Trace One

seems equal to me – we now transport to the east coast – california took all the farming away from the east coast at the turn of the century..as for fragile ca. economy, if it is based on water, we better start thinking of something else..there is nothing precious or irreplaceable about california agriculture. It didn’t used to be here, and very…[Read more]

Bob, environmental design is all about finding the right place for the project. Crops used to be all grown on the ‘east coast’ or that is, east of California – we are a very young state, remember..and they are actually pretty easy to move..This idea is not original to me, but has been written up in policy, design, and planning magazines..Don’t…[Read more]

Yeah, Darcy, that is exactly my point – (I see it’s kind of weird when one jumps into a discussion, previous participants all have at least a bit of conversational continuity ). I work in the central valley. When we design, we do not even use drip irrigation – our maintenance dudes don’t like drip…so we use bubblers and rotors. My contention is,…[Read more]

I always like Ian McHarg’s use of the word ‘fit.’ To me that says a lot..but I find also that the ability to simplify (even while possibly presenting a complex appearance!) is the most satisfying..Prospect Park in Brooklyn, with all it’s I think 500plus acres, only has three landscape elements – meadow, mountain, and lake, and each element is…[Read more]

sorry, buy it on Land8 books, NOT amazon! It looks great!

great subject! you got one buyer for amazon from me!

Thank you for your input,Darcy. so if you are in favor of the farmers getting more water, then you would prefer us LA’s to use less water? where is more water for the farmers going to come from? I personally think farming needs to start to move where there is more water – the east coast…I don’t know why farming seemed like such a good idea, in…[Read more]

I think you probably neeed to travel more, or just look at garden/urban design books from other countries – a lot of public art is not abstract, although I agree we have approved a lot of abstract art in america recently – I find public art to be usually abysmal. Stuff that was put up in philly was actually embarassing – or some of the sculptures…[Read more]

Wow, sounds like an exciting project with plenty of opportunity to improve it..But that is a good example – in virginia you cannot build on steep slopes. End of story. Over 20% slope, forget it, 15-20% require special permission. To me, here where the land is mostly sedimentary, it would be so much more important to restrict building on steep…[Read more]

Yes, hopefully I am not looking in the proper areas, and there is just as much commitment here as anywhere..sorry to use same examples, it is just easy. I spent twenty years in planning in various cities on the east coast… twenty years of projects…I will look for the good, as you say…

Yeah, sorry Bob, not impressed with California. I find, as I said before, that LA”s don’t want to do environmental design here.. I think it is that attitude that I find so different – the regs are actually similar, although east coast is more dependent on local regs, Ca. more on state..But for example in Southampton, NY, you would not think of…[Read more]

Yes, you are both right about the regs – I worked in planning for years..I geuss as a transplanted New Yorker I am surprised by the lack of regs in California…I find there to be much more attention to detail going on on the east coast..and strangely, much more sensitve conditions here in california…anyway, good discussion, I always learn…[Read more]

Dear Andrew G I do not think you are a right-wing religious person, we were both using these rhethorical devices to make an argument – has nothing to do with who you are..! You are simply arguing for more moderation and practicality, and I am saying I don’t see any action towards low-water where I live – and I want to set an example (plus I have…[Read more]

thanks, Jason! sounds interesting. Will look that up, plus permaculture..Like that idea..
🙂

there ain’t no reclaimed water. It takes it’s own supply system, and we are already very far away from water sources. We do note, on every project, “no reclaimed water available..” …You are right, though this supply system needs to be built…Perhaps I will spend the landscape dollars on making the connection, and leave the erosion control as…[Read more]

I think Olmstead would be surprised at your characterization of the co-opting of our profession by ‘certain’ groups for leftist environmental causes. He beleived that his passive back to nature parks were the answer to improving the entire urban fabric, in fact essential to that fabric. Also why is environmentalism left wing? Don’t christians feel…[Read more]

No reclaimed water..Not possible..No sinks, nothing even near these designs, just more irrigation hook-ups..Try again..
We do have projects that are using only seed, and are not irrigated…. I use buckwheat, which does not need water, but I do not know if I can leave it a s a permanent design..(It is erosion control)…Oh well….Thanks for your thoughts!

I don’t agree..I do not see any environmental bandwagon – it is too bad you are assuming my view is extreme, I nowhere stated that onlyl extreme enviornmentalism qualified at all..But where is the environmental design happening? I see a profession that sees itself as followers, translators of the public opinion…I do not see any green agenda…[Read more]

We get 10 inches of rain a year. A significant portion of our water comes from snowpack melt, which of course is decreasing. Our groundwater was drawn down so significantly in the nineteen forties that they built a system of canals to capture the snowmelt and river water..The ground water is threatened again, it is completely unregulated. Our two…[Read more]

I think responsiblity to the environment is a constraint through which good design can be reached. There is never only one way to do something. so if you start out your thinking realizing the constraints of sustainablitly, and then get to good design through the constraints, you have met your professional responsibilities..

for me the basic…[Read more]