ASLA Helps Sponsor Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

The 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth conference, held February 8–10 in Los Angeles, brought together a lively cross-disciplinary mix of planners, landscape architects, environmental scientists, architects, economists, public health experts, affordable housing advocates, and others interesting in addressing the challenges presented by growth and its frequent companion, sprawl. The event, organized by the Local Government Commission, had more than 1,500 participants and several dozen sponsors. As a major funder, ASLA had a booth at the conference information center, from which ASLA staff handed out fact sheets and copies of Landscape Architecture magazine and chatted with attendees.

The new Puerta Del Sol condos, located near LA's mass transit, include a mix of market rate and moderately priced units.

Speaking of the importance of the issues and ASLA’s involvement, past ASLA president Patrick Miller, FASLA, said, “Sprawl results in higher taxes and a lower quality of life for the citizens of our country. Landscape architects are committed to the design and planning of economically sound, safe, healthy, and environmentally friendly communities for people. The American Society of Landscape Architects is proud to continue our support for the 6th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference.”

There were plenty of sessions to interest landscape architects, as suggested by the sampling below:

• Greening the transect: seeing things whole
• Livable cities: the best protection for agricultural land and open space
• Planning, designing, and building for health: health care facilities as a source of health promotion
• Linkages between crime prevention, pedestrian safety, public health, and economic vitality
• Getting the parking right
• Smart and green: LEED for neighborhood development and municipal green building programs
• Preserving open spaces and creating green places
• Gulf Coast recovery: over one year and counting
• Shaping the Farm Bill to better serve agriculture, urban communities, and smart growth
• Historic preservation tax incentives
• Watershed-based planning

This year, event organizers asked presenters to go beyond the traditional education sessions followed by questions and answers. Presenters were instructed to take time at the end of each session to ask the audience to suggest take-home points or questions for follow-up. Conference organizers expect to compile within four to six weeks a master list of these points to be shared with participants. Additionally, PDF files for most PowerPoint presentations will be made available.

Besides information shared in ed sessions and plenaries, opportunities to see smart growth in action were offered in pre- and post-conference tours. Los Angeles, long associated with the automobile culture, sprawl, and poor air quality, is in the process of expanding its light-rail system and undertaking some transit-oriented development. One of the 15 mobile tours was of a portion of the area’s Metro Gold Line, which stretches from downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena.

The Gold Line tour began at the revitalized Union Station, stopping first at Chinatown, where plans for development include the new 32-acre Los Angeles State Historic Park. The next stop was the Lincoln Heights–Cypress Park Station. A short walk from the station took the group to the Puerta Del Sol condos, which include a mix of market rate and moderately priced units. Adjacent to Puerta Del Sol, the same developer offers affordably priced apartments for seniors and working families. The attractive new housing is helping to change the character of this formerly blighted industrial area. At the same time, proximity to transit makes it easier and less costly for workers to commute to downtown jobs.

Mission Meridian Village, in South Pasadena, positions high-density development near a commercial street. Density decreases with the approach to a single-family neighborhood. The project has underground parking and straddles the light-rail line. On one side it abuts a large public park, on the other side a historic district. It includes live/work lofts, flats, and large townhouses, all offered at market rate.

The final stop on the tour was the Del Mar Station Transit Village in Old Town Pasadena. The development includes a market rate apartment complex adjacent to the station, with a small amount of interspersed moderately priced housing. Retail, a large underground parking garage, and elegant market rate townhouses are included in the mix.

Next year’s New Partners for Smart Growth conference will be held February 7–9 in Washington, D.C. ASLA members are encouraged to attend, both for what they can learn and what they can contribute to this important ongoing conversation.

For more details on the recent conference, visit http://www.newpartners.org.