Trace One

Mr. Halpern, I haven’t noticed that homeowners in the US were in the habit of ‘saving’ trees. Where is that a problem, in your experience? In thirty years of LA, I have not noticed that the LA’sget to ‘save’ the trees, later to be taken out by the sensible horitculturality..It is ALWAYS the opposite – the aborist is called on site, and oh so sadly…[Read more]

definitely the Renzo Piano addition to the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park – it’s really great, inside and out..

Traces’ reply deleted by Trace..Honesty not always best policy.. Funny, Nick!..Hee hee..

and we also have to stop obsessing about Al Gore’s particular carbon footprint..These are not knock-out constraints..As the carbon footprint for the Copenhagen meeting does not mean abandon all hope, ye who enter here..this is a world, trying to solve a world problem..Focus!!

sorry, Mike, I have found the arboriculture answer is “sadly, the tree must go..” We (LA’s) know more than them..I would rely on the judgement of an LA..Keep the trees..They are old, they are worth a LOT of money..

all this verbiage should not result in everyone feeling that all effort is useless and wrong….You can complain that the government is corrupt, cap and trade doesn’t work (although it has worked in Europe, already) but don’t let that give you the comfortable american framework that nothing really matters..

It matters..A lot..Cap and trade may…[Read more]

Mr. Chirico, I would answer (I’ll stick my neck out!) that it is science!

Don’t cover the flange! they will do FINE with architectural pavers over them! Pines are not great for that, but if they are mature trees (how big are the Pines?) they are worth a lot of money, so try to save them..There are many other biotic systems that are currently livng in those trees, and when you cut them down, you will loose them all,…[Read more]

well-put, boilerplater! They did try half measures with slavery for decades – slavery only allowed in the old territories, not the new territories, etc..
I love James Hansen, and think we should just tax carbon – keep it simple..what the heck is wrong with a straight out simple tax on harming the environment..We need to pay more for housing,…[Read more]

I agree about the DOT’s ! Man, I don’t even call them Landscape ARch’s, just to annoy them, I call them landscrapers and decorators (it helps to be a civil servant..hopefully won’t get fired..!)

But in commercial developments, the parking lot/plaza concept, everyone does it, usualls saves some requirement for parking spaces..on paper looks…[Read more]

I am not saying the woonerf was conceived by developers – I am saying it benefits developers by being cheaper..I agree – the right solution for the right space..But bicycle groups have taken the shared space concept to an extreme, to their own detriment, in my estimation..
I think every single developement i worked on, as a planner, in Southampton…[Read more]

RJoland, I have been in planning, commercial site plan review for 20 years, and the concept of shared space has nothing to do with the 50 foot wide road in huge residential developments in the middle of nowhere …Please! More respect, please..In my experience in planning in virginia and new york, everyone has heard of woonerfs, (at least since I…[Read more]

i like the idea that the ‘natural’ speed for humans is 20 mph – that would save a lot of gas..But I just hate this shared space stuff – could not link to the article Roland was siting, so read Salon interview, “why don’t we do it in the road..” The final insult, I think, is ‘shared space’ probably saves the developer tons of money..
But I want…[Read more]

but my experience is, even bikers are not helping get bike lanes! the whole shared street thing has gone crazy! it ultimately benefits the developer – a shared street has got to be way cheaper..I don’t even want them at 10 mph..I want kids in the streets, and safe, and as far as I am concerned, that means separated with a grade change and…[Read more]

Roland, there is an interesting story on NPR about this exact topic – two bikers experienced severe road rage from a vehicle, the guy pulled in front of them and stopped, they crashed into him, and it went to court – the vehicle guy suffered some penalties.. it is called “road rage case highlights cyclist vs. driver tension” on todays NPR news web…[Read more]

maybe biker agression is a function of where you live..In California, they are an extremely agressive lot..
My question is, if given a choice between constructing a separated lane for bikers, and keeping them on the street with cars, do you think it is actually better to keep bikers on the street? That is what I cannot understand..For me, the…[Read more]

Olmsted got it right, and included horses and water-ways.. separated! bridges!
I do not deny road rage against cyclists.. But cyclists can act extremely agressively
. The only problem is, in the fight between cyclists and cars, the sentence for the cyclists is death..obviously..for the car, a dented fender..

these are teeny trees, you can’t talk about harvesting them..I love the red cedar,but will not comment on it’s invasive status in this landscape..I do not know the landscape ..In long island, the tiger salamander is endangered..In virginia, it is common.. This project kept jobs in the nature conservancy, if not creating new jobs..How can you…[Read more]

Roland! You are a biker and you don’t admit how obnoxious and agressive bikers can be? Half the time, when I see report of an accident with a bike/car, i wonder what the heck the biker was doing – all the bikers at ucsd said they don’t stop at stop signs, etc..I do not want to depend on the car seeing me, as a biker..(I love to bike, and have been…[Read more]

Yes, Roland, I am saying pedestrians have been ripped off for decades, at the expense of cars, and the shared street concept has contributed to the fight against sidewalks.. It just isn’t fair – people need to get as much money in a development as cars, if not more..

and shared streets in low -volume areas, I personally don’t even like that -…[Read more]