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Archive for January, 2011

Plants Go on High Alert

Posted in Security Design on 01/31/2011 | Leave a Comment »

The New York Times writes that new research from Colorado State University indicates progress has been made towards a “plant-kingdom early warning system.” Plants’ ability to sense the slightest chemical changes can be manipulated so they change color when exposed to tiny amounts of airborne TNT molecules. Instead of intrusive scanners, perhaps air passengers will soon be walking past security [...]

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The Explosive Growth of Bus Rapid Transit

Posted in Smart Growth, Sustainable Transportation, Urban Design on 01/27/2011 | 8 Comments »

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) existed in just a few cities twenty years ago but has quickly turned into a viable solution for the massive transportation challenges facing cities. With more than half of the world now living in cities and total global population expected to reach nine billion, perhaps more cities should be looking at how to [...]

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Designing for Active Living

Posted in Policy and Regulation, Public Spaces, Real Estate Development, Smart Growth, Sustainable Transportation on 01/26/2011 | 2 Comments »

Watch an animation from ASLA’s Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes online exhibition that explains how to transform a car-centric community into one that enables active living. Learn how designing communities for walking, biking, and increased social interaction in open green spaces improves health: According to the Center for City Park Excellence at the Trust for [...]

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Better Crossing Design Can Reduce Collisions between Wildlife and People

Posted in Landscape Architecture, Sustainable Transportation, Wildlife on 01/24/2011 | 3 Comments »

The ARC International Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Design Competition, the first international competition of its kind, says collisions between wildlife and cars in the U.S. have increased by 50 percent in the past 15 years. Not only do these collisions take a huge toll on both wildlife and people, but they also cost the U.S. some $8 billion per year. To create [...]

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Help Create Clear, Universal “Complete Street” Design Guidelines

Posted in Smart Growth, Sustainable Transportation on 01/20/2011 | 1 Comment »

According to “Re:STREETS,” a new project focused on “inclusive design for the public realm,” streets occupy more than thirty percent of all public spaces in cities. Over the coming decades, billions will be spent at the local level on their design and development. To ensure this massive investment in streets enables equal access for all users, a [...]

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Sharing Climate Adaptation Strategies

Posted in Climate Change, Ecosystem Restoration, Policy and Regulation, Water Management on 01/19/2011 | Leave a Comment »

Island Press and EcoAdapt recently launched the Climate Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE), a Web site designed to enable “practitioners to manage the natural environment in the face of climate change.” The group argues that the varied effects of climate change are already being felt. In addition, species loss and ecosystem degradation are posing immediate challenges for policymakers, resource managers, planners, and designers. Island Press [...]

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Making Renewable Energy Beautiful

Posted in Climate Change, Landscape Architecture, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Design, Sustainable Materials, Technology on 01/19/2011 | 2 Comments »

At the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI) announced the winners of its innovative design competition aimed at coming up with new models for integrating renewable energy facilities into existing communities and ecologically-sensitive landscapes. The design concepts for three proposed sites in the United Arab Emirates not only had to be beautiful, but also [...]

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Revitalizing Communities with Parks

Posted in Landscape Architecture, Real Estate Development, Sustainable Design, Urban Design, Urban Revitalization on 01/19/2011 | 2 Comments »

Watch an animation from ASLA’s Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes online exhibition that explains how to revitalize an under-served urban community with a new park. See how communities without green space can thrive when provided with valuable space for social interaction: Many U.S. cities don’t offer equal access to green space. For example, Los Angeles [...]

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AIA Announces Urban Design Awards

Posted in Climate Change, Ecosystem Restoration, Landscape Architecture, Public Spaces, Real Estate Development, Sustainable Design, Water Management on 01/18/2011 | Leave a Comment »

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announced its 2011 Institute Honor Awards, “the profession’s highest recognition of works that exemplify excellence in architecture, interior architecture and urban design.” More than 700 submissions were received and 27 projects won awards.  In the regional and urban design category, one landscape architecture firm won and a number of [...]

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Big Piece of L.A. River Revitalization Plan Held up

Posted in Ecosystem Restoration, Landscape Architecture, Public Spaces, Real Estate Development, Sustainable Transportation, Urban Design, Urban Revitalization, Water Management on 01/14/2011 | 1 Comment »

The Architect’s Newspaper writes that a “transformative blueprint” for 150 acres along the Los Angeles River has been held up due to the lack of approval and dedicated funds. While Los Angeles’ city government has given the OK for the 32 mile L.A. River revitalization master plan and aspects of that broader plan are moving forward, one big piece that would tie the [...]

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