Are you a landscape architecture professional in Oregon? Find out the great local and national benefits that come from becoming an ASLA member!
Join Today
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via Christopher Olin, ASLA Oregon Chapter Communications Chair
April is Landscape Architecture Month!
ASLA Oregon is pleased to announce our Spring 2012 Chapter lineup of Portland Events!
Join fellow like-minded student and professional peers in networking, learning and fun!
To learn more, register for events, find resources and subscribe to our mailing list visit www.aslaoregon.org.
Download Upcoming Events Flyer PDF - 11x17 Screen
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via Nancy C. Somerville, Hon. ASLA
Executive Vice President and CEO
American Society of Landscape Architects
American Society of Landscape Architects
Annual 2011: A Report to Our Members
As we dive into what promises to be another very busy year for ASLA, I wanted to take a moment to review our accomplishments in 2011. Despite a very challenging economy that has affected us all, ASLA members and their Society made real progress in raising awareness of the profession and ensuring that the profession’s voice was heard.
On August 17, 1,000 volunteers hit the streets, the parks, and the sidewalks in their communities to share examples of landscape architecture projects and to explain the benefits your work brings to people’s lives. More than 250 events, half of which involved direct, one-on-one discussions, happened almost simultaneously. Collectively, these events generated more than 80 news stories in all media, reaching an estimated 15 million people.
So who says one person can’t make a difference? There are less than 30,000 people employed in the landscape architecture field in a nation of more than 312 million. Yet we were heard, big time. And we’ve only just begun.
Working hand-in-hand with our chapters and their dedicated public-awareness volunteers, we will continue that engagement with activities at the grassroots level supported by resources created by the national office. And this April chapters across the nation will once again celebrate National Landscape Architecture Month, introducing the profession to the public through a series of standalone events while also coordinating a common public outreach on April 26, Frederick Law Olmsted’s birthday.
On the PR and communications side, much of our energy—and creativity—continues to be focused on web communications, because of the ability of the web to reach the largest audience. In 2011, the site attracted 644,000 unique visitors and more than 5 million pageviews, continuing healthy year-to-year growth.
To complement the public awareness materials, we have developed special areas on the site to serve as resources for policy makers, educators, students, and members of the other design and construction industries.
As part of the 08.17.11 events, we launched www.asla.org/design, a basic introduction to the profession as a destination for the curious public. So far, it has received more than 55,000 pageviews.
Designing Our Future: Sustainable Landscapes features 30 case studies and eight animations that detail sustainable landscape design. These resources have attracted more than 370,000 pageviews thus far, and the animations have been viewed an additional 85,000 times.
To establish landscape architects in the forefront of discussions of key issues affecting the profession, we have developed detailed resource centers around topics such as transportation, green infrastructure, and livable communities, as well as corresponding resources for residential projects.
And we continue to leverage The Dirt blog to keep our voice in the mix. The blog is widely read and syndicated, consistently ranks among the top 10 on environmental subjects, and has received some 1.3 million pageviews since relaunch in 2009
These outreach efforts provide a solid foundation to support our equally significant progress on the advocacy front, in spite of the challenging political environment in Washington.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is in the midst of a critical national rulemaking on stormwater. The process started with an EPA-commissioned National Research Council study on the effectiveness of the Agency’s current stormwater program. NRC’s conclusion: Big pipes and grey infrastructure are not going to solve the problem, but green infrastructure and low-impact development can.
To support its rulemaking, EPA asked ASLA to help document the use and effectiveness of green infrastructure approaches. We turned to you, and set an ambitious goal of 300 projects. You responded with 479 case studies, covering 43 states, D.C, and Canada. We provided all that data to EPA, and those case studies are now catalogued and available on the ASLA website. These projects are a compelling demonstration of the value of green infrastructure—and the critical role of landscape architects.
Another priority focus this year has been transportation. With the surface transportation bill coming up for renewal, we are advocating for inclusion of a federal Complete Streets policy in the legislation, along with supporting essential existing programs that support transportation alternatives, enhance community livability, and provide jobs for landscape architects.
Many of these programs came under a barrage of attacks in 2011, especially the transportation enhancements program. An example: On October 17, ASLA’s government affairs staff learned of a serious threat: Senator John McCain was preparing to offer an amendment to a fiscal year 2012 spending bill to gut the transportation enhancements program.
Since McCain did not include bicycle and trail projects on his hit list, many of our usual coalition partners opted not to challenge the proposal. So ASLA took the lead. We prepared a letter in opposition, got 12 other organizations to sign on, and put the letter into the hands of each senator’s chief of staff, legislative director, and transportation legislative assistant. And we sent out a red alert to all of you through our Advocacy Network. You responded. We had the best performance from the Advocacy Network to date, with 655 activists sending 1,338 messages to their senators over the two days preceding the vote.
It worked. The roll-call vote on October 19 was 59 to 39 to table the amendment, essentially killing it.
Your grassroots-level advocacy, combined with our D.C.-based outreach efforts, not only reversed the threat, but also raised ASLA’s profile on Capitol Hill. ASLA was cited by the influential Democratic Policy Committee as an opponent of the amendment, and multiple senate staffers cited ASLA’s opposition and outreach as a major contributing factor to votes against the amendment.
Threats are continuing, and vigilance and quick action are still required. I commend you all for your support of ASLA and your direct involvement in issues of importance to the profession and to the country. It would be easy in such very difficult and stubborn financial times to lose faith and withdraw. That’s not our style, and the relative health of ASLA and the profession is testimony to that, as are such success stories as I’ve just shared.
There’s a lot more I could tell you about, like the changes I hope you’ve been noticing in our fantastic Landscape Architecture Magazine, the second-largest Annual Meeting and largest Expo in ASLA history, and the progress of our Sustainable Sites Initiative partnership. I urge you to stay engaged and help us help you, as you all did so effectively in 2011. Thank you all.
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MARCH 2012 |
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UPCOMING CHAPTER EVENTS (APRIL IS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE MONTH!)04.20 | ASLA Oregon North Park Block Design Charrette OTHER UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
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via Beth Flanagan, International Living Future Institute
Join Cascadia Green Building Council May 2-4 for Living Future 2012, where the green building movement’s leading thinkers and practitioners come together to share their deep expertise and dearest hopes, to leap ahead as a movement and as a society. Living Future is where cutting edge practice meets inspiration and where visionaries get down to business. This three-day unConference has earned a reputation as the must-attend event for many of the green building movement's most innovative and influential leaders. This years conference will take place in Portland, Oregon and is themed “Women Reshaping the World”. For more information please go to the Living Future 2012 Website.
For questions please contact Beth Flanagan at beth.flanagan@gmail.com
Quick Links:
Keynote and Reception, Dr. Vandana Shiva
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ASLA Oregon LANDbytes MARCH 2012 Feature:
Happy Birthday, FLO!
By Rebecca Wahlstrom
What are you doing on April 26? Join the coast to coast party, celebrating the 190th birthday of Mr. Frederick Law Olmsted with all your fellow ASLA members! April 26 is a day to remember and celebrate the man who first brought to the forefront many of the ideas that we practice today in Landscape Architecture. So gather some friends, blow out some birthday candles for Mr. Olmsted, and make a wish for the continuation of great designs that stand the test of time.
Check out more fun ways to celebrate Landscape Architecture month at www.aslaoregon.org/updates/articles/national-landscape-architecture-month.
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ASLA Oregon LANDbytes MARCH 2012 Feature:
Get Ready! National Landscape Architecture Month is Coming!
By Rebecca Wahlstrom
April has been set aside by the ASLA as a month when activities happen nationwide to celebrate and promote the profession of landscape architecture. The focus of this month’s activities is “Public Health and Active Living 2012”, showing how we are addressing the major problems of obesity and chronic health problems due to lack of exercise by designing healthy community structures. This topic is a great fit for our active state – what a perfect chance to show people how we promote healthy lifestyles. Are there playgrounds or trail systems where you can show people how landscape architecture has been part of its creation? How about plaza’s where farmers markets happen or places where people wait to catch the MAX or bus? Can you get out there and let people know who designed that space? Now is the time to celebrate all you have done and promote the future of landscape architecture.
You might be asking, “what can I do?” Glad you asked! ASLA has put forward a whole webpage of ideas for activities along with detailed instructions and tips (and has a picture of Portland’s Mt. Tabor Middle School rain garden design). The below is just a sampling of what the website provides on the ‘Career Discovery Activities’ page. http://www.aslaoregon.org/updates/articles/national-landscape-architecture-month. Boy Scout troops can learn about plants and earn a badge during your time with them; Connect with middle and high-school students and design a rain garden or reading garden; Are you a native plant expert? Visit your local high school and show them how essential native plants are to our landscape.
One doesn’t need to be hampered by this list – create your own activity that will appeal to you and the audience you wish to reach. Back on 8.17.11, the first roll-out of the Understory, the Bend folks led a design charrette, people in Springfield did a workplace information blast to enlighten their co-workers on what their department had accomplished, and Portland canvassed downtown parks. http://www.aslaoregon.org/blog/2011/9/14/dues-increase-effective-january-2012 What will Oregon do this time to celebrate landscape architecture? I believe our fit and active state is primed and ready to show off all that we have done to promote physical activity and public health to the general public and to the nation. Be creative – have fun – and be sure to let people know about landscape architecture in April!
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National Landscape Architecture Month 2012 (NLAM) Quick Links:
NLAM PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
FREDERICK LAW OLMSTED & THE CAMPAIGN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
APRIL 2012 National, State and Local Activities:
04.04.12 COMMUNITY TREES FIELD CLASS
04.20.12 ASLA OREGON NORTH PARK BLOCK DESIGN CHARRETTE
04.20.12 ASLA OREGON EMERGING PROFESSIONALS SOCIAL
04.21.12 ASLA OREGON ENLIGHTENED LANDSCAPE[S] SYMPOSIUM
04.26.12 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON A&AA CAREER SYMPOSIUM
Questions? Interested in getting involved with NLAM?
Contact ASLA Oregon Communications Chair Christopher Olin for more information!
via ASLA Nationals
A Whole New National Landscape Architecture Month:
Public Health & Active Living 2012
Now is the time. Childhood obesity surges to epidemic proportions, healthcare costs push even higher and divisive politics provide no solutions. Meanwhile an interdisciplinary profession continues to rise offering solutions to these stark problems:
Landscape architects will join across the country during the month of April to educate the public as to how their profession is well poised to address these troubling issues.They’ll hold public events showcasing just what can be done through hands on work with the public, speaking engagements and design charrettes. For an idea, check out this slideshow of 2011’s events.
With the theme of Public Health and Landscape Architecture, National Landscape Architecture Month 2012 welcomes these new and necessary discussions about the profession. Besides all the same great activities from years past, National Landscape Architecture Month joins in the public awareness campaign. On 04.26.12, the profession will publically celebrate Frederick Olmsted's birthday, considered the founder of modern landscape architecture, by once again taking to the streets from coast to coast telling people why landscape architecture matters just as they did on 08.17.11. Since 08.17.11 was just the beginning, expect more this time around. The call to celebrate his birthday could not be more in line with the theme as Frederick Law Olmsted and the Campaign for Public Health points out, Olmsted’s roots in landscape architecture first started with his dedication to public health.
The prevalence of low-density, automobile-dependent communities has resulted in unsustainable lifestyles that increasingly threaten human health and well-being. In addition to inflating housing and transportation costs and increasing carbon emissions, disconnected communities reliant on cars create sedentary lifestyles. The lack of access to environments that encourage daily exercise, provide clean air and water and offer affordable services and nutritious food has meant growing epidemics of depression, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.
Working with landscape architects, communities can promote human health and well-being by encouraging the development of environments that offer rich social, economic, and environmental benefits. Healthy, livable communities improve the welfare and well-being of people by expanding the range of affordable transportation, employment, and housing choices through "Live, Work, Play" developments; incorporating physical activity into components of daily life; preserving and enhancing valuable natural resources; providing access to affordable, nutritious, and locally produced foods distributed for less cost; and creating a unique sense of community and place.
Landscape architects help communities maximize opportunities for daily exercise like walking and biking. Landscape architects encourage communities to move towards compact, transit-oriented land-uses by designing Complete Streets and other transportation networks that connect mixed-use developments, neighborhood schools, and a range of affordable housing choices. They assist communities in developing healthy green buildings and open spaces that promote efficient water and energy use and provide substantial amounts of vegetation to clean air and cool temperatures. In doing so, these communities can avoid the expensive health epidemics associated with automobile dependence, sedentary lifestyles, along with the high costs to the environment brought by dysfunctional patterns of living.
PUBLIC HEALTH & COMMUNITY DESIGN
With health epidemics associated with sprawl on the rise, there is growing demand for communities that get people moving and reduce the onslaught of depression, obesity, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. Communities can also be designed to reduce traffic fatalities and crime rates. When communities take these issues seriously, they become people-friendly places that promote healthy living and feel safe and secure.
A recent study from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute demonstrates that people who "drive less, exercise more, and live longer, are generally healthier than residents of communities without high-quality public transportation." Lansdcape architects design multi-modal sustainable transportation infrastructure such as public transit, which force people to walk and climb stairs, and well-lit, tree-lined streets with sidewalks and bike lanes, which enable safe and convenient physical activity. These systems provide healthy alternatives to automobile transportation. In addition, landscape architects create parks, green streets, and even green roofs, which encourage physical activity by making outdoor spaces more attractive, cooler, with cleaner air.
Communities can also invest in healthy green schools built along new and improved transportation infrastructure and connected to neighborhoods via sidewalks, bike trails, transit service, and roadways that provide safe routes to school. Landscape architects design green school campuses with indoor and outdoor learning environments, which are also available for community activities.
In addition, landscape architects work with communities to create urban agriculture projects that provide access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food that is locally produced and distributed. These initiatives make productive use of vacant lots and derelict spaces, transforming them into safe environments for youth education and community interaction. They can provide resources for green hospitals where studies have shown that organic food gardens help patients recover faster.
See the full article at ASLA.org
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Event Notice: Portland Mayoral Candidates Forum
March 14, 2012
7:30-9:30pm / Doors Open at 6:30
Aladdin Theater
3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue
Portland, Oregon
Why Should We Care?
The future Mayor of Portland will have help shape the quality of life and the future of our neighborhoods, our largest city, our metropolitan region, and our state. This forum is designed to give us all a “beyond the sound bite” insight into the candidates’ understanding of the issues, their views and their leadership skills – and to hold them accountable for what they tell us.
Moderator: Urban Studies and Planning Professor Sy Adler, PSU
Live Music and Refreshments:
Food and grog available at the theater.
Live music by Don West; piano courtesy of Classic Pianos.
http://www.classicportland.com
Tickets: $5 for PSU students, OAPA and ASLA members at the door (with student ID or member coupons)
$10 at the door or Ticketmaster (no discounts)
Sponsored by:
Oregon APA
ASLA Oregon
Winterbrook Planning
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via Terence Poltrack, PR and Communications Director, American Society of Landscape Architects
Download the ASLA "Notes and Numbers" Facts and Figures PDF
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via ASLA Oregon Chapter Communications Committee
The ASLA Oregon Chapter Communications Committee is currently seeking volunteers to assist with tasks including:
Experience with web and basic understanding of HTML is recommended.
Volunteers are eligible for free and reduced admission to ASLA events.
Interested?
Contact Communications Chair Christopher Olin for more information.
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Elevate your understanding of landscape by taking it to a higher level. ASLA Oregon invites you to expand your thinking over two days of inspired guest speakers, discussions and a design charrette. Join us for learning and networking opportunities, as well as the opportunity to earn valuable professional development hours (PDH’s).
more information + registration
2012 sponsorship opportunities
2012 supporting sponsor - only $100!
Your company name will be featured on the event program!
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ASLA has announced the call for presentations for the 2012 Annual Meeting and EXPO, to be held September 28–October 1 in Phoenix at the Phoenix Convention Center. The deadline for education session proposals is January 20, and detailed information is available online.
More than 6,000 attendees are expected, and the meeting will feature a diverse spectrum of industry experts speaking on a wide range of subjects, from sustainable design to active living to best practices and new technologies. More than 130 education sessions and field sessions will be presented during the meeting, providing attendees with the opportunity to earn up to 21 professional development hours under the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System. Many of the sessions will also qualify for continuing education credit with the Green Building Certification Institute (toward LEED AP credential maintenance), the American Institute of Architects, the American Institute of Certified Planners, and other allied professional organizations and state registration boards.
The 2011 Annual Meeting and EXPO in San Diego featured more than 460 exhibits as well as 135 education sessions for the 5,571 registered attendees—the second-largest attendance in ASLA history. For an overview of the 2011 sessions, see http://www.asla.org/2011meeting/EdOverview.html.
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Dear Advocates,
On November 19, President Barack Obama signed into law H.R. 674, legislation to repeal the law that requires a three percent withholding on all payments from federal, state and local government. With the repeal of this law, small businesses, including landscape architecture firms, will not be forced to forfeit three percent of all payments received from federal, state, and local governments for services rendered under government contracts.
The three percent withholding requirement was originally passed in section 511 of the “Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005” (P.L. 109-222), which would have required federal, state, and local governments with more than $100 million in annual expenditures to withhold three percent of their payments for goods and services. As a result of the law, businesses and government entities could have been burdened with restructuring computer systems and training and hiring new accountants and office managers to assist in complying with the new accounting procedures. Moreover, many small businesses, including landscape architecture firms, would have been disadvantaged because the up-front tax withholding would severely restrict cash flow and could disrupt their ability to provide goods and services.
As a member of the Government Withholding Relief Coalition, ASLA has been working diligently to repeal this law that would have been onerous for many landscape architecture firms. Also, thanks to the advocacy efforts of ASLA members and other allied organizations who contacted their legislators, Congress overwhelming supported the legislation to repeal this law, moved it through the legislative process, and onto President Obama for his signature.
Thank you for your continued advocacy efforts.
Roxanne Blackwell
Federal Government Affairs Manager
The American Society of Landscape Architects
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via The Intertwine Alliance
Please join civic and elected leaders and professionals from across the Portland - Vancouver region for the most exciting Intertwine Alliance summit yet with afternoon workshops and an after-hours...
What: Intertwine Alliance Summit
Where: TBD
When: February 3rd, 2012, 2pm - 6pm
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ASLA Oregon LANDbytes NOVEMBER 2011 Feature:
This Land is Your Land
By Rebecca Wahlstrom
“Whose streets? Our streets.”
While watching the drama of Occupy Portland recently unfold in our downtown parks, I started to think about public spaces and how we use them here in Portland. Portlanders love their city; public spaces are heavily used for events like farmers markets, outdoor concerts, and food fests, just to name a few. A big part of what makes Portland rank so highly as a livable and vibrant place is that a lot of people get out and enjoy the heck out of their city. Imagine parks with picnickers, kids on the playground, and a hard-core game of horseshoes going on in the background. Now start walking down a city sidewalk and you might see plazas filled with people enjoying the sun, or playing music, and bikers resting next to fountains flinging water into the air. Different people using the same space in different ways and yet co-mingling in such a way that makes that space an exciting place.
For more than a month, Chapman and Lownsdale Squares were utilized in a very different manner than the picture I’ve painted above, as they had become the alpha and beta camps of Portland’s portion of the Occupy movement. Wanting to know more about the original intent and historical use of these Portland parks, I found that they were originally designed in the late 1800’s to be gender specific: women and children in Chapman Square, and men were to gather in Lownsdale Square. Interesting… Then I looked up the two parks on Google maps to see what they had to say: a comment made in June 2011 said of Chapman Square, “Makes walking through the city so much nicer.” A comment made of the same park in October of the same year stated, “Occupy Portland. We are the 99%.” Those two comments show a big change in tone and utilization of the park in a few short months.
Being a conscientious reporter, I did further research and found an interesting 30-minute program that highlighted ideas on public space by people like Don Mitchell, Galen Cranz and Sharon Zukin (sadly, no landscape architects were included). http://blog.papertiger.org/2011/10/07/open-to-the-public/
They raised some interesting points about public perception and regulation of spaces, like Zukin saying that the public regulates what happens in public space by either accepting or disapproving of behavior in those spaces, and that public space has to provide for all of the needs of a population. Recent events have shown that a breaking point can be reached in public perception, especially when a public park is no longer truly public anymore, but a city within a city. Lownsdale and Chapman parks were no longer serving the needs of the general public, but serving the needs of a small portion of that public. After more than a month of protesters living in these two parks, the mayor ordered that the Occupy movement move on, requiring them to carry on their quest in a different manner.
Americans hold their “right of the people peaceably to assemble,” as they should, but does that mean that they have a right to occupy a public space for an indefinite amount of time while fighting for a political and social ideal? Is the inconvenience of the occupation essential to the movement? This question is being raised all across the nation, case in point when the courts in New York recently upheld the mayor’s right to remove protesters from a public park. Occupy people will be required to follow the imposed New York park rules, just like any other inhabitant of the city. Does the right to peaceably assemble override the responsibilities we have as citizens and co-habitants of our cities? Does the end justify the means; the ‘end’ being an increased awareness and a shift in our social paradigm? Since the Athens Agora and the Roman Forum, public spaces have served as places where people could discuss business, politics, religion, and current events amongst a setting of government, temples, and commerce. Our right to freely discuss and debate issues is part of what makes our country so great; I hope that our public spaces continue to be a venue for lively and informed conversation by people who want positive change.
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ASLA Oregon LANDbytes NOVEMBER 2011 Feature:
Phytoremediation in Landscape Architecture: It’s a Park, It’s a Wetland, It’s a…..?
By Jeff Boggess, Landscape Designer from GreenWorks
Many common everyday trees, shrubs, perennials, and even invasive weeds like Indian Mustard and Pennycress have the remarkable ability to absorb and chemically breakdown nutrients like nitrate and ammonia, and even harmful elements like lead and arsenic. These plants concentrate and remove pollutants that would otherwise potentially continue to spread through soil, air, and groundwater. For example, arsenic is sometimes left behind in agricultural soils by herbicides and pesticides, but can be remediated by Chinese Brake Fern, which is able to absorb large amounts of arsenic within its fronds. Although plants and the micro-organisms that inhabit their roots have been providing this service since the beginning of time (most notably through the absorption of CO2 gas and release of breathable oxygen), only recently have these cleansing abilities become an established science and designated ‘phytoremediation’ - the process of using plant-based strategies to clean air, water, and soil.
Instead of relying on conventional methods that can be environmentally disruptive, financially costly and energy intensive, phytoremediation simply capitalizes upon basic plant biological processes, and the constant natural flow of elements from soil to roots as food. Luckily for us, many plants aren’t particular about whether these elements are found naturally occurring in the soil or added by humans. Pollutants are taken up by the plants roots where they are chemically modified through the plant’s metabolism and evapotranspired as harmless gas, or they are stored within the plant’s biomass which can then be harvested and processed. With the removal of harmful substances, we are able to benefit not only from cleaner air, water, soil but also prolonged habitat improvement, and the enhancement of diversity and vitality in urban and rural areas by integrating phytoremediation into public space.
Portland and the Willamette Valley offer many outstanding case-studies where landscape architects and engineers have collaborated to integrate phytoremediation sensitively into both urban and rural contexts. From “Green Street” stormwater facilities, to first-of-their-kind, large-scale poplar plantations, projects in this region explore the boundary between functional facilities and designed public amenities. In Portland, the abundance of curbside stormwater planters, like those that can be found along bike boulevards, validate the design ability of Oregon landscape architects and engineers, who depend on support from the local government and from Portlander´s unique willingness to invite these features into their daily lives for the sake of the common good. With that said, it’s no wonder that the International Phytotechnology Society chose Portland this year as its venue for the 8th Annual International Conference.
Portland´s reputation for visionary stormwater and wastewater management has reached an audience extending well beyond the Northwest, being confirmed by the enthusiastic scientists, practitioners and government officials who were in attendance at the Conference coming from faraway places like the Netherlands, India and Malaysia. The idea of ¨Portland Sustainable Design¨ in the minds of these individuals seemed almost like a brand in itself, akin to ¨German Precision¨ that they had come to soak up and take home for application in their own cities and towns.
Where other workshops during the week focused on smaller scale examples of phytoremediation like green roofs, rain gardens and other forms of urban stormwater facilities within the Portland area , the one in which I took part traveled into the Willamette Valley and visited 5 large-scale wastewater treatment applications. Renee Stoops of SPROut (The Sustainable Plant Research and Outreach Center, the hosting organization of the Conference for the week) guided our group by bus to two Poplar Remediation Plantations; Woodburn Waste Water Treatment Plant, and the Riverbend Landfill which treats effluent/biosolids and landfill leachate respectively, and three constructed wetland projects treating effluent coming from wastewater treatment facilities (Albany Talking Water Gardens, Willowlake Treatment Plant, and the Oregon Garden). The facilities represented an interesting progression over the course of the day from purely pragmatic places of remediation in the form of row after row of poplars growing behind chain link security fences and going quietly about their business of absorbing wastewater, biosolids and leachate; to constructed wetlands that were functional not only in their treatment capabilities, but also invited the public with pathways, waterfalls, seating areas, and interpretive signage.
Bringing phytoremediation into the public realm blurs the boundary between science and design and becomes an intriguing point-of-connection between biology and landscape architecture. Although this was done voluntarily in the projects visited during the workshop, in the future, particularly in urban areas, this approach will likely become a necessity as open spaces that can serve these two invaluable purposes (remediation and public amenity) independently become scarcer. Leading international landscape architects like Michael Van Valkenburgh and James Corner are two of many that are already capitalizing on this relationship, bringing a new layer of credibility to the holistic, contextual, stewardship-driven approach which the landscape architecture profession prides itself on. Parks, streets and gardens must continue to be designed for human-friendly enjoyment and retreat, but they also have the potential for meaningful enrichment by becoming places of sustainable renewal and investigation.
With local projects like those showcased at the Phytotechnology Society Conference demonstrating Portland as an international leader in the field, what better place than here to continue to promote the ¨blurred¨ landscapes that combine science and design? The Northwest region is recognized as a hub of sustainable design and we should consider the role landscape architects might play in the advocacy and distribution of these visionary ideas. Along with the landscape architect’s understanding of space, circulation, programming, planning, ecology and plants, phytoremediation adds the next layer of significance to the landscape and may push us into a new chapter of the profession.
Whitney Water Purification Facility, by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc.
with Steven Holl Architects, New Haven CT
Poplar Remediation Plantation, Woodburn Wastewater Treatment Plant, Woodburn OR
Albany Talking Water Gardens, Willowlake Water Treatment Plant, Albany OR
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ASLA Oregon LANDbytes NOVEMBER 2011 Feature:
Growing Fresh Insights at the University of Oregon
By Logan Bingle, Undergraduate of Landscape Architecture, University of Oregon
In recent years, urban agriculture has become a widely popular idea. Just this year, the APA published a guide on issues planners should consider when incorporating urban agriculture into their work. At the University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture Department, urban agriculture is not just a fad, but a subject that has been used to inform design and promote the field of landscape architecture.
The University of Oregon’s Landscape Architecture Department began exploring urban agriculture in the 1970s when Professor Richard Britz founded the Urban Farm on a plot of land across Franklin Boulevard from the University of Oregon. Unfortunately, Richard Britz was not granted tenure at the University of Oregon and left the university’s faculty in 1981. Ann Bettman took over the Urban Farm and kept it going through the 1980s despite threats from development and low class attendance. Things began to change in the 1990s with renewed interest in urban agriculture.
Since 2000, the Urban Farm has been a wild success. Around 2000 students have passed through the Urban Farm’s spring, summer and fall classes. A wide range of students have taken the classes, including Freshman Interest Groups, Environmental Studies Majors, Architecture Majors and many others. In an odd twist, the Urban Farm’s director, Harper Keeler, reports that landscape architecture students are a minority in the Urban Farm classes. In a survey of landscape architecture students, Harper found that most students feel that urban agriculture is important to the field but feel they cannot fit the class into their schedules. Despite this lack of Landscape Architecture students, Harper emphasizes that the Urban Farm plays an important role in exposing the Landscape Architecture Department to the wider University community. Indeed, several freshmen who have taken the Urban Farm Freshman Interest Group have gone on to join the landscape architecture program.
The Urban Farm is not the only department effort in urban agriculture. In 2010, the Landscape Architecture Department began a second urban farming effort across from the Eugene District Courthouse. This effort was a partnership between the Oregon Federal District Court Chief Judge Ann Aiken, the University of Oregon Landscape Architecture Department Professors Ann Bettman and Lorri Nelson and the City of Eugene. The new Courthouse Garden aims to serve a social mission, originally aimed at inmates and paroles, with the support of University students and volunteers.
In the one and a half years since the Courthouse Garden began, the program has begun to shift away from its original inmate and parole program because of logistically difficulties. The Courthouse Garden’s director, Lorri Nelson, has begun to refocus the garden on at risk youths and other social missions. Recently, the Courthouse Garden has been hosting work parties from local schools for at risk youths, such as the MLK School, as part of the Landscape Architecture Department’s Courthouse Garden classes. This allows both groups of students to learn and support each other.
The Landscape Architecture Department’s efforts in urban agriculture do not end with practical work either. Beginning with Richard Britz, there has been a great deal of research done on urban agriculture at the University of Oregon. The first major work after the 1970s was completed in 1995 by Kelly Donahue, who looked at six campus farms on the west coast and their resurgence in the 1990s. Harper Keeler has also conducted researched on ways that urban farming can contribute to the education of landscape architects and ways urban farming can be incorporated into the landscape architecture curriculum.
Currently, there are several graduate students at the University of Oregon exploring issues surrounding urban agriculture. Expecting to graduate this fall or winter, Patty Stevenson has been looking at large scale planning issues concerning community gardens. Her work looks beyond food production to consider community gardens that also produce cut flowers and are aesthetic works produced in a cooperative spirit. This shows how issues of urban agriculture can transcend purely practical ends to wide ranging design considerations.
This is the most important lesson taught by the University of Oregon Landscape Architecture Department’s work in the field of urban agriculture. While urban agriculture can be purely practical, it can also help inform our work as designers. The Urban Farm, Courthouse Garden and urban agriculture research at the University of Oregon promise to bring new ideas, talent and public exposure to the field of landscape architecture.
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via Landscape Architect and Specifier News
We cordially invite you to showcase your firm in LASN’s upcoming “Parks” issue for March 2012.
Show Issue: LA EXPO - Long Beach
Submitting Material is Easy and Free!
Just send a half-dozen low-res images (.jpg or .tif) to mmedaris@landscapeonline.com with “Feature Submittal” in the subject line, and a short paragraph describing the project. Please include the project location and your complete contact information. If your project is selected for publication, we will require 12-15 hi-res images and additional information.
Submissions are due by December 9th.
Contact: Steve Kelly, senior editor
skelly@landscapeonline.com
(714) 979-5276 x12
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August 2011 Trustee’s Report:
Some of the highlights from our National Office the past month are as follows:
Governance and Administration
· On 8/17/11 Landscape architects across the country fanned our during their lunch hours to engage the public in a discussion about the profession. Some 175 activities were planned, and there was wide media interest. Our Chapter provided a dozen members who participated at Director Park and Pioneer Square.
· The U.S. General Services Administration has just added a high-level (GS-14) landscape architect position to GSA’s Office of the Chief Architect. ASLA had been pushing for the addition of this position to the Office, which oversees and sets policy for all of GSA’s design and construction programs.
Public Relations and Communications
· A new website, “Landscape Architecture. Your Environment. Designed,” was launched today to support the public awareness campaign launch and serve as the go-to resource for more information.
· Recent ASLA news coverage has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Inhabitat, How Stuff Works, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, among other outlets.
· As a companion to the new Chinese language page on asla.org, which has been viewed nearly 3,000 times so far, a new Spanish language page is under development.
· Web communications worked with professional practice staff to create a new, easier to use Web-based LATIS self-test form.
Professional Practice
· On August 4, a new Federal Opportunities for Landscape Architects resource page was posted under the Business Tools section of the Professional Practice Resource Center on the ASLA website. This is a members-only page with easy direct access and links to new grant opportunities and direct access to federal business contract listings and other resources.
· ASLA has released an updated paper in the Landscape Architecture Technical Information Series (LATIS): LATIS Forum on Therapeutic Garden Design, 2nd Edition. In addition to updates by the authors, the paper has been reviewed and the self-test exam approved for professional development hours (PDH) under Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LA CES). Members and non-members can access LATIS papers via the ASLA website. Members can download these publications at no charge. Both members and non-members pre-pay a small fee for the processing of the self-test exams.
Education and Academic Affairs
· The Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board met in San Francisco on August 1-2. Mary Myers, ASLA, was elected LAAB chair-elect and will become chair on January 1, 2012. LAAB reviewed 17 landscape architecture degree program applications for accreditation and two applications for candidacy status. Additional information on the meeting will be announced after the schools that were reviewed have been notified.
Dave
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The Coalition for a Livable Future is a partnership of over 100 diverse organizations and thousands of individuals working together to create a more equitable and sustainable Portland metropolitan region.
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You are invited to a public tour on Sunday, October 2nd of the Watzek House, designed by Portland native John Yeon. Three guided 90-minute tours of this National Historic Landmark house are offered at 10am, 12pm and 2:30pm. Tours will focus on the seminal role of this house in shaping the Northwest Regional Modernist style as well as features and themes unique to Yeon’s designs.
Tours are $60/person and are limited to 12 people each, so please reserve your space today.
Reservations can be made online at:
http://aaa.uoregon.edu/tours
Reservations will be confirmed and travel information sent via e-mail.
Questions? Please contact Hannah at: yeongrf@uoregon.edu or Karen at: karenjj@uoregon.edu
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FROM: Mark Woolley, PRESENTspace Curator
CONTACT: Mark Woolley (503) 998-4152 mawoolley@comcast.net
RE: AUGUST/SEPTEMBER Exhibition at PRESENTspace in the heart of the Pearl. (Location: 939 NW Glisan, entrance at NW 10th and Glisan diagonal from SILK, street level in the modernist 937 Building)
“FUSED”
New Welded Steel Sculpture by JILL TORBERSON and
New Encaustic Paintings by JEFF SCHNABEL,
Both of Portland, in Special Two Month Show
(10% of show proceeds donated to the innovative
PlayWrite program, which works with youth “at the edge” to create original plays performed by theatre professionals)
SHOW DATES: AUGUST 3-OCTOBER 1, 2011
PREVIEW PARTY WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3
(6-9 PM)
FIRST THURSDAY OPENINGS AUGUST 4/SEPTEMBER 1
(6-9 PM)
In August and September, 2011, the cavernous (3500 sq ft) exhibition space known as PRESENTspace in the heart of the Pearl (939 NW Glisan in the 937 condo building) features the work of two exciting artists in “FUSED”: JILL TORBERSON, who creates unique welded steel and mixed media works and JEFF SCHNABEL, whose gorgeous encaustic paintings also utilize heat to create striking abstractions. The two artists are also “fused” in that, as good friends and faculty members at Portland State University, each has enthusiastically followed and challenged the work of the other.
Jill Torberson has turned a lifelong fascination with “garbage” and surplus materials into a unique form of expression. Deconstruction plays a large role in her design concepts. The art involves transforming existing objects into smaller or different piece and reconstructing the parts into new objects that focus on form over function. While in Portland, Jill has studied printmaking, ceramics, mixed media sculpture, as well as welding and blacksmithing.
Currently, Jill is working on several commissions in the Portland area. Her work can be seen throughout Portland as custom railings, fences, gates, balconies and art features at a variety on homes and businesses. Jill’s work can also be seen at the Boise Art Museum in Idaho and the Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, Washington. Portland venues have included Dig garden shop in the Pearl District, the Mark Woolley Gallery, Guardino Gallery and Paxton Gate on North Mississippi Avenue. In Salem, Jill has work at the Zeek Gallery.
Jill was commissioned in the fall of 2005 by the Portland General Electric Company to create a sculpture for their corporate offices using surplus material from their stations and metal shop. This piece can be seen in downtown Portland at their office in the World Trade Center Building. Jill has also had the honor to have two sculptures at the Maryhill Museum Outdoor Sculpture Invitational Exhibition in 2007. These two works were specifically made to fit the landscape of the Columbia River Gorge. One work, “Fertility Petroglyph”, remains in the museum’s permanent collection. Currently Jill is on the faculty at Portland State University, teaching welding in the School of Architecture. Aside from her work in art and fabrication, Jill is a musician and plays the horn in several groups in Portland, including the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Portland Festival Symphony, Bravo Symphony in Vancouver, Washington, and the Northwest Horn Orchestra.
Arts writers may contact Jill at 2sporty@earthlink.net and obtain more information at www.weldmetalworks.com.
Jeff Schnabel’s encaustic work owes much of its influence to his education in architecture and landscape architecture. His studio is the place for patters in art and design to converge. Since 1985 Jeff has designed buildings and landscapes throughout the U.S., always exploring and challenging the media used to develop and present design ideas. Painting, collage, and printmaking are constantly part of his work. Encaustic is a relatively new means of expression for Jeff. He has been manipulating beeswax with a torch and knife for only three years, but in that time has fully embraced the qualities of the material.
In addition to his art explorations, Jeff is an assistant professor in the Architecture Department at Portland State University where he teaches design studios, site planning and contemporary design theory. His research is currently focused on spatial and narrative light strategies for the built environment. Jeff has done multiple collaborations with other artists on temporary light installations that take light away from neutral surfaces to spaces that transform the experiential qualities of the projected light. He recently returned to Portland from Baltimore where has principal in a practice that specialized in transforming abandoned industrial sites into new mixed use developments and landscapes. When not in the studio or teaching, Jeff spends much of his time exploring the documenting Oregon’s industrial places. Regarding his art, Jeff provided this statement:
“While living in Baltimore our yard became the site of an urban archaeological excavation. I was fascinated by the subsurface layers that suggested patterns of human activity that sometimes aligned with (but more often did not) the contemporary organization of buildings, paving, and landscapes. The deep layers of wax in my work allows me to make marks that sometimes influence the final surface of the work and just as often remain faintly visible, even invisible. In addition to building up layers of beeswax and assorted other materials, I am constantly scraping away the wax. The excavations in the wax give a glimpse into the work’s history. I have long been passionate about Jill Torberson’s work. Wels and rust are expressed honestly as a meaningful part of her sculpture. I have followed her sensibility by using beeswax in uncolored forms. Variations in tone are achieved primarily by using wax in various stages of refinement. The textures of the tools and torch are allowed to remain in the work. Jill’s influence has led to found steel objects being incorporated into the surfaces. The fact that both materials, wax and steel, are liquid under heat makes them fascinating partners in the pieces.”
Arts writers may contact Jeff at jjsch@pdx.edu.
A key aspect of the mission of PRESENTspace is to not only highlight exceptional art works, but use a portion of sales to benefit diverse and worthy causes in the Portland metro area. Prior shows have benefitted Outside In, Body Vox, and the Portland Public Art Murals Program. For this two month exhibition, which will feature some new works during the September time frame, 10% of show proceeds will be donated to PlayWrite. This unique program was formed in 2003 and works with youth “at the edge” to create original plays, powerful vehicles through which their voices are heard. PlayWrite coaches are drawn from the Oregon theater community and are trained to work one-on-one with each young person. Within the intense structured activities of PlayWrite workshops, these young writers create originals art. In the process they learn to trust, manage and heal their own emotional experiences; to work collaboratively, and to contribute positively to their communities. The plays are ultimately performed by professional actors, a thrilling finale to the entire process.
Please go to paywriteinc.org for more information.
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The world needs to know about landscape architecture, and 08.17.11 is the day it all begins.
What if, for just one day, we all decided to let everyone know what the heck landscape architects do. That we create the very places used to live, work and play. That we connect cities. That we create experience. That landscape architecture is your environment, designed.
08.17.11 is that day. It’s the day the profession reintroduces itself to public. It’s the day where, for only your time spent during lunch, you’ll join the beginning of a new movement – a movement to step out of the Understory and tell your story to the world.
Details will arrive soon. But until then, share the movement with friends, coworkers and classmates. The public awaits.
Check out 08.17.11 on Facebook!
Check out a map of nationwide 08.17.11 Events!
Get your "Landscape Architecture: Your Environment. Designed." T-Shirt!
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| LANDbytes |
Launching July 2011, LANDbytes is ASLA Oregon Chapter's premier e-publication showcasing articles, briefs, reviews, spotlights and more!
Featured in this month's launch:
|
| July 2011 |
Surviving the Modern Economy - Oregon Style - By Rebecca Wahlstrom |
| New Gorge Overlook Opens - By Ben Johnson |
| August 2011 |
Coming soon... |
|
Interested in contributing to LANDbytes? Inquire now and help us gain momentum in an effort to spread awareness for the profession and increase membership values! Have you been searching for a medium to showcase a thought, idea or fresh approach? Are you interested in providing a Member Spotlight or a review of that new book on your shelf? Perhaps you're a guru of current trends in the profession? Do you have an analog or digital technique, tutorial or secret you're willing to share with your peers? Are you a student or emerging professional looking for an opportunity to get involved with your local chapter? |
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June 2011 Trustee’s Report via Dave Walters, ASLA Oregon Chapter:
Some of the highlights from our National Office the past month are as follows:
Governance and Administration
President Jonathan Mueller, FASLA, President-Elect Susan Hatchell, FASLA, and EVP Nancy Somerville, Hon. ASLA, participated with other associated organizations in the Presidents’ Council meeting. The meeting included discussion of challenges posed by the economy, growth of the profession and landscape architecture programs, the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System, and public awareness.
ASLA staff members took a summer field trip yesterday to visit the new green roof atop the Dirksen Senate Office Building. The green roof replaces a rarely used tennis court and has a design of the Capitol’s dome and the Washington Monument that can be used as a path to explore the roof. Discussions are underway to have a green wall designed by a landscape architect, which is scheduled for next spring.
Government Affairs
This month the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced $67 million of funding for the Sustainable Community Regional Planning Grant program in 2011. The second round of regional planning grants will soon be made available through a Notice of Funding Availability.
The “June Advocacy Jamboree†has been a huge success! In one week, over 850 messages were sent promoting the recently re-introduced Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act. In 2011 you have sent over 7,000 messages, 1500 messages ahead of our pace at this point last year. Keep up the good work!
The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) recently held a briefing regarding the creation of the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation (FICOR). As part of President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Commerce signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish the FICOR to coordinate and promote outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands. ASLA remains committed to assisting DOI and other federal partners in carrying out the goals of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative.
Publishing and Resource Development
The student awards jury convened June 10-12 to consider 457 submissions, the largest number in the history of the program. The previous record was 271 in 2010. The number of undergraduate submissions doubled over last year at 172. The jury selected 39 award winners.
Professional Practice
As of June 17, ASLA is offering readers of the LATIS (Landscape Architecture Technical Information Series) reports who submit self-test exams an opportunity to evaluate the LATIS reports. Each LATIS evaluation form is available through a link to Survey Monkey from the associated self-test. The evaluation forms are voluntary and comply with LA CES (Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System) guidelines. The information from the evaluations will help ensure clarity and value of each LATIS report to the reader.
Public Relations and Communications
The Infrastructure for All sustainable animation was posted, generating more than 3,200 views in 10 days. The animation has already received coverage in Fast Company, Grist, and others.
Other recent coverage of ASLA appeared in the Commercial Appeal, eBuild, and Lawn & Landscape. The popular green site Inhabitat.com ran an extensive feature on the Sustainable Sites Initiative. Inhabitat reaches 1.5 million readers each month. Additional ASLA coverage appeared in Garden Center magazine and Lawn & Landscape. Planet Forward and Architype Review are working on stories about the profession.
DW
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June 22nd You Can’t Do It Alone: Campaign Recruitment Webinar
The focus of this webinar for the Public Awareness Campaign is “Who are we targeting?â€
This program aims to rally landscape architects together to become more engaged in promoting the profession to the public. It is also aimed at recruiting help from your own section and coordinating activities with other sections throughout your state. Even forming a committee made up of state-wide members or non-ASLA members would be an excellent promotional tool.
• There are two phases for the Public Awareness Campaign. The first phase is the “08.17.11. The Understory†which is specifically designed to recruit participants in the launch activities. The second phase is public outreach with a message of “Landscape Architecture. Your Environment. Designed.â€
• The Public Awareness Campaign has designed recruitment posters to generate excitement and create a buzz for landscape architecture to be launched on 8-17-11. These will be made available to ASLA chapters and landscape architecture or other design professional firms to download next week.
• Simple events will be planned with the intent of engaging all landscape architects to work together to more actively promote what landscape architects really do.
• Networking media such as Twitter and Facebook will be used to orchestrate and report on this campaign. Mapping tools such as Google Earth will use a national map to show how each state has a Public Awareness Advocate working together to develop higher visibility and innovative marketing tools for the profession.
• Stay tuned for how you can show and tell your understory on 08-17.11 very soon.
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