Revitalization and renewal are such commonly used buzzwords that they’ve lost some of their impact. But the urban landscape is one that will always require fresh efforts of adaptation to shifting trends. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota have recently witnessed new attempts to accommodate changes in economy, transportation, and consumerism. One [...]
Michel Foucault (October 1926- June 1984) was a French philosopher and activist, pivotal in the conception of contemporary postmodern theory. They are bred in the suburbs, and then sent to school. They attend Duke University, North Carolina State University, and University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. They are pumped with pertinent education, and then are [...]
It’s July 2012, and new saplings and shrubs at Roger Williams Park hover around three feet tall. But in five years, the site will sprout tubers and leafy greens – even offering medicinal herbs free of charge to visitors. In 30 years, the small pocket of land will provide nuts, mulch, fruit, and fuel to [...]
A big Global Site Plans welcome to our newest blogger, Matthew Traucht from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Matthew Traucht graduated from the University of New Mexico with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology and is now pursuing his Master of Landscape Architecture at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. Inspired by the work he was doing as an [...]
The City of Spokane, Washington implemented two of their first-ever SURGE (Spokane Urban Runoff Greenways Ecosystem) projects in 2010 with AHBL: Lincoln Street on the South Hill; [Bottom] [Official Surge Report]; Broadway Street in the West Central Neighborhood. [Top] [AHBL's Presentation to the City]. Both were the first of their kind in Eastern Washington, and [...]
A big Global Site Plans welcome to our newest blogger, Wanyi Song from Tucson, Arizona. Wanyi Song is a graduate research assistant of the University of Arizona in Science of Planning. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture when she was living in Southern China. After her undergraduate studies, Wanyi worked full-time as a Landscape [...]
It has been argued the cities in the Midwest are on the “decline.” Populations in urban centers like Detroit, Buffalo, and Cleveland are shrinking as old infrastructure decays. However, the newly relocated Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative takes an unorthodox approach to these “shrinking cities” and addresses the so-called problems as opportunities to engage in research [...]
Skateboarding is legally recognized as a “hazardous recreational activity.” While this categorization seems dour it is actually an interesting bit of legalese that enables cities to construct skate parks without fearing legal liabilities. Skate parks in North American cities are being constructed at a record pace. And in 2005 an organization of skaters, activists, and [...]
Wondering where urban planners around the world get their news, where they are spending their valuable time, and where you should be looking too? The Grid scoured the Internet, and using Alexa International Rankings, found the 2012 – Top 20 most popular urban planning-related websites. Whether they are non-profit, for-profit, or hobbyist sites, we found [...]
Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT), also known as a tourism tax, bed tax, or hotel tax, is a tax levied on tourists in return for the use of local services and infrastructure. The tax is collected as a percentage on top of the cost for a hotel room, camping site, or other transient facility. In tourist-based [...]
Chapter 9 is the section of the National Bankruptcy Code that provides for the reorganization of debt incurred by municipalities such as cities, towns, counties, and villages. The very first municipal bankruptcy was filed in the United States in 1934 during the Great Depression. While the provision has been around for 60 years, there have [...]
Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for the success of many websites. No matter how often you may tune your site for a better ranking with major search engines, it may still not be enough if the right keywords or keyphrases are not being selected. This is because search engines decide how relevant a site [...]
A new urban planning and development scheme is being implemented in Cleveland, Ohio that will dramatically change the look and accessibility of the city’s underutilized waterfront. Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland Ohio’s lakefront has long been neglected with little commercial development and fewer public spaces. EE&K architects of New York, in conjunction [...]
Many people choose to relocate to the suburbs to achieve a lifestyle change: large backyards, block parties, safety. As many perks as the suburban lifestyle presents, it also presents many downfalls. Longer commutes and encroachment on precious wildlife are just two of those downfalls. It does not have to be a choice between one or [...]
Are you interested in sustainability, but not sure where to get the latest information, sample products, and meet like-minded people? The upcoming Ecobuild conference in London, United Kingdom could be just the event for you. Ecobuild is, put simply, the place to go to update your environmental expertise and put yourself ahead of the competition [...]
Blogs are today’s “black.” Nowadays, many companies are incorporating personalized websites as part of the businesses’ Public Relations strategy to reach out to new and potential clientele, or the general public. So it is important, more so within the field of architecture, engineering, environmental non-profit, landscape architecture and urban planning, to maintain your website in [...]
Imagine taking one of the busiest highways in your city, sinking it underground, and replacing it with a dynamic urban park that caters to residents of all ages and backgrounds. Now imagine designing and building this feat of engineering in less than a decade. While most cities would find this task impossible to complete (ask [...]
Trees are important for cities. Environmentally-speaking, trees provide important environmental inputs and outputs. Aesthetically-speaking, trees can provide a sense of beauty to a city. Planners and landscape architects have long-recognized the importance of trees and other plants in urban design.Tampa, Florida has a long-established grassroots organization that has helped bring trees to the city. The [...]
Within the field of architecture, engineering, environmental non-profit, landscape architecture and urban planning, attending to your website’s upkeep will help your business grow and continue to thrive. Clientele will most likely conduct research about your company prior to contacting you, and in today’s age, companies are always developing and maintaining websites to attract new and [...]
Who wouldn’t want a landscape architect to give them a business card full of seeds? Lush gives their clients free seeds with every business card! In this way, the card serves multiple purposes. One is branding, and another is of a much more practical purpose. The seeds are able to produce a landscape, a task [...]
