November 2, 2005   Senate Panel Pans Park Proposal So, how did Republican and Democratic senators on the Energy and House Natural Resources Committee like the proposed management guidelines from the National Park Service? Eh, not so much. Members of the committee universally panned the proposals that would ease restrictions on personal vehicular traffic, noise, and air pollution. "It's very controversial," Sen. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.), the panel's chairman, told the Associated Press. "I don't think we're satisfied yet."   On, Wisconsin, On, Wisconsin, Build That Green Space! The University of Wisconsin has drafted a new master plan to add 6.8 million square feel of building space over the next wear, while at the same time emphasizing “open green spaces and making the campus more visually striking,” The Capital Times reports. The master plan, subtitled “Recreating Ourselves in Place” aims to “decompress” the campus, which is in need of new facilities for growth, Gary Brown, FASLA, director of planning and landscape architecture, tells the paper.    Saratoga Associates Gets Albany Tech Park Saratoga Associates has been tapped to create a master plan for developing the W. Averell Harriman State Office Campus into a business park for technology companies. The 330-acre site is the former home to a state government office park. The new tech center is expected to bring in 8,000 new private sector jobs over the next 20 to 30 years.   Oh My, Alito! Unless you’ve been living in a deep dark cave for the last 36 hours or so, you know that President Bush yesterday nominated Samuel Alito to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the departure of Sandra Day O’Connor. The Grist has a thorough article on how Alito has ruled on environmental issues in the past, and how he might rule in the future—based on cases that seem to point to a judicial philosophy. The news is not good (shocking, I know)—Alito’s decisions seem to indicate that he does not believe the Constitution empowers Congress to allow average Americans to ensure that environmental laws are enforced.    Los Angeles Gets Curbed Curbed, the venerable (can blogs be venerable?) blog that covers all things New York real estate, has gone bi-coastal. Curbed Los Angeles opened up shop today, with several articles that should interest regular Dirt readers—including one on LA’s transit-oriented design, Frank Gehry’s work on Grand Avenue, and the ground breaking of Ascot Park in East Los Angeles, which includes this gem of a quote: "All Los Angeles is park poor. But in East L.A. itself, the largest open space is Evergreen Cemetery, which basically sends a message to kids: 'If you want open space, you have to die first,'"--Attorney Robert García, executive director of the Center for Law in the Public Interest, in the LA Times. Whoa.   In New Orleans, Is It the Lake, or the River? Planetizen links to an interesting—and long—article in American Scientist that debates whether more attention should be paid to shoring up Lake Pontchartrain, which caused the “back door” flooding that devastated the city, or the Mississippi, which remains “the greatest force of nature in the region.” The answer, of course, is both systems need lots of attention, money, and critical thinking. Finally Today: Cameron Diaz “Trippin” on William McDonough. See it here. (via mtvU)   November 1, 2005   Three on Katrina Three stories related to Katrina caught our eye this morning. First, syndicated columnist Neal Pierce takes the Bush administration to task for not providing more leadership on Katrina rebuilding, despite pledging to “do what it takes” to get the Gulf Coast up and running again. Pierce says that current needs come down to basic government services and infrastructure that can’t be easily provided through private investment (linked through the Seattle Times). Second, the Associated Press reports that widespread illegal dumping remains a pervasive problem in New Orleans, with impromptu dumps cropping up in the city’s surrounding swamps and wetlands. Third, The Washington Post science notebook reports that coastal areas sheltered by vegetation fared much better in the South Asian tsunami last year, according to a study in the journal Science. Analytical models suggest that 30 trees per 120 square yards in a 109-yard-wide belt would reduce the maximum tsunami impact by more than 90 percent.   Green Roofs Catch the Spirit in the Sky If installing green roofs is part of your business, head to Chicago. The city has initiated a grant program to homeowners and small business owners to help fund green roof installation, The Chicago Sun Times reports. Grants totaling $100,000 will be awarded competitively to owners of businesses under 10,000 square feet and residents with homes of any size. Applications are available online at www.cityofchicago.org/environment. The magazine Science & Spirit looks at green roofs as a new trend emerging from aesthetic, environmental, and religious concerns. The magazine cites the green roof on the Salt Lake Temple, designed by Olin Partnership’s Susan Weiler, ASLA, as an example of a project embodying the holistic approach. Finally, public radio mainstay Earth & Sky looks at the environmental impacts of green roofs in urban environments.   Silent Spring for Global Warming The upcoming book The Weather Makers is being touted by The Book Standard as the tome that will finally bring global warming into the mainstream consciousness. This after the book’s popularity in Australia caused officials there to officially recognize a need to address global warming. The Weather Makers is has not been released in the United States yet, but the book’s publisher is planning on sending 2,000 advance copies to state and federal officials.   Wal-Mart: Build Now While We Still Can Lost amid the hubbub of Wall-Mart’s green initiatives (see The Dirt, October 26) was news that the retail giant is planning to open 270 to 280 supercenters in the next fiscal year and add more than 60 million square feet to its total retail space, an increase of more than 8 percent, Reuters reports. Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott said earlier this year that he expects zoning laws to get tougher in the years to come, so the company is eager to expand now.   Walking West Harlem W Architecture has created the master plan for the West Harlem redevelopment, Curbed reports. Curbed notes that the plan looks to increase foot traffic in the area, and good water use—plus, the first phase is “actually funded and awarded.” The project received an ASLA Award of Merit for Analysis and Planning in 2004. Finally Today: zombie plants—spooky. (via Science Daily)   October 28, 2005   Split the Difference The Los Angeles Times Magazine has an article on a residential landscape by Joseph Marek, ASLA, which includes a refined courtyard in the front of the house and a Caribbean-style garden in back. Marek created the garden so the clients, an interior designer and screenwriter, could “use every inch of their lot at various times of day and for a range of activities."   China Green As China moves into a new phase of development, the country is re-examining an elaborate point system that rewards government officials for economic success, which often comes at the expense of workers and the environment, The Economist reports. To counter this system, officials are looking at “a framework for a green GDP accounting system could be unfolded within three to five years.” The move would make China the pioneer of a statistical approach that no other country has adopted.   Bi-Coastal Green Roofs Green roofs made news on both coasts this week. Out west, The Oregonian has a quick roundup of the benefits of green roofs and where Portlandites might go to see a green roof or two. Jason King, ASLA, notes the conundrum of working with green roofs, saying "The most favorite projects, nobody will even know they're there." Meanwhile, in New York City, they’re debating the merits of green roof systems and cool roof, or reflective roof systems, with green roofs coming out squarely on top. Diana Balmori, ASLA, is measuring rainwater data at her Silvercup Studios green roof in hopes of convincing New Yorkers to adopt green roofs as their counterparts in Chicago and Seattle have, the Gotham Gazette reports.   Look at All the Pretty Colors The newly designed 55 Water Street Park by Ken Smith, ASLA, and Rogers Marvel Architects is a bona fide hit with design types in New York—and justifiably so. Tropolism has some great photos of the new space, and in particular the LED beacon that anchors it. The article includes a Quicktime film of the beacon in action and a description of what makes it tick.   His Royal Highness Is in the House Or will be soon. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is coming the National Building Museum to receive the Vincent Scully Prize, which “recognizes The Prince’s long-standing interest in the built environment and commitment to creating urban areas with human scale.” The ceremony is part of the first official visit to the United States by both Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall and will be marked by two public exhibitions at the NBM: Civitas: Traditional Urbanism in Contemporary Practice, and A Building Tradition: The Work of the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. Look for a preview of Civitas in the next issue of LAND Online.   "Let's Look and See What the Site Has to Tell Us" TidePool, which is a new source for The Dirt, has a fascinating interview in which Johnpaul Jones of Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects discusses a wide variety of topics, from the increasingly talked-about LEED standards to the firm’s magnificent design for the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Of the latter he says, “we found drawings and old maps that went way back. We tried to uncover the natural history of the site, and from that we discovered a number of things, such as filled-in wetlands that were there and also Tiger Creek. We thought we ought to bring back some of that memory of that place to the surface where we where working.” Finally Today: Eco-prefabulous! (via Treehugger)   October 27, 2005   ASLA Wants to Give You an Award Because you know you deserve it! ASLA has released its 2006 Call For Entries for professional and student awards. The Professional Awards program honors the best in landscape architecture from around the globe, while the Student Awards program gives us a glimpse into the future of the profession. Entry forms and payment must be received by: Friday, February 10, 2006, for Professional Awards Friday, May 19, 2006, for Student Awards Submission binders must be received by: Friday, February 24, 2006, for Professional Awards Friday, June 2, 2006, for Student Award Click the links below to view the 2005 winners, and be sure to check out the video. 2005 Professional Awards and video 2005 Student Awards and PowerPoint   Getting the Grist of LEED This isn’t the first time The Dirt has linked to Grist, and it won’t be the last, but holly cow there’s some good stuff over there today. First, there’s the debate over the efficacy of the USGBC’s LEED rating system, which began this week with an article in the Wall Street Journal questioning the actual “greenness” of the LEED system. Grist moves the ball forward reprinting an essay on the system’s shortfalls, which Auden Schendler and Randy Udall published this spring. The two argue that “LEED has become expensive, slow, confusing, and unwieldy, a death march for applicants administered by a soviet-style bureaucracy that makes green building more difficult than it needs to be” creating either mediocre green buildings that put certification above environmental responsibility, or “super-high-level-eco-structures” that are impossible to copy. Of course, the site also has another article that gives USGBC CEO Rick Fedrizzi ample space to defend LEED and discuss plans to move it forward. For more debate on LEED, listen to our Annual Meeting Podcasts. The first features Fedrizzi himself discussing LEED standards for building sites, while the second includes Diane Dale, JD, ASLA, of William McDonough + Partners and her take on USGBC and green building in general.   News from the Gulf Coast Here are some of the better stories we’ve spotted on Gulf Coast reconstruction and preservation this week: Future of flooded homes muddled (The Times Picayune) Last night New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin addressed the possibility of rebuilding and, unfortunately, tearing down homes in the city . Damage, elevation and a complex mix of state, federal, and local regulations will determine the fate of individual homes. Louisiana Wants Illinois Mud for Devastated Marshes (Engineering News-Record) Wetland erosion caused by Katrina has revived a year-old proposal to bring mud from the Illinois River to the Gulf Coast in order bolster marshes as a barrier against potential storm surges. Miss. Coast Residents Must Decide to Stay or Leave (The Clarion Ledger) Mississippi residents are facing the agonizing choice of whether to return to small towns that remain devastated by Hurricane Katrina, or move on. A recent Gallup poll says 95 percent of residents plan on returning. Hopes, Concerns Color Coast Plan (The Clarion Ledger) Gulf Coast residents seemed enamored with Andres Duany’s New Urbanist plans for their community, but expressed concern the money might not be available to make them a reality.   October 26, 2005   What to Think of Wal-Mart? For a long time, dissing Wal-mart was pretty easy: the mega-retailer contributed to sprawl and the destruction of downtown areas by building large, decentralized stores surrounded by pavement; undercut local businesses by selling cheap goods primarily imported from overseas where labor and environmental oversight is, at best, lax; and prevented workers from unionizing—all without much in the way of making up for it. But now, the nation’s largest retailer is changing. The New York Times reports the company is implementing “a set of sweeping, specific environmental goals to reduce energy use in its stores, double its trucks' fuel efficiency, minimize its use of packaging and pressure thousands of companies in its worldwide supply chain to follow its lead.” And The Washington Post notes that Wal-Mart executives have called on Congress to raise the minimum wage. Still, Wal-Mart’s initiatives do not address the land use issues of its business model, and The Times also reports the company is looking to further cut employee benefits. So what’s up with Wal-Mart? Is it sincerely concerned about environmental issues? Is it greenwashing? Even if it is sincere, do these changes make up for Wal-Mart’s contribution to sprawl? E-mail us your thoughts and we’ll post them in upcoming issues of The Dirt.   Landscape Architect Sees Growth in Organics When ASLA member Jennifer Appel’s cat passed away after coming into contact with pesticide residue in her back yard, it got her thinking about the use of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers in her work, which led to the creation of Jennifer's Landscape Vitamins, a company that produces and sells organic and environmentally friendly fertilizer and compost tea and the delivery systems that spread the products. The Houston Business Journal has a profile of Appell and her venture.   UC Irvine Gets Signature Plaza The Los Angeles Times has a review of the new Arts Plaza at UC Irvine, designed by Maya Lin and Pamela Burton, ASLA. The duo has created a new public space for the university, with 50 trees, a carpet of grass that will hold 200 people, and a black granite fountain surrounded by seven granite benches.   The Dirt Recommends: Planetizen If you’re in the planning and development business and you’re not familiar with Planetizen, check it out and bookmark it now. The site is a kind of mega-blog that allows users to set up a free account and post articles and resources that might be of interest to planning professionals. Typical examples include Ten Common Sense Rules for Transit Oriented Development and 20 Lessons About Smart Growth.   Global Warming: The Economic Case for Caring In an op-ed, The Oregonian says that a recent study by 50 northwestern economists argues that “unchecked global warming poses an imminent threat to Oregon's $121 billion economy.” The paper uses the study to counter arguments that efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions and implement stricter environmental policies will harm the economy. Instead, The Oregonian insists, global warming is already harming the state’s agriculture, forestry, and tourism industries. Finally Today: Brentwood’s Treehouse of Horror (at least for the neighbors). (From the LA Times)