Thomas J. Johnson

I used to be into the dark sky initiative, or whatever they call it. Then I came to the conclusion that cities are all about lights. Yes, it makes sense to conserve energy but I also wouldn’t propose dimming time square. On the same token, I’d be willing to wager that interior lights in sky-scrappers emit more combined light or that the light they…[Read more]

Well, that’s one way to lose these walking blues…

Yeah, I’ve never really cared for palms, especially the Mexican Fan Palms. I’d prefer to see California move towards a more appropriate aesthetic for the region.

I have to disagree with your statement that GIS is not a good presentation or design tool. With ArchGIS you are able to heavily manipulate all aspects of a map including colors (specifying the shade of blue for water for instance), text, and layout. If you are so inclined, you can make beautiful, artistic maps for presentations that are far…[Read more]

GIS is an incredibly powerful tool for large scale design and planning. I used it regularly at Colorado State University yet I would consider myself a novice because I’ve only scratched the surface of it’s capabilities.

Senior year I used ArchGIS to site a mid-mountain lodge for “resort design” class. With Arch GIS I was able to analyze slope,…[Read more]

Sorry, didn’t mean to get my panties in a bunch… sometimes sarcasm / humor can be lost in writing… Reintroducing animals to urban areas is an interesting subject. I suppose it depends on the specific animal. Birds of pray (eagles, hawks, etc) might be better for controlling rodent populations, including the winged rat (pigeon) than coyotes or…[Read more]

Hmmm… interesting. That salt marsh project sounds like a very worthwhile endeavor. You also raise some great points about public lands and taxes. Thank you for the insight! I definitely learned something on Land8 today!

I don’t know where you’re talking about but in Laguna Beach, it’s nearly impossible to “raze and replace” a home. If it’s not historic, it’s in your best interest, tax / permit wise, to leave a few outside walls standing. If you’re unfortunate enough to own a “historic” house, you basically have to stop maintaining the home and let it fall down on…[Read more]

Sorry, but did you read the article you posted? It’s about a study using GPS collard coyote’s, intentionally released in Chicago’s Loop, to control rat, mice and rabbit populations.

It has nothing to do with animals returning to urban areas as a result of increases in naturalized space design/planning/building.

Here are a few articles on the…[Read more]

Here are a few links that might…[Read more]

Aren’t most non-buildable / non-rebuildable (my spell-check is freaking out!) lots categorized as such in the best interest of the developer or based on existing environmental legislation? I.E. If you build here there is a good chance your home will fall into the ocean / If you build here you will be in violation of NEPA guidelines?

There is a…[Read more]

Gov’t issued LED headlamps for everybody!! It’s the new GLOW-Bama Economic Illumination plan!

This is the “tree” they are referring to… Bacopa caroliniana… an aquarium plant…

It seems that they’ve got a long way to go before the London Plane Trees of NYC start glowing at night… thank God.
Plus, the trees would need to be evergreen otherwise you’d lose all of your nanoparticles of gold each fall, though it would encourage fall…[Read more]

Great thread! Here are a few randoms from my “bookmarks” in no particular order or hierarchy.

http://designm.ag/resources/photoshop-nature-brushes/
http://www.lulu.com/index.php
https://www.topos.de/
http://www.planetizen.com/
http://www.dexigner.com/
http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_sage1.htm
http://www.ajdesigner.com/index.htm

Hi Callum,

Sounds cool but maybe a bit contrived. I’m not sure that’s how people in the field would really handle tree watering.

It seems like the tree either has irrigation (best), a watering bag, or occasional hand watering. If I had to guess, most trees die from not getting enough water because people are lazy, forgetful or the budget doesn’t…[Read more]

“Being licensed significantly contributed to salary – $77,700 for those holding a license compared to $52,700 without.”

– Having your license makes a $25,000 difference!? I need to get my license!!

If you want the best, The SWA Group is it.

http://www.swagroup.com/

Go to:

Projects — Communities

Shady Canyon is an award winning master planned community nestled in the foothills of Southern California. It is comprised of custom villas, elegantly sited in the furrowed landscape, overlooking a world-class golf course that blends seamlessly…[Read more]

The “Grean Movements” biggest mistake has been a failure to connect conservation and sustainability to financial profitability. Historically, greens have been associated with wanting to put the brakes on “civilization” and “progress” in order to protect the environment from the destructive forces of human influence. This is a losing battle. Money…[Read more]

lol Yeah, site engineering was my least favorite class and I too got a C-. I had a great professor and despite my grade, learned a lot but preferred to focus my attention on the “big idea” creative aspects of design classes at the time. Now I appreciate the fact that “how” things get built is very much a part of design. Plus it’s good for the old…[Read more]

So, are you tying into a river upstream and then releasing the water back into the river down stream?

Is the “switch” / valve going to be electric? I.e. a “plug” of water is sent down the runnel every 10 or 15 min.

You could also design a system that acts like Japanese bamboo fountain (shishi odoshi) but on a massive scale. You can then just set…[Read more]