Thomas J. Johnson

Well said!

Well said. I do believe that the government will mandate LEED on all projects in the near future. I also agree with you that there is huge expense associated with requiring LEED and that it will make projects unfeasible for a lot of people. I also think the government doesn’t really care and that it falls perfectly into the larger plan to…[Read more]

Trace One – Your rant is so disjointed I don’t even know where to begin.

Lets start with jobs. The government doesn’t CREATE jobs. They may employ people but that is just redistributing tax dollars. Private enterprise, entrepreneurs, creates jobs. The majority of Americans work for small businesses. Making it easier to start businesses and…[Read more]

I have to question the thinking of anyone who believes that our way out of this mess is through expanding the government and raising taxes. They’ve done such a great job with what they had, lets give them more!

For purposes of not just economic prosperity but for national security, we need to bring jobs home. The United States needs to be…[Read more]

That’s a tough call… As the boss, it seems that it’s your job to make decisions based on what’s in the companies best interest, not on what is easy or makes you sleep better at night. Sure, it would definitely be easier to lay off the single guy but is it in the best interest of the company? Are you there to be a counselor or to build a lean,…[Read more]

Thanks! Yeah, I’ve been through numerous fluctuations regarding my views on landscape architecture over the past two years. I’ve even posted comments on Land8 that are completely opposite of what I describe above, stating basically that land archs are not necessary and that engins and archs can get projects built without us. I still believe they…[Read more]

In an ideal world, everybody who wants to work, could. We don’t live in that world any more. I’m currently unemployed. I don’t want to be. I like working. I’m the kind of person that needs to be busy.

I also don’t fit into your Gen Y / BB Boom profile. I’m Gen X (32 yrs old) but I only have two years experience in Landscape Architecture because I…[Read more]

Have you tried…

+1 for Parc du Bercy. If you make it to the library, you have to check it out.

Nikolaos – You must have gone on the Europe trip with Brad! What a great time! It was so fast, it was a blur. I don’t know the names of half of the places we went but my mental image library runeth over… I wish I could do that every year!

Is this a trick question!?

Start at La Grande Arche at La Defense. There is a metro stop there. Easy to get to.

La Grande Arche is on axis with La Arch du Triumphe. Start walking towards La Arch du Triumphe. This whole area is very modern and you could easily spend days wandering the offshoots of this corridor. One park in the area I highly…[Read more]

+1 for Ed’s recommendation. Build one of these and you will be able to burn contours onto paper with your minds eye… or you might go insane. Either way, rest assured, you’ll never view the world the same way again…

That’s a quarter for scale on the right.

Spot elevations / grading are the only thing I would do in decimal form. Everything else I’d do in architectural. I think it all depends on who is using the drawing. Surveyors are going to want to use decimals. Contractors / laborers (using tape measures) generally want to use architectural.

This discrepancy is yet another reason we should toss…[Read more]

Grape flavored grass!? The geese might not like it but it sounds delicious to me…

Thank you for sharing your experience, it sounds promising…

“The CPD has been planning a second development-stage of the park’s nearly 11 undeveloped acres north of 18th Street. The plan calls for the development of the area’s shoreline and access points, as well as the construction of a cultural arts and recreational facility and a boathouse. The project is estimated to cost $38 million. In September…[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]

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]

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]

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]