We are finding that a lot of firms are using word-of-mouth to hire within smaller, local circles.

Keep the feedback coming!

Its the same around DC. The newer ex-urbs are now waaaaay out of town. But you can buy a good sized house, small yard, great schools, and much lower taxes than near the city. No wonder it’s so attractive. One caveat, the commute. Half hour each way on a good day, or two hours plus with traffic. Some take commuter rail, some take busses, but it is…[Read more]

I have to wonder if using the sun’s energy that is currently going somewhere else is going to effect the climate. I would think it is a drop in the bucket, but if we are indeed headed for impending doom using fossil fuels, it stands to reason that it could have an effect.

Well that is all well and good if you live in Arizona or New Mexico. But I live in Kentucky and there are months that go by sometimes in the winter where we may not see the sun but a day or two. I rather doubt solar has much of a future there unless someone comes up with a way to store all that energy through the summer and make it available…[Read more]

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The efficiency of solar panels will continue to improve. Solar companies profitability depends on it. This is still a very young industry. As time goes on and alternative energy becomes more competitive with fossil fuels there will be huge jumps in efficiency of solar electricity and photovoltaic technology in general.
It would be interesting to…[Read more]

The remedy is built in. It is up to each and everyone of us to change it if you do not like the outcome. Though it is difficult to see how any one country can make much of a difference.

I hear you, Ben. It is a great option.

My office is a mile away in one direction. Across the strett from my office is a local grocery/liquor/fish market with a big chain drug store next to it. There are doctor’s offices adjacent to my office and a barber shop in the same Cape Cod version of an office condo (clapboard with jogs and varying roof…[Read more]