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The Swamp White Oaks should have no problem in that area, they are really tough (thats why they were ultimately chosen over another species). Given the high-profile of this project, and its symbolism, there will not doubt be very high levels of maintenance. I’m sure all the soils are designed and are trucked in (hopefully the innoculate them), and…[Read more]

I like swamp white oaks, they are NOT common in Manhattan, while sweet gums are like callery pears..boring..and overused, street trees…… and the S. W. Oak is probably native to that original lower manhattan landscape….Just geussing..

And Mr. Thomas, I shouldn’t be cocky? pot and kettle problem?

but for me,that is a good thesis topic – when…[Read more]

Trace One – European Lindens would be a fine choice, except that they will attract honey bees and require a lot of water… but I proposed Silver Lindens, so the same applies there…

By the way, I’m not a “landscaper” and I don’t consider my alternatives “decorating”. I was proposing ideas that might satisfy both designers objectives. Really, I…[Read more]

Agree Rob. Monocultures are never a good idea, design not withstanding. Little difference if the choice is swamp white oak or sweet gum. And the reasons for switching species seems suspect. I can picture a brilliant red sea of foliage surrounding the two tower voids. I hardly believe that would have been a distraction. Yet, their should have been…[Read more]

How about european lindens? Thomas, you have resorted to the usual problem with landscrapers – the need to decorate..As for the swamp white oak, I like them..no cancel that, I LOVE swamp white oak…..and I am NOT looking for work..
But I think the design was lost once it was taken away from the original conception of creating voids in the…[Read more]

Mr. Halpern, You raise some good points!

It looks like the Sweetgums were eliminated from the design and replaced with the White Swamp Oak. While 400 Sweetgums might not have been the best choice, I’m not sure 400 Quercus bicolor is either. “…this species will develop chlorosis in high pH (very alkaline) soils, almost always the result of being…[Read more]

Using GIS in the mix would add a great dynamic to the thesis – you could blow that grade sky high between original research, good use of GIS, and a well founded criteria to det that analysis up with.

I did an evaluation of a proposed zoning ordinance for my senior thesis using GIS (ArcInfo circa 1997) to analyze how land could be subdivided…[Read more]

I love this study – A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

* Bicycle: 72 people are transported on 72 bikes, which requires 90 square meters.
* Car: Based on an average occupancy of 1.2 people per car, 60 cars are needed to transport 72 people, which takes 1,000 square meters.
* Bus: 72 people can be transported on 1 bus, which only requires…[Read more]

Hi Trace_One,

Thanks, glad you enjoyed my late night ramblings… I think the shower thing all depends on the circumstances. Some work places are not conducive to showering. I don’t really want to shower with my co-workers but it would be nice if there was a shower stall or two (private) that would encourage people to go for a run at lunch or…[Read more]

The article explains how they were going to have a ribbon of sweet gums running through the mass of oaks. Now it’s all oaks

This is such a huge topic, it seems that your biggest challenge will be narrowing your focus… Something I’ve noticed, that may be of interest / applicable is that many cities have special events where they close major streets to automobiles and allow only bikes and pedestrians. The turn out is always great and people are always happy and social.…[Read more]

The article is about how they nixed the sweetgums in favor of swamp white oaks, right? Seems like a much better choice..

And while diseases do spread in monocultures, cities are one place that can be protected – There are even a few incredible elms remaining in New York , because they were in the ‘urban island’ and did not succumb to Dutch…[Read more]

Many, many thanks to everyone who responded.
@ Jason & Jonathan – thank you for the book recommendations – I’ll be stopping by the library for them this week.

@ Thomas – thanks for putting so much time into your reply. I completely agree with you about many American areas being unsuitable for bike commuting.

Progress is being made, indeed, with…[Read more]

Still don’t know! If my new clients bite then I ought to be out of town. But nothing in this business ever happens when it was scheduled.

Yeah, and this project has to be the worst case!

Still, the issue of long-term maintenance is a real one. I just returned from a conference of grounds managers, all of whom had horror stories on new projects being designed that they did not have the resources to maintain. In my experience, the Owner is usually the prime mover in such delusional…[Read more]

I just wanted to put in some two cents on my personal experience recently. I graduated in 08 and moved out to the Bay area with a job. Shortly thereafter, my company laid off all new employees and was hit dramatically by the recession. I have been working on and off freelance jobs and recently have relocated for a few months in Paris. I’m…[Read more]

A thesis on when, where, and how bicycle transportation is effective vs. when, where, and why it is ineffective could dwarf another thesis on how LAs can play a role. When are they going to be a feel good political ribbon cutting event. and when are they going to be effective infrastructure often seems to be ignored with the idea that if you build…[Read more]