Open Voices News Roundup: December 4

Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture and urban planning, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items.

‘Food Innovation District’ Plan Could Bring Indoor Market to Downtown Holland

“Holland’s ‘Western Gateway’ could become a center of food innovation under a new plan released by the Michigan Municipal League and Michigan State University’s School of Planning, Design and Construction. The collaborative plan calls for an indoor market to supplement the popular existing Holland Farmers Market, community gardens and an incubator for new food businesses. It could become a ‘corridor for housing, recreation and commerce,’ according to the report. ‘This is such an important piece of our downtown,’ said Dana Kollewehr, downtown manager for the city of Holland. ‘Over the years, we looked at a variety of ways to connect these areas of the city, and this PlacePlan brings those ideas together and gives us focus and viable options about how to increase walkability in this part of downtown. … We’re hopeful that we can start to see some of these projects pop up in the next year to year in a half, so that’s very exciting for our community and residents.’”

Urban Biodiversity Is Both an Educational and Public Awareness Challenge

“The urban bias against biodiversity in cities has been perpetuated by the longstanding conceptualization of urban land uses as non-primary, largely separated spatial units that relate to each other in a complementary manner. Even when such is the transformation of natural landscapes and an imposition of artificial landscapes, little regard is generally given to biodiversity in terms of flora and fauna that comprise vegetation, small to medium sized animals as well as underground biodiversity that remains on the usually conserved or landscape designed surfaces. But this also relates to the public awareness about biodiversity in cities. In countries that are rapidly urbanizing, opportunities for economic growth increase the land value leading to a very conspicuous pattern of transformation of natural landscapes replaced by high rising buildings, commercial entities, road infrastructure and industry. The pattern and nature of this transformation often disregards nature and again, other than the designed landscapes for aesthetics (which is in itself a good thing), ecological elements that would enhance or maintain biodiversity are not provided for in the planning standards.”

How Cities Can Track Down Their Climate Mistakes

“This Friday, at the UN conference in Lima, delegates will discuss yet again how their countries might finally reach an agreement to address climate change. But one presentation, by scientists from the US government and Arizona State University, will focus not on countries but on cities, showcasing efforts to rigorously measure urban greenhouse gas emissions.Their participation is part of a growing push to include cities more prominently in international discussions on global warming. At the climate summit in New York in September, a “compact of mayors” brought together more than 2,000 cities in a commitment to specific targets and strategies. Cities are taking the lead in part because of paralysis at the national and international levels, but also simply because cities are responsible for the vast majority of emissions — about 70 percent of the total, despite taking up only about 2 percent of the land.”

South Park Neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles Partners for Greener Alleys

“The landscape of Downtown Los Angeles is changing at a rapid pace. With major steps in adaptive reuse, the building of a large central park, and a huge influx of residents, the historic center of the city is coming alive. The South Park neighborhood in downtown is seeing particularly extensive growth—which makes it the perfect time to implement new techniques in urban revitalization. South Park is a downtown neighborhood exceptionally well suited as a case study for concentrated urban growth, and ripe with potential for creative new projects in the public realm. Anchored by entertainment venues Staples Center and L.A. LIVE to the west, supporting mixed-use residential to the east, and hosting a wealth of new civic and private projects, South Park is being called the “final frontier” of the DTLA Renaissance. Interest in the previously quiet district began prior to the 2008 recession and has exploded over the last two years.”