engawa

interesting topic and love your take/enthusiasm regarding japanese design. I can’t really comment on the lack of japanese LA’s but I feel japanese landscape design lives through many designers. I live in miami, florida. and the manufactured naturalistic approach as seen through japanese designs compliments our native landscape well and I see…[Read more]

Note: Buildings are “certified”, people are “accredited” – a possible question on the test according to a USGBC study group I went to. I am taking the test in December.

Oh yeah. My blurred vision is starting to clear up! Thanks very much. Keep ’em coming.

Thanks Loe, very flattered.
I think it’s something to do with our approach to empty space. We have experienced shortage of flat land from the beginning. So, finding flat and open land was the first step. Some could find a plot in a ‘urban’ site (in medieval term) which is small and cluttered by neighbours, the others found a small plot on mountain…[Read more]

Hi Yuko. I am always enthralled by good japanese design and always wonder why such simplicity in design is so difficult to master. I hope to find some answers in this group.

Nice to meet y’all.

Here’s an example of the political aspect of planning and landscape architecture:

Nrschmid:
“However, some of them [landscape architects] struggle to find the underlying meaning in the ordinances and what has been established by plan commissions as precedent. For example, one community’s ordinance might allow Betula nigra (River birch) but the r…[Read more]

bangkok,shenzhen&hongkong,shanghai and guangzhou . Where is my next station?

I just moved to New Zealand from Shanghai, It is good to join this group for sharing experience working in China

R Fox,

I live in Northern California…We are pretty dry…has not rained since this past Memorial Day and has not really rained since this past February.
It might rain tomorrow and this weekend…fingers crossed. I would be glad to answer any other questions about Northern Cal.

Sean

Zoning is way to control activities, which is important for a city. But as we all know cities are dynamic, some people even suggest that the city is a living organisim. froming this point of view, “zoing” should work in different ways comparing with exisiting and conventional “zoning” practices.
I think “zoning” is also a tool for the authority to…[Read more]

Well, that wasn’t he part of the quote that I was trying to emphasize, I’m not going to stand here and say that the government has cornered the market on corruption, the argument really isn’t about morality, its about social functions.

You are entitled to your assessment of Jane Jacob’s work but her contribution to urban design theory is…[Read more]

Good points, I suppose another important distinction to draw as we continue the conversation is that a planner’s role will vary greatly depending on if he or she is employed by a municipality or by a private sector consulting firm.

I suppose what I meant in my earlier post is that I have been impressed by the work of the private sector planners…[Read more]

nrschimid,

I know a few LA/Planners. AICP is a cool credential to have behind your name, a good friend of mine (who is a planner) says it stands for “Any Idiot Can Plan”.

Planning is an interesting subject. There are many professions that recognize the importance of good planning in our built environment but we take many different avenues to…[Read more]

Thanks!
I think we can have fun at least! That’s guaranteed.

Hi
I join, lets see what we could doing there.
I am in Tokyo, but stupidly enough busy to enjoy more shoppping mall after work than garden and scape.
Hope things gonna change….
A

Sad to see like-a-minds leave the profession and seek totally different jobs these days. Actually I pick small works from Europe/Middle East, and I have not heard much hopeful news in the country for a while. On the other hand, I have come across enthusiastic Japanese garden fan in Europe. So I created the group to share the true stories and info…[Read more]

Hi
I A French LAndscape Architect recently installed in Tokyo.
let’s see if there’s some people on this web site from here.
A

Re-think that water feature?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/20/water.food1

I love Yucca whipplei, Dudleya obispoensis…. 🙂

Does anybody know what water conditions are like in Northern California currently? Drought/rain wise?