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Archive for April, 2010

Building Green and Healthy Places for Learning

Posted in Education, Green Buildings, Policy and Regulation, Smart Growth on 04/30/2010 | 1 Comment »

Almost one in five Americans are housed in schools for the better part of each day, but many of these schools offer toxic environments with poor daylight and are sited in far-off places, which means they are both unhealthy learning environments and contribute to sprawl (or unhealthy communities). Creating green and healthy schools which are in walkable, bikeable neighborhoods is key to increasing [...]

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Global Topiary

Posted in Gardens, Land Art on 04/29/2010 | Leave a Comment »

The Telegragh (UK) created a slideshow of topiary around the world, showing examples of literary, religious, geometric, spiral, animal, and other fantastic designs from France, UK, Germany, Italy, and (as seen above), Thailand. Topiary relates to the art of clipping trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs to create sculptures. According to Wikipedia, the word derives from the Latin word for an “ornamental landscape [...]

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Scaling up Green Infrastructure

Posted in Green Roofs, Policy and Regulation, Technology, Water Management on 04/29/2010 | 3 Comments »

Green infrastructure has been widely discussed as a solution for taking pressure off of outdated stormwater systems. Through natural technologies like green roofs, rain gardens, bioswales and green road medians, green infrastructure can absorb and filter excess water at the source, in effect, decentralizing stormwater management. Green infrastructure can also reduce the costs of water [...]

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ASLA Announces 2010 Professional Awards

Posted in Uncategorized on 04/27/2010 | Leave a Comment »

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) announced the winners of the 2010 Professional Awards, representing the best in landscape architecture around the world in the categories of general design, residential design, analysis and planning, research and communication. The jury considered 618 entries – the largest number in ASLA history – from 20 countries around [...]

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Master Plan for Governors Island Unveiled

Posted in Climate Change, Landscape Architecture, Public Spaces, Urban Design, Urban Revitalization on 04/26/2010 | Leave a Comment »

Dutch Landscape architecture firm West 8, working together with Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Rogers Marvel, has released the master plan for Governors Island, a 172-acre island off the southern tip of Manhattan. The first phase of the master plan details the roll-out of 2.2 miles of waterfront promenades and a new 40-acre park. The new design features artificially-created hills that focus attention [...]

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Water Battery Enables Tree Growth in Dry Regions

Posted in Agriculture, Environment, Technology on 04/23/2010 | Leave a Comment »

In 2003, Dutch businessman Pieter Hoff formed AquaPro, a firm which launched the “Groasis Waterboxx,” a device designed to enable trees and crops to grow in the driest parts of the earth. According to The New York Times’ Green Inc blog, the waterboxx, a kind of tree “water battery,” is about the size of a car tire and made [...]

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Earth Day Focus: Get Plastic out of the Oceans

Posted in Environment, Policy and Regulation, Waste, Water Management on 04/22/2010 | Leave a Comment »

For the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, organizations around the world are sponsoring events, new publications, and programs. In the U.S., the Earth Day Network is organizing two full days of events on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on April 24th and 25th. See updated coverage of Earth Day at Google. Perhaps one focus on Earth Day [...]

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The Value of Urban Parks

Posted in Landscape Architecture, Policy and Regulation, Public Spaces, Urban Design, Urban Revitalization on 04/21/2010 | 3 Comments »

The U.S. House Urban Caucus’ Urban Parks Taskforce organized a briefing on urban parks and their role in creating green spaces which can revitalize neighborhoods, improve health, and create jobs. Parks also play a major role in fighting childhood obesity, providing safe and healthy places to play. Caucus members heard from Joe Hughes, Professor, Georgia Institute of [...]

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Restoring Mughal Landscapes

Posted in Historic Preservation, Landscape Architecture, Public Spaces, Urban Revitalization on 04/21/2010 | Leave a Comment »

The Dumbarton Oaks Garden and Landscape Studies Program, which is affiliated with Harvard University, organized a lecture on the restoration of two of the most important Mughal empire landscapes — Humayun’s Tomb in New Delhi, and the Bagh-e Babur in Kabul, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, an Islamic philanthropy, [...]

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From Open Sewers to Scenic Waterways

Posted in Sustainable Transportation, Urban Design, Urban Revitalization, Waste, Water Management on 04/19/2010 | Leave a Comment »

CNN writes that Indian architect Manit Rastogi wants to transform New Delhi’s 350-kilometer network of ”filth-filled, age-old drains” into scenic waterways lined with walkways and bicycle infrastructure. Rastogi believes using bio-remediation technologies, the dirty streams that feed household sewage into the River Yamuna could be turned into green infrastructure. According to CNN, New Delhi, a city of 17 million, uses nullahs, a [...]

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