Year: 2019

With the rise of global warming and the subsequent need for sustainable design, landscape architects have been pushed to think a lot about the environmental impacts of their design choices.  However, a key factor is missing when urban development occurs: effects on local communities.  Yes, there is a need for green revitalization.  But whose homes are we sacrificing for it and what communally-valued space are we taking with our ambitiously eco-friendly initiatives?  As Diane Jones Allen mentions in her Landscape Architecture Magazine entry, environmental justice and racial equity/ community engagement should be on the same level.  She argues that climate change and systematic racism are both pressing issues that can be addressed through strategic and intentional design.

A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Sara Zewde, an inspirational “landscape designer, urbanist, and public artist,” in her own words.  She focused on a few projects that really highlighted how preserving the heritage of a site fights racial inequity.

One of the projects she talked about was Valongo Wharf.  Located in Rio, Brazil, the site was once the busiest Trans-Atlantic slave port.  However, bits of the historic port were not discovered until construction for the 2016 Rio Olympics tore through an urbanized layer of city.  Clearly, the Afro-Brazilian community wanted to keep this part of their history un-buried.  Through extensive research and analysis, Zewde incorporated the neighborhood’s slaving industry history and Afro-Brazilian culture into a memorial design that would remind citizens of the said culture and history in their everyday lives.  For example, her firm used a tree, native to Africa, that represents strength and ancestral pride.

Another interesting project Zewde had previously worked on was titled Midtown Activation–a project that focused on giving a disadvantaged community “a place to be,” “a place to prosper,” and “a place to play.”  The site is culturally valued in the black Seattle community, but was under pressure from surrounding developmental initiatives.  Zwede’s firm took this inner neighborhood and transformed it into “Africatown” with an outdoor living room and vivid colours painted on the ground to represent the presence of the people that lived there.  In addition to preserving culture and heritage, the construction of Africatown was largely a community effort thanks to the influx of  volunteers and the hiring of previously unemployed young adults.

Sara Zewde’s lecture really opened my eyes to what landscape architecture can achieve.  It’s not just about creating sustainable places, and it’s most definitely not just backyard design.  As stated in our department’s mission, we are focused on “inspired place-making based on environmental and social good.”  AND social good.  The two are equal.

Most of the time, when landscape architects work, they think about how their design will affect human experience, community dynamics, and–of course–ecological impact.  We think about types of native plants, how certain plants mitigate flood damage or erosion, and how the plant palette can enhance human experience of the place.  However, what is often overlooked is the loss of habitat and community space for animals.  This is essential because, well, animals are a large part of the ecosystem!  This concept is highlighted by a goal to incorporate accommodations for animals in urban landscape designs.

One example of this is wildlife bridges, predominantly situated in national parks.  In North America particularly, the number of collisions involving animals (i.e. deer, moose, etc.) in national parks is especially high.  These wildlife bridges and/or tunnels provide safe crossings for animals through the redirection of animal traffic away from busy highways.  Not only are they nice to look at (if one does not get too distracted from driving); they are beneficial to both animals and humans.  From our perspective, the subsequent reduction of collisions decreases the amount of money we spend on repairs, replacements, insurance, etc.  For animals, this is beneficial for mainly two reasons.  Firstly, there won’t be as many fatalities.  Secondly, the easy access to other patches of forest allows migration and mingling of species.  This is essential in the maintenance of the ecosystem because there needs to be genetic variability in order for a species to healthily sustain its population.  Clearly, the implementation of animal crossings is valuable to both the human and animal population.

Another example of creating places for animals is the Schöningen Spears Research and Experience Centre.  The designers of this space created an environment that hosts a small herd of horses resembling a native species that was hunted in the area a long time ago through the incorporation of a large airy meadow.  Their strategic placement of the field along with the choice of native vegetation provide an inviting atmosphere for horses to graze.  In addition to this, visitors are invited to interact with the animals in an observational way with the integration of a bridge that overlooks the pasture, but does not come too close.  This gives animals a home and also has educational value to humans.

Many people are opposed to the idea of designing with animals in mind.  After all, who would want more waste and mess created by the wildlife invited into their residence?  The concept of creating organized chaos is wild to many (pun intended), but is essential to the maintenance of local ecosystems.  Many examples of animal-aided design prove to have positive impacts for both animals and humans.  Therefore, it is important to embrace the idea that the conservation of nature and human activity can co-exist…but only through thoughtful and creative design.

As defined by Google, resilience is “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness,” or “the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.”  In terms of place-making, resilience is often about strategic planning to reduce impacts of natural disasters, as highlighted in one of my previous posts.  However, there is another level on which designers must work: the community level.  As much as we like to say we live in a society that is educated and all for equality, the truth is that socioeconomic status still has effects on living conditions.  Institutional racism is often overlooked because “people aren’t racist anymore”.  This type of discrimination is clear in low-income minority neighborhoods.

Detroit was once a booming agriculture industry, probably the biggest in America at a point in time.  During it’s decline, many people left the city leaving gaps in the workforce that affected the economy and community dynamics.  The city of Detroit currently struggles with getting proper nutrition because everything is fast food.  More and more people are dying of diseases and disorders sprouting from lack of nutrition.  However, urban agriculture is changing the city.  The decline of the city left Detroit with a lot of vacant land, fertile soil, proximity to water, willing labor, demand for healthy food.  This combination offered ample opportunity for community members to come together and farm.  With programming such as educational farm-to-table meals and plant-based cafes, community dynamics have started to change with an increase in jobs as well as a shift in attitude towards community building.

A similar problem exists in South Central, LA.  In a TED Talk we watched this week, Ron Finley strives to address this problem in proactive and practical ways.  He decided to turn a strip of lawn into an educational garden or mini-farm.  Despite having to fight municipality on changing “the city’s property,” he realizes the importance of educating the younger generations with real-life experiences.  His community also struggles with finding healthy foods that are easily accessible and affordable to all.  If kids are not shown how food affects mind and body, they won’t be consciously making decisions for themselves or their children in the future.  The introduction of DIY agriculture has instilled a sense of community through shared ownership and has improved the economy through the opening of jobs and self-started businesses.

These two communities are excellent examples of community resiliency.  They strive to overcome socioeconomic adversity through positive, community-conscious ways.  Change starts small and powerful; all it takes is putting plans into action.

Places are made for people.  Whether it’s a park, memorial, or even a backyard, humans were meant to dwell in that space.  In an article about designing public space, we read that there are certain  characteristics that make a space “successful”: accessibility, comfort, sociability, and activities.  A space should be accessible from all angles and by all methods of transportation.  It also must be well-maintained and give a good first impression so people feel invited.  Lastly, a place should offer opportunities for people to socialize, interact, and participate in activities with other people.  All these elements deal with user experience, and a place’s ability to connect people to one another.

One clear example of a spaces ability to bring people together is a pop-up park located at the intersection of two streets in Chicago.  Highlighted in the Landscape Architecture Magazine, this “instant park” was intended to reinvigorate a sense of community.  In that neighborhood, tensions between police and the black community have been high due to the shooting of Laquan McDonald by a former police officer.  This shared space is supposed to encourage co-existence or eventually re-establish trust between the two groups.  Paths from all sides of the park draw people from all angles and give them a space to socialize.  Art installations are meant to serve as a means by which everyone can relate.  Finally, the maintenance of the park is  to be shared by civilians and first responders alike, effectively distributing ownership and creating a sense of community.

Places are what bring people together…but in what ways?  Think of the biggest protest you’ve heard about.  It happened in a public space.  One day, it’s a place of protest and the next, just a regular street.  The idea is that public spaces need to accommodate a variety of uses.  In a TED Talk by Gina Ford, the challenges landscape architects face are highlighted.  Because public space is open to everyone, terrorism has become an increasing threat–people are starting to understand that public spaces are where people find community.  The struggle is to create spaces that are safe, but to not infringe on democratic values.  The proposed solution is to a) design for exchange between people, not place walls b) provide spaces for people to connect, not retreat and c) build community, not monitor.

A lack of public space results in separation from other people and lack of common ground.  Therefore, a connection to a place and community is the cure to loneliness.

As university students, it’s needless to say that we all experience some form of mental fatigue.  It can clearly seen through short attention spans, impulsive snarky comments, and even those mid-week break downs we all experience.  In the book With People In Mind, the Kaplans explore how this mental fatigue can be combated through restorative settings.  In order for people to feel re-energized, they need to put themselves in a space that a) is away from their source of mental fatigue and b) offers opportunities for quiet fascination (like cloud watching, as opposed to football game watching).  Exposure to the outdoors and being in natural settings has been proven to reduce stress levels significantly.

More recently, nature is being used in medicine.  By that, I do not mean that herbal medicine is trending.  Physicians are encouraging people to spend more time outdoors. According to this article by Business Insider, spending time outdoors increases immunity system, helps fight anxiety and depression, and lowers blood pressure.  Moreover, the introduction of eco-therapy helps people relax, increase physical activity, create social support systems, improve mental health, instill awe, and increase exposure to fresh air.

One extraordinary example of nature being used to improve mental health is The Green Road.  A medical complex in Bethesda, this place strives to use nature to help veterans deal with war-related trauma like PTSD and TBI.  Being in a natural settings helps heal, restore, and unify the soul because it offers a place for veterans to reflect on experiences away from war-zone.  The video highlighted that war is a wild trauma and needs to be combated and healed with something just as wild.  That’s why nature has the ability to heal trauma through finding solace by connecting veterans to life rather than death.

The importance of nature has been greatly overlooked in recent years.  There has been a radical shift in the way society views nature.  Like the smartphone paradigm shift we discussed in class, technology has greatly limited that amount of time spend outdoors.  Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv highlights the “nature-deficit disorder” experienced by the current generations.  In addition to the addiction to technology and spending time indoors, urbanization has also negatively impacted the amount of nature available to to play in.  Technology addiction has clear links to poor mental health; nature can combat this.  The amount of kids who struggle with mental health keeps growing and sometimes, exposure to the outdoors can be used complementary to or supplementary for therapy.  Just being outside increases social interactions and encourages mind clearing.

Landscapes have such power over the physical and emotional well-being of people.  As designers, it’s important to understand that landscapes can be interpreted differently by everyone.  To each and every person, a place can mean something different, and that’s what gives it meaning.

Last time I visited Sequoia National Park, I learned the difference between conservation and preservation.  Both are important in the maintenance of the environment, but conservation is the management of valuable resources and preservation is the protection of resources we already have.  In the same way, I want to explore the difference between the strive for sustainability and the strive for resiliency in a place.  In the last post, sustainability was defined as reducing our ecological impact so that we all don’t die.  Resiliency, on the other hand, is recovering from or bouncing back from [ecological] damage.

In a reading by Starke and Simonds, we learned that nature cannot be conquered.  In the past, we’ve seen humans attempting to control nature through ambitious design and over-consumption.  They argue that nature is too grand to be known by man.  We may have climbed the tallest mountain or dived the deepest trench, but so much more about our earth has yet to be discovered and/or explained.  We don’t stand a chance against the forces of nature.  This can be clearly seen through the increased frequencies of natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods.  No matter what preventative measures we take, these natural disasters destroy everything we’ve so pridefully built.

An example of a resilient place we’ve recently studied in class is Ellicott city.  This historically-rich community is located in the deepest part of a depression leading down to a river.  This makes it extremely susceptible to flash flooding.  In 2016 and 2018, it experienced two massive floods, both at a scale of 1/1000 chances of happening.  The effects of this natural disaster were clearly devastating to the townspeople and the planners because right after the first blow, a second arrived.  In addition to the loss of historically important buildings, cars, and railways which ended up in the river, the city’s economy was destroyed.   City planners worked together to a) immediately restore what was in shambles and b) develop a long term plan that would mitigate the effects of future flash floods.  Many changes to infrastructure occurred, such as building more flat, open areas upstream in attempt to slow streamflow as it moves downhill and gains dangerous velocity.  Thinking of a solution that does not heavily affect the historic culture, but also builds resiliency in the community is challenging but literally life-saving.

Why is it so important?  Although natural disasters are not necessarily caused by humans, anthropogenic factors are increasing the frequencies of them.  And since nature is not conquerable, we must work on creating sustainable AND resilient communities.  As Greta Thunberg pointed out in her speech at the UN convention, “we are at the beginning of a mass extinction.” People, including those in power, need to be doing more if an impact is to be made.