NJASLA: HISTORY OF THE CHAPTER, First 50 years: Who is Roy H. DeBoer?

Formed in 1964, the New Jersey Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects will be celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2014.   In an effort to reaffirm the history of our Chapter, we would like to introduce you to some of our founding members. Attendees at the first meeting held in 1964 included:  Don Richardson, Paul Krarup, Ross Pell, Larry Dumont, Lu Miceli, John Weed, Richard Cripps, Elizabeth Pattee, Russ Butler, Al Dilischer, Max Heim, Roy H. DeBoer, Oliver Deakin, John Haleck and Jeff Hall.   Roy H. DeBoer (FASLA , Professor Emeritus of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University) was the New Jersey Chapter’s fifth President. Roy earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1955 and his Master of Science in Horticulture, Planning and Microclimate ...Read More

Many debates abound regarding the current legitimacy of drawing in landscape architecture. The onset of numerous computer programs has challenged traditional methods of drawing and sketching to communicate ideas. Which skill is more valid for today’s designer and design consumer? Which more effectively demonstrates the design in a clear way? Can these two styles exist in the same dialogue? A general overview Drawing for Landscape Architecture by Edward Hutchison, stands as a middle ground for these two similar skills and joins them together. Published in 2011 by Thames & Hudson Inc., this seminal writing engages readers deeply into the act of drawing and explores a variety of representation techniques which are transferable to either skill set. Hand drawing is presented as an essential...Read More

Has the above question ever crossed your mind? Often, we stick to the existing models and it is difficult to imagine things in a different way. That is why we as designers, architects, and planners should discover what stays hidden at the first look. But first, why do we need to consider female users of the city different than males? To answer this, we should ask ourselves about the proportion of women and men using municipal services, such as public transit and recreational activities. One almost rhetorical question is what proportion of women and men feel unsafe when using the cities? What makes a city better for women? In city planning  Pedestrian mobility and proximity of services One city in Europe has given this attention to women since the 1990s. The project, Frauen Werk Stadt ̵...Read More

Whether you’re an upperclassman or a freshman, this list outlines mistakes that landscape architecture students make and more importantly how to avoid them. It is likely that you have made one or more of these mistakes, but don’t worry — learn from the experience and capitalize on the missed opportunity next time. 10. Caring too much about what your professors think   While professors often carry advanced degrees and have spent time in the professional world, they do not have all the answers. Learn how to think critically for yourself and don’t be afraid to challenge ideas that you think don’t work. 9. Caring too little about what your professors think As mentioned above, professors have advanced degrees and work experience. They often know what they are talking about ...Read More

Just in case you forgot why you started here are 10 great reasons to remind you. Landscape architecture is what you encounter once you walk out of your front door. It is the rural environment, the urban environment and the profession acting as the interface between earth’s natural ecosystem and its people. Landscape architects are broad thinkers addressing global issues such as climate change, water shortages, sustainable communities and the prevention of hunger. They are natural leaders with the ability to communicate through different professions and lead multidisciplinary projects. Those within the industry will tell you landscape architecture is certainly a great career choice, however what are the top 10 reasons to become a landscape architect? From forming a strategic response to the...Read More

If you are looking for an ordinary gardening book, sorry, this is not for you. Anne Wareham reveals in “The Bad Tempered Gardener” how she took on the challenge of designing and maintaining a quite large parcel of land, turning it into one of the most acclaimed gardens in Wales — the Veddw. Bored with the predictable garden reviews in newspapers and magazines, Wareham decided to engage in critical writing, as well. “I began to get tired of hearing every garden described as ’lovely’,” she said. Today, she is a respected critic and the founder of Thinking Gardens, a group with the support of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) that encourages serious discussion of gardens. The book Driven by a compelling wish to have a real garden, Wareham and her husband,  photogra...Read More

It is not a science book, it is not a tourist guide, it is an art project! Map Your Memories is an ongoing collaborative project that asks people to fill in an extremely schematic map of a city with what is meaningful for them. The project was created by Becky Cooper in 2007, featured in the Wall Street Journal and Time Out New Yorker, and so far expands to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Portland, Maine. The story behind the project The writing of the book starts at 231st Street in Bronx with the author armed with hundreds of blank maps of the city and ends at the southern tip of the island looking towards the Statue of Liberty. During the journey, Becky Cooper met police officers, homeless people, fashion models, all kind of people that have lived their lives in Manhattan. Later she asked ...Read More

A HUGE thank you to all of the teams that submitted a design for the CitiesAlive Student Design Challenge for a new Tenderloin Community Center! The design submissions were viewed over 13,000 times with 2,361 votes cast and the winning entry with 1,043 votes goes to Ellis’ Grove, submitted by the team from Universidad Francisco Marroquin.   By the quality of designs, it is clear that the student teams spent the time to thoroughly examine and develop innovative design solutions which blend operational functionality with optimized ecological and community impact on their concepts. The thoughtfulness, sensitivity, and understanding of the challenge is evident in each submission!     All teams will receive complimentary exhibition passes to CitiesAlive and will have their designs on disp...Read More

Visiting the eloquently designed National September 11 Memorial was a sobering and emotional experience. The almost overwhelming sense of loss is magnified by the massive reflecting pools marking the voids where the twin towers once stood.  Designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker, the 9/11 Memorial is a site of tribute and remembrance to the nearly 3,000 lives that were killed in the September 11 terror attacks. The eight-acre quadrant features twin reflecting pools–each nearly an acre in size–that also hold the largest manmade waterfalls in North America. The names of every person who died in the 2001 attacks and 1993 WTC bombing are engraved along the edges of the Memorial reflecting pools. A lush and minimalistic landscape design supports the ...Read More

In today’s NYC travel installment, landscape architect Jeff Gonot takes us deeper into Brooklyn to visit Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s other crown gem in New York City: Prospect Park. A 585-acre green oasis located in the heart of Brooklyn, the expansive park welcomes over 10 million visitors a year.  Since I first read about Prospect Park in Genius of Place, a biography on Frederick Law Olmsted, before visiting, I was able to have a deeper appreciation for the work that Olmsted and Vaux crafted. They designed quintessential forms of American landscape architecture with architectural elements that arose naturally from the landscape. From the Prospect Park website: “The successful planning and construction of Central Park solidified Olmsted’s views on the import...Read More

No trip to New York could be complete without a visit to Central Park, one of the world’s most popular and best-recognized parks. In preparation for my trip to New York, I read Fredrick Law Olmsted’s biography Genius of Place to give me a better understanding and appreciation for his work. After years of hearing about this park and seeing it in film, television, and my college textbooks, the chance to finally visit Central Park put me in a great state of bliss. Brief history on Central Park:  “Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States. Advocates of creating the park–primarily wealthy Skating in the Park Skating on the Lake in turn of the century Central Park. merchants and landowners–admired the public grounds of London and Paris a...Read More

With its great sun-kissed lawn flanked by a collonnade of London Plane trees, Bryant Park ranks high on landscape architect Jeff Gonot’s list of favorite places he’s visited on his trip through New York City. People were everywhere in the park: playing chess, bocce, ping pong; reading from the outdoor library; and relaxing away from the hustle and bustle of the city on a peaceful afternoon in the park.  From the Bryant Park website: “By 1979, New York seemed to have given up Bryant Park for lost as an urban amenity, as well as an historic site. In 1974, the Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Bryant Park as a Scenic Landmark, calling it “a prime example of a park designed in the French Classical tradition… an urban amenity worthy of our civic pride.” Five years l...Read More