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.
2012’s Notable Developments in Landscape Architecture
Charles A. Birnbaum marks the milestones that have contributed to landscape architecture’s growing stature over the past year.
Do Places Seem Farther Away When You Have to Walk to Get There?
Turns out pedestrians who live in cities consistently over-estimate the amount of time it takes to walk somewhere. Why this matters to density.
How to Make Privately Owned Public Spaces Truly Open to the Public
The city of San Francisco has now mapped all of its downtown privately owned public spaces, and it’s ensuring for the first time that residents really have access to them.
“Here’s one more reason to ride your bike to work: in a study published in September, subjects who cycled for 30 minutes experienced reduced anxiety levels immediately afterward—the same as members of a control group who had sat quietly.â€
“Some people don’t love trees as much as they used to. After the severe storms we have had this year, including Hurricane Sandy, city trees can seem like a dangerous liability. Are urban trees worth the risk they pose to houses, cars and people when a violent storm comes through?â€
Architects and the Public Health Imperative
“This fall, the American Institute of Architects announced a 10 year commitment to develop design and technology solutions for cities addressing public health, sustainability, and resiliency challenges.â€
