Landscape+Urbanism

Category: models

  • Climate in Oregon

    The scientists at the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) issued some state-specific information that augments other national climate reports. Their Fourth Oregon Climate Assessment Report was issued at the end of January 2019, focusing specifically on the “state of knowledge of climate science as it pertains to Oregon” The concise report outlines key issues…

  • Global Weirding in the PNW

    One of the group of amazing climate scientist-communicators Katherine Hayhoe, who is both a prolific presenter on all topics climate, along with being a force on Twitter (@KHayhoe) explaining and defending climate change science. Her ongoing YouTube series ‘Global Weirding‘ allows an accessible and fun (yet deeply informative) look at the topic from many angles…

  • You Down with IPCC?

    The connection to the science is vital to and expanded knowledge of climate change, as I mentioned in the post on the Foundations of Climate Change Inquiry. One of those foundations mentioned is the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is the body of the United Nations focusing on the global science…

  • The Shape of Water

    An amazing resource posted on ASLA’s The Dirt (here) focuses on Design Guidelines for Urban Wetlands, specifically what shapes are optimal for performance. Using simulations and physical testing to investigate hydraulic performance the team from the Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism (LCAU) at MIT.  Led by Heidi Nepf, Alan Berger and Celina Balderas Guzman along with a team…

  • Waterscape Urbanism

    I was struck by a recent mis-use of the term landscape urbanism in this article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the need for climate change inspired floating homes.  Quoting  Thai landscape architect Danai Thaitakoo on the need for dealing with innundation. “Climate change will require a radical shift within design practice from the solid-state…

  • Science of Pedestrian Movements

     An interesting article from the Economist on ‘The Wisdom of Crowds‘ echoes much of the seminal research of William Whyte (City), Edward T. Hall (The Hidden Dimension), and others that have closely studied the behavior of pedestrians and other users of public spaces. The interplay of cultural habits that tells us to step right or…

  • Data Appeal – Making Map-Landscapes

    A follow-up on new mapping tools from the author of ‘The Exposed City: Mapping the Urban Invisibles’ (read a review of this great book here).  Nadia Amoroso alerted me to a new endeavor called Data Appeal, which provides tools for visualization of data through mapping in order to engage people in new ways. London –…

  • Source: Axioms for Reading the Landscape – Lewis

    Doing some readings of seminal texts for an upcoming essay/book chapter on landscape urbanism, and want to capture some of the content, at least in fragments.  ‘Source’ will be the code for snapshot of a particular essay – not a thorough review but an abstract and some specific reflections.  In this case the instructive ‘Axioms…

  • Mississippi Modelling

    An article that came up amidst discussions on the Landscape Urbanism Reader revisits the question of scale brought by up Linda Pollak in her essay ‘Constructed Ground’.   On Design Observer, Kristi Dykema Cheramie investigates the wonderful history of the massive model built to simulate river conditions in her essay The Scale of Nature: Modeling…

  • Smart Growth

    One of the recent awards from the EPA for the 2010 National Award for Smart Growth Achievement went to Portland Metro region for it’s 2040 Growth Concept. Policies, Programs, and Regulations: 2040 Growth Concept, Portland metro, OregonEPA says: Metro, the elected regional government of the Portland, Oregon, area, is making sure that future population growth can be…