The Home News and Tribune reports, Congress approved a new $410 billion spending bill this week that included $950,000 for the redesign of College Avenue.
28 February 2009
Federal money for College Ave redesign
The Home News and Tribune reports, Congress approved a new $410 billion spending bill this week that included $950,000 for the redesign of College Avenue.
Free museums in NYC
Maybe next time you take that trip into the City, you could squeeze in a free musuem. GridSkipper has developed a map of 7 museums that are either free or have special opportunities for free admission. And they left off the great, free Museum at the Hispanic Society.
27 February 2009
Changing Times Square
The NY Times reports that Mayor Bloomberg wants to clean up Times Square. No, he isn't pushing out undesirable businesses or fighting against litter there. Mayor Bloomberg wants to get rid of the traffic, at least on the Broadway side. The Times found a New Jerseyan wh didn't like the idea:
Clearly chaos is a positive attribute in Times Square. But is it enough to preserve the traffic on just one side? If it lessens the "frenzy," is the added safety and move away from cars still worth it?“I like the happy hubbub,” said Melissa Gasparis, of Upper Saddle River, N.J., who was strolling through Times Square on Thursday. She said she was afraid the mayor’s plan would make the place less vibrant, because the sidewalks would be less crowded and the streets more free-flowing.
“I like to drive through Times Square,” Ms. Gasparis said. “It cheers me up. It’s big, bright and fun.”
26 February 2009
RotD: Part I
1. EnvPlan class website
2. Ian McHarg and Design With Nature
3. Phil Lewis
4. USGS Topographic Quad Sheets
5. County Soils Survey
6. Video - No RotD
7. Geographic Exploration Systems (aka Virtual Globes)
8. Planning Weblogs, like PlaNetizen
9. TRI Data and RTKnet.org
10. NRIs and ERIs
2. Ian McHarg and Design With Nature
3. Phil Lewis
4. USGS Topographic Quad Sheets
5. County Soils Survey
6. Video - No RotD
7. Geographic Exploration Systems (aka Virtual Globes)
8. Planning Weblogs, like PlaNetizen
9. TRI Data and RTKnet.org
10. NRIs and ERIs
25 February 2009
Liveblog: Bayonne Golf Club
Dr. Richard Hurley
The Bayonne Golf Club (New Jersey): A Case Study for Building a World-Class Golf Course on a Land Fill in New Jersey.
The talk focused on an interesting site on the Hudson that is built on fill dreged from the Hudson and on an old municipal landfill. The Bayonne Golf Club was developed, designed and constructed by Eric Bergstol. As often happens, the project has a lengthy history on paper, and this one also has a lengthy history in the reclamation of the site.
1996 - negotiations for ownership
2004 - shaping
2005 - seeding
2006 - open
2008 - clubhouse opens
This project had to address countless legal and policy issues, which required a large team ranging from attorneys to plants folks (like Stephen Kristoff) to wetlands experts (like Princeton Hydro) to landscape architects (like Margie Ruddick). Even when the site passed health standards, conditions (like Ph) were still insufficient for the growing conditions that Hurley sought. 3.5 million cubic yards of topsoil had to be brought in to cap the site. 80,000 yards of sand were brought in for fairways and tees. Kristoff brought in over 50,000 plants, many of which needed to be salt tolerant.
More funding for Green Job Training Partnership Program
Green job training in NJ has gotten some new funding. According to BusinessWire:
New Jersey Resources (NJR) today announced the formation of the Conserve to Preserve Foundation and presented its first grant of $300,000 to the state’s Green Job Training Partnership Program.That could sure help some folks transition from old economy jobs into new economy opportunities. It is interesting to see that the Conserve to Preserve Foundation appears to be a charitable wing of one of the local gas companies.
24 February 2009
HIstoric preservation video
Historic preservation can be hard. When I taught in Barcelona, I was consistently impressed with how well the Spaniards had done in holding together 2000 year old Roman ruins and how great the 500 year old churches and plazas looked. (It is worth noting that the banks in Spain are obligated to engaged in community outreach, and their work on everything from Gaudi's buildings to art exhibits makes a huge difference)
There has also been a movement to preserve more modern buildings and plazas, but with less public recognition of their importance or the difficulties involved. As a great example, Cincinnati's Union Terminal has a video of damage to this beautiful, historic art deco building. You can clearly see that, although it isn't as old as the Segovia aqueduct or Mt. Vernon, it is going to be an enormous task to save one America's top 50 buildings. (h/t Metafilter)
There has also been a movement to preserve more modern buildings and plazas, but with less public recognition of their importance or the difficulties involved. As a great example, Cincinnati's Union Terminal has a video of damage to this beautiful, historic art deco building. You can clearly see that, although it isn't as old as the Segovia aqueduct or Mt. Vernon, it is going to be an enormous task to save one America's top 50 buildings. (h/t Metafilter)
23 February 2009
Looking around NYC
Last week, WNYC's Brian Lehrer Show had a guest that works as a location scout for films. But he has also created a blog that highlights interesting things he sees as he combs the city. WNYC includes a slideshow of a few of their favorite funds from his blog.
For design students, I think it is really important to learn how to explore a city or landscape and find things hidden in plain sight. This is at the heart of John Stilgoe's Outside Lies Magic. It is also at the heart of the Manhattan hikes.
For design students, I think it is really important to learn how to explore a city or landscape and find things hidden in plain sight. This is at the heart of John Stilgoe's Outside Lies Magic. It is also at the heart of the Manhattan hikes.
21 February 2009
Stimulating fast trains
The NY Times reports on the part of the stimulus package that will be contributing towards building a series of high-speed train linkages around the country. I love taking the Acela to DC even though it only goes a little faster than the cars on the Turnpike:
The Acela is the United States’ fastest train. But because the tracks it runs on are curvy, and are shared with many other trains, it is only able to reach its top speed of 150 m.p.h. on about 35 miles of track in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Its average speed is 84 m.p.h. between New York and Washington. Still, Amtrak has captured 62 percent of the combined air and rail market between New York and Washington, company officials saidWhile it is disappointing to see what passes for high-speed here, it is nice to see step forward. In Spain we were able to get to Madrid in about 4 hours, which saves at least 2 hours over driving. And, at 30 minutes, the high-speed link between Madrid and Toledo is a tourist's dream and has served the many businesses there quite well. Plus, these trains look cool.
20 February 2009
No one reads the interpretive material anymore
Found this old photo while searching for something else this morning. Consider it a full substitute for real news or information.
The Spring 2009 Landscape Industry Lecture
The Spring 2009 Landscape Industry Lecture
Wednesday, February 25th
4pm in the Cook-Douglass Lecture Hall 110
Dr. Richard Hurley
Adjunct Professor in Turfgrass Management
Dr. Hurley is an an internationally recognized specialist in the area of turfgrass breeding and golf course management. He will be looking at a cutting-edge use of turfgrass in the urban reuse of a severely degrade site. Prior to the lecture you should look at the web site http://www.bayonnegolfclub.com and take thehelicopter tour of the facility.
Adjunct Professor in Turfgrass Management
Dr. Hurley is an an internationally recognized specialist in the area of turfgrass breeding and golf course management. He will be looking at a cutting-edge use of turfgrass in the urban reuse of a severely degrade site. Prior to the lecture you should look at the web site http://www.bayonnegolfclub.com and take thehelicopter tour of the facility.
19 February 2009
National Parks jobs
Geomatics students and alums who are found of National Parks might be particularly interested in the National Parks Service's Geoscientists-in-the-Parks program. This program helps connect GIS volunteers with special projects. It could be a fun summer project or a great chance to use your weekends to explore one of America's great landscapes.
ASLA on Climate Change
About a year ago (2/15) the ASLA made a public statement on climate change that affirmed their desire to work towards solutions.
"If steps are not taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that by the year 2100 the Earth’s surface temperature could increase by 4°C, resulting in devastating effects on the planet. However, there are various land-use policies and best practices that can reduce GHG emissions to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the planet and its inhabitants. Through sustainable site planning, innovative stormwater management practices, and the development of smart growth communities, landscape architects can serve society in a multifaceted strategy to contend with global climate change."
18 February 2009
Liveblog: On global grounds: Urban change and globalization
On global grounds: Urban change and globalizationDr. Julia Nevárez
Sociology and Anthropology Department at Kean University
Based, in part, on the book On Global Grounds.
As we reflect on global perspectives, we see post-modern critiques of the failings of modernization, as expressed in Bruno Latour's We Have Never Been Modern.
there is no there left
New relationships emerge in the intersections of digital and built worlds. At this intersection are technologies like digital tracking of individual movements. Modernizations' homogenizing effects (see: McDonald's and Starbucks) are further complicated by development issues.
Gentrification
Parks, sidewalks and advertising often go upscale before the housing does. Urban changes are leading to changing patterns of social relations. Urban people can be defined by their relationships outside the city (or lack thereof) as much as by those relationships within the city. Rapid gentrification came to Barcelona as part of the 1992 Olympics - but can the temporary modern change last?
There are political effects of globalization as well. We need to know what globalization is about. And we need to take a global perspective to solve the larger problems. For instance, as someone complains about losing their job here due to outsourcing, we need to think about the need for that job elsewhere (India, Mexico?). I don't think she means that we simply favor the outsourced job, but that we can't address the problem if we don't understand the larger context.
Q: Where is there an example of a just city?
A: Reykjavik, Iceland or Curitiba, Brazil where the transit system progressively improves justice
But both still favor some forms of segregation as a means of addressing social relationships
Brasilia was a dream for a perfect city, but they didn't include the workers in that dream
(As usual, I apologize for the sloppy misrepresentations, but hope the links help you track back to 1 or 2 interesting points)
Chicago plan
This year is the 100th anniversary of Daniel Burnham's Plan for Chicago and the locals are trying to make the most of it.
World Trade Trees
The trees for the 9/11 Memorial at the World Trade Center site are ready for their 60 mile trip to lower Manhattan. This short video shows you how.
Aldo Leopold Quote
“Hemispheric solidarity is new among statesmen, but not among the feathered navies of the sky.”
--Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
--Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
17 February 2009
16 February 2009
Lecture: On global grounds: Urban change and globalization
Dr. Julia Nevárez
Sociology and Anthropology Department at Kean University
On global grounds: Urban change and globalization
Urban development in contemporary cities is lead by globalization’s priorities. Patterns in the way cities develop show similarities and differences among locales. This presentation will explore some of the main conceptual and applied components of urban change as they help better understand contemporary urban form. Some of the specific changes produced by globalization in contemporary cities and human settlements are: gentrification, competition among cities to attract capital, changing patterns in the networks of social relations, juxtaposed modernism and postmodernism in developing cities, the crisis of public space, spectacular events as machines of urban growth, and postcolonial landscapes inserted in the competitive logic of capital, among others. Converging at different levels of development, cities face a constant impact of global forces that make incisions in the materiality of local environments. Conceptualized by some as in flux, the relationship between the local and the global might not be accurately described with the dichotomy global/local. Likewise, there is a political effect to the changes globalization has incited. Researchers interested in the urban condition will find in this presentation and the book in which it is based -- “On Global Grounds: Urban change and
Globalization”edited by Julia Nevárez and Gabriel Moser -- insights into how urban areas develop, how they are planned, designed, and represented within globalization.
Dr. Julia Nevárez obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology, currently Assistant Professor in the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Kean University, New Jersey and Past-Chair of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). Her interdisciplinary approach an research interests focus on urban issues, globalization, urban development, public space and techno culture.
Time: 4:00-5:15 PM
Location: <http://maps.rutgers.edu/building.aspx?1079> Cook Douglass Lecture Hall 110.
Sociology and Anthropology Department at Kean University
On global grounds: Urban change and globalization
Urban development in contemporary cities is lead by globalization’s priorities. Patterns in the way cities develop show similarities and differences among locales. This presentation will explore some of the main conceptual and applied components of urban change as they help better understand contemporary urban form. Some of the specific changes produced by globalization in contemporary cities and human settlements are: gentrification, competition among cities to attract capital, changing patterns in the networks of social relations, juxtaposed modernism and postmodernism in developing cities, the crisis of public space, spectacular events as machines of urban growth, and postcolonial landscapes inserted in the competitive logic of capital, among others. Converging at different levels of development, cities face a constant impact of global forces that make incisions in the materiality of local environments. Conceptualized by some as in flux, the relationship between the local and the global might not be accurately described with the dichotomy global/local. Likewise, there is a political effect to the changes globalization has incited. Researchers interested in the urban condition will find in this presentation and the book in which it is based -- “On Global Grounds: Urban change and
Globalization”edited by Julia Nevárez and Gabriel Moser -- insights into how urban areas develop, how they are planned, designed, and represented within globalization.
Dr. Julia Nevárez obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology, currently Assistant Professor in the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Kean University, New Jersey and Past-Chair of the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). Her interdisciplinary approach an research interests focus on urban issues, globalization, urban development, public space and techno culture.
Time: 4:00-5:15 PM
Location: <http://maps.rutgers.edu/building.aspx?1079> Cook Douglass Lecture Hall 110.
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