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.
The Greening of a Suburban Downtown
“If planners for Bethesda, Maryland fully realize a conceptual vision now being offered to community leaders and the public, the once-quiet but now-bustling suburb’s downtown could become a nationally relevant example of urban sustainability. While the thinking is in its infancy, the Montgomery County Planning Department—under Maryland law, the county has legal authority—is considering a comprehensive green overhaul of Bethesda’s downtown plan, currently being updated by for the first time in twenty years. Particularly significant, in my opinion, would be two to three neighborhood-scaled “ecodistricts” within the downtown that would lead the way with showcase practices to accelerate and intensify environmental performance. The Department is being exceptionally cautious in stressing that for the moment its ideas are only conceptual and preliminary in nature, and will be subject to extensive review and refinement, but they point in the right direction.”
Landscape Architecture for a Changing World
“What is the purpose of landscape architecture in the 21st century? Is it to beautify public and private spaces with well-chosen plants and pavers? To increase ecological health by mimicking natural systems and processes? Or to manage stormwater and cool our built environment by incorporating green infrastructure? In Landscapes of Change: Innovative Designs and Reinvented Sites, University of Oregon professor Roxi Thoren, Affil. ASLA, argues that 21st century realities demand that landscapes do not just one but all of these things. Works of contemporary landscape architecture must connect neighborhoods, provide wildlife habitat, absorb stormwater, and combat the urban heat island effect.”
10 of the Best Urban Agriculture Projects
“Urban Land surveys ten of the best recent examples of development projects that incorporate agricultural facilities—from New York to new Orleans. According to Ron Nyren, “municipalities, nonprofit organizations, developers, and entrepreneurs are bringing agrarian practices into the city, shrinking food deserts, helping educate people about gardening practices, and reconnecting city dwellers to the source of their food.”
8 Incredible Green Spaces That Are Thriving In The Biggest Urban Jungles
“Living and working within a system of architectural behemoths and concrete streets can be taxing, to say the least. And for many city-dwellers, a few patches of green can be a celebrated refuge from the urban landscape. Through a study that spanned 18 years, researchers from University of Exeter Medical School discovered that people who moved to areas with more green space improved their overall well-being and happiness. So even if you aren’t looking to pack up and head to the country, scouting out cities with some form of natural catharsis can literally do you a lifetime of good.”
