Planting lots of green plants??
J/K!
We are given lots of opportunities to lessen our impact on the earth by choosing local materials, recycling existing materials, working with, not against the topograpy and soils and other natural conditions of the site, choosing water resourceful techniques in storm drainage, irrigation, retention, and plantings, etc. Of course, every locality should have their own standards based on their local conditions…
As landscape architects, however, we are often in a place where the site is already so impacted by the developer’s interests, we feel our “green” or “sustainable” efforts are not as effective as they could be if we were totally in charge of the site from the beginning! My future goals include hooking up with developers and builders who hold a common vision of what it means to “go green”… which is not, as many folks would see it, a new way to go shopping, as much as a vision for working with natural & smart building and siting techniques and honoring the inherent spirit and life of the site.
