Every week, we bring you the latest news in placemaking, landscape architecture, the nature-mental health link, and much more. Check back each week for new roundups and items.
Expert Urges Following Nature in Urban Design
“To be friendly to the earth, cities like Portland can learn from it. That was the message of a Nov. 15 lecture at the Public Library, sponsored by the state chapter of the American Institute of Architects. There is “boundless opportunity to improve the quality of life for all of us” by designing urban spaces around the environment, said Bill Browning, an internationally known environmental designer whose clients have included the White House and the 2000 Olympic Village in Sydney, Australia. Browning told an audience of more than 50 that those opportunities include biomimicry (designing in a way that mimics nature) and biophilia (using design to enhance human connection to the natural world). In the process of learning from and connecting to her, humans may also end up being a little kinder to Mother Nature.”
A New Focus on Healthy Communities
“During a session at the 2013 ASLA Annual Meeting in Boston, the three presidents of the major design organizations — American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and American Planning Association (APA) — made a united call for greater collaboration on designing healthy communities. Working from the understanding that design can encourage active lifestyles and contribute to community health and quality of life, they also spoke of a need for design professionals to become leaders in the push for healthier, and therefore more sustainable communities.Mickey Jacob, president of the AIA, called our time the “collaboration age,” stating it’s critical that all landscape architects, architects, and planners to adapt to change by working together with an eye on advocacy. Jacob reminded all design professionals that every time they speak about design, whether with a client or at the neighborhood little league game, they are engaging in advocacy and it should be done passionately. He called for design professionals to advocate at all levels for healthy design.”
Healing gardens: Horticulture Therapy Takes Root in South Florida
“Allspice and heirloom roses scent the garden where Robert Bornstein starts his work day at his home, tending plants meant not for show but for healing. “We have 35 years of scientific documentation to tell us we were meant to be with nature,” says Bornstein, potting an Everglades tomato that his seniors with limited mobility can grow indoors. “I need at least ten minutes in the garden or I’m no good.” Bornstein’s work, called horticultural therapy, uses gardens and gardening activities to improve memory,, physical coordination, rehabilitation and social skills. According to Elizabeth Diehl, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Therapeutic Horticulture, a growing body of research shows horticulture therapy’s benefits among older populations.”
Excellent ROI for the Government: National Wildlife Refuges
“Our national wildlife refuge system is a big moneymaker, pumping more than $24 billion into the economy every year and supporting more than 35,000 jobs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says. The report comes at a time many polls have shown a growing disconnect between people (both adults and children) and the natural world. The phenomenon has reached such a supposed fever pitch that writer Richard Louv even coined a term to describe it — nature deficit disorder — in his 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods. It would seem national wildlife refuges offer more than a glimmer of hope that people’s interest in nature and wildlife is not only not dead, but robust enough to turn a healthy profit.”
