Trace One

I am quite familiar with ‘livable streets’ – went to school with his son – he had a really ironic and tragic death..(appleyard)..and woonerfs..You may be right, the shared street concept may be more from woonerfs. but it is really in vogue, and I really hate it..I judge it very harshly, sorry..The amount of resistance one gets from designers, for…[Read more]

looks like a great idea to me..In connecticut, it is the barberry – common ornamental, but what an incredible invasive..really nasty understoyr plant, also..
thanks pres obama – great use – hopefully looks like will get some jobs out of it as well..

I wrote elsewhere, that i think the principles of New Urbanism have been around for long enough that we can address how they function in reality..One thing I really object to, as a lifelong pedestrian, is the concept of putting cars/people/bikes in the same space..Ok, it’s great to make the cars slow down, etc..but I feel reallly strongly that…[Read more]

we worked with a west philadelphia elementary school with Ann Spirn, and the kids needed asphalt – and walls – most effective surfaces for urban ball playing..It was really fun..and in addition, we did a small enclosed garden for reading..but the play spaces all wanted to be asphalt..

thanks, Lori and Samuel – I don’t think I like it as much after seeing Lori’s link! It is very literal, with the white bases the stumps are set on..

man I wish I was in school! sounds like fun – maybe an opportunity for a smell garden, a garden of senses like they do for hospitals – plants to smell and feel..?
How about a refuge…seems like drug rehab would need a place to be alone..not that i know anything about it!!!
non-competitive game spaces – mazes?
places that invite release of…[Read more]

but but but – reston is still a bedroom communitiy for wash DC, no? as well as being almost entirely car-based.. Is it really that good? What about forest Hills, NY – much cuter..and on a subway line!
what is the state of ‘celebration, florida’ these days?
when I think of high quality public spaces I think of Gracey Park in Manhattan, of Prospect…[Read more]

I think ‘high quality public spaces’ pretty much sums up the entire profession of Landscape Architecture..so if you want to learn about it, I would recommend a Master’s degree from U of Penn, for starters..or Yale architecture school also has very good landscape architecture history program..
so if you have about three years, at least, I think we…[Read more]

that is freakin’ gorgeous, Nick, I love it!

the old days – Ed Bye’s landscape plans were incredible – ink on mylar – unique style – anyone remember him? “Art Into Landscape” is his book, with his plans in it..

and Hann/Olin perfected prisma on trace, with a closetful (literally) of burnt umber prisma’s, and six to nine foot long trace plans – incredibly beautiful.. mostly yellow…[Read more]

whole rest stop we are working on is going for silver LEED, although we are finding LEED relates much more to building..But the project is powered by solar, has demonstration xeriscaping (I want ALL xeriscaping, but that did not fly..) I am sure this is the same sort of stuff you are doing..
is that what you are looking for? Or are you talking…[Read more]

Not driving to work is definitely a recipe for happiness – my dad found that out sixty years ago, and i have adhered to that principal my whole life..It’s not that hard..shopping at farmers markets is also a recipe for happiness…

I think Andrew G. in his particular specialty, which seems to be as the principal of his own design/build…[Read more]

For now, and for a long time to come, Jennifer, WE are almost the biggest polluter on the planet…end of story. However, I do agree with you that the sooner we can get our selves away from our wasteful ways, the sooner we can help the developing worlds develop in sustainable fashion..

I personally think conservation can go most of the way…[Read more]

I think this is asking us to use our brains, and understand that despite the economy not charging us a lot of money for oil (europe pays three times as much..) we as humans can understand that the economy is not counting all the cost of oil use. The true cost of oil turns out to be the collapse of existing ecosystems..What is the price of that? Or…[Read more]

I do not see a generation gap, also, except with the thumbs on the texting..I can’t do that..other than that, I so welcome the young, so enjoy their energy..just DON’T call them YOUNG – they HATE that!! hee hee

‘mentoring model” ? when was that happening? I entered the job market with an MLA in 1987, and the LA business sucked then, the economy was in the tank, and if it sucks now, it is just a function of this type of job..If you are a nurse or a doctor you are doing fine..I never experienced any ‘mentoring model’ it has always been group think and…[Read more]

this has been in use in various cities, has varying results, for 15 to 20 years..charlottesville, Va. was on board with it in 2002, and it was old by then…It’s ok, it requires heavy investiment by cities as bike stock just depletes continuously, and bikes need to be repaired..So it needs constant funding, without bringing in revenue, but that is ok…

I loved it, everything except the title..Pollan is doing a lot, despite the fact that he is only a journalist, to bring the worlds attention to plant/food issues..

I think the new Renzo Piano addition to the Academy of Sciences, in San Francisco, has something like that – although I do not believe the trees are living – and somehow it is part of Maya Lins exhibit? I don’t know if my memory is serving me well on that..but lots of good really revolutionary exhibits there – def. worth checking out…

U of Penn didn’t teach us any graphic skills, so our class hired mike lin to come to teach us over the summer. Yes, he’s a character, but an inspired teacher – I loved it..And like someone else said, still use a lot of his techniques – ‘hit go hit’ ‘fuzzy line’..I grew up in other countries and am very tolerant of personalities..I don’t think…[Read more]