DEAR READER
Claire Keane
Cosmic Funnies
Love Begins
pixel skylines
★
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
No title available
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
No title available
todays bird
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
trying on a metaphor
noise dept.
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
Discoholic 🪩
Keni
we're not kids anymore.
Kaledo Art
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Lithuania
seen from France
seen from Brazil
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Ireland
seen from Vietnam
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Italy
seen from Mexico
seen from Germany
seen from Switzerland
seen from Japan
@landscape35mm
Love James Corner’s - Pivoting Irrigators. Particularly how it discloses hidden topographies within a dominant structure to re-territorialize repressed ground. |
discloses hidden topographies
within a dominant structure
to re-territorialize repressed ground.
Rule #3 - Don’t forget Rule #1
What Makes A Good Public Space?
Last Friday I went to a lecture by historian John Grabowski, Associate Professor of Applied History at Case Western Reserve University. He discussed the urban history of Cleveland, and ended by talking about what is going on in the city today. All of the first years are going on a field trip to Cleveland in a few weeks so we were all excited to see what is happening there. He showed us the redesign of the public square in downtown Cleveland that looks like this:
(land-studio.org)
When I first saw this rendering, I wasn’t all that impressed. Grabowski had talked a lot about this historic town square and how important it was. The redesign of the square is in part happening because the city will host the Republican National Convention next year. The white building in the upper left hand corner is a casino, across the street is a church, and in the background, what all downtowns need, more parking lots. My issue with this proposal is the way that it is bisected into two halves, and that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of places to sit. Another member of my cohort and I wondered if there was enough housing in this area to support active and constant use of the square. We were both shocked to discover this design was done by James Corner Field who did the Highline in NYC, a park that has received a lot of positive attention.
I felt really good on my high horse about this critique, until I saw the old town square, which looked like this:
(CBS Cleveland)
Ouch. Even worse. All through-traffic, and pretty sad looking. Landscape architects renderings are always more attractive than a real picture though because of the bright colors they use (tricksters). Still I was shocked to see that this is what the town square looked like most recently.
I’d like to say that this new perspective changed my opinion of the new rendering but it really didn’t. If Cleveland is going with the philosophy that any change is a good change then that’s fine. But I don’t think that way. I don’t think that public spaces should have to made over, over and over again because redesigns are done in haste. The most successful public spaces undergo minor alterations, of course, to meet the needs of successive generation, but their general design remains the same because it just works.
This reminds me of all the faith planners and city officials put into redesigning downtown public spaces, particularly recently. CityArchRiver in St. Louis is a perfect example of this. Millions of dollars are invested into these projects, but they aren’t always supported by projects that make people (locals that is) want to go downtown. The Arch grounds project is behind schedule, and now the Kiener Plaza redesign project has been greenlighted. I still don’t think St. Louis has invested enough in the neighborhood to make these places successful beyond tourist destinations though. When I lived in St. Louis, I only went to the Gateway Arch once, and rarely went downtown unless I was going to a Cardinal’s game. I’m sure there are locals who have a different perspective than I do on this, but I think it’s hard for public spaces in a fragmented, parking garage-filled downtown to compete with the beautiful parks throughout the rest of the city.
(cityarchriver.org)
I know I’m a skeptic, but I promise I do want these public spaces to be successful. Because successful public spaces help make successful neighborhoods, help make successful cities. I just don’t believe planners and landscape architects and other decision makers are critical enough of these glossy plans. I can only hope that I’m wrong.
“Why are there so often no people where the parks are and no parks where the people are?”- Jane Jacobs
We were both shocked to discover this design was done by James Corner Field who did the Highline in NYC, a park that has received a lot of positive attention.
Please reference Rule #2
My issue with this proposal is the way that it is bisected into two halves, and that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of places to sit. Another member of my cohort and I wondered if there was enough housing in this area to support active and constant use of the square....
Please reference Rule #1
Counterpoints:
Streets are hard to make disappear, especially so in the heart of a downtown district; an accepted proposal eliminating one of the bisecting streets is a victory in and of itself. Pedestrians will survive. [Reference - Grand Park]
Places to sit is the easiest thing to remedy, unifying that entire space is considerably more challenging.
Public spaces aren’t solely dependent on housing. A casino, a hotel, a church, bus stops, restaurants and other surrounding businesses should, conceivably, be able to produce a large mass of people. Unless Cleveland really is as boring and desolate as it is rumored to be.
There’s more than one way to experience a space and this space is quite uniquely complex whether it is viewed from within a moving bus or from above, perched in the upper floors of the surrounding buildings.
If Cleveland is going with the philosophy that any change is a good change then that’s fine. But I don’t think that way. I don’t think that public spaces should have to made over, over and over again because redesigns are done in haste. The most successful public spaces undergo minor alterations, of course, to meet the needs of successive generation, but their general design remains the same because it just works....
I just don’t believe planners and landscape architects and other decision makers are critical enough of these glossy plans. I can only hope that I’m wrong.
Truly and sincerely?
“Why are there so often no people where the parks are and no parks where the people are?”- Jane Jacobs
Mostly due to the infinite complexities of life in urban environments. And stuff.
Rule #2: Landscape architecture revels in anomaly.
Rule #1: Landscape architecture is meaningless.
Isn’t everything.
Only landscape architecture, politics, and Crank 2 starring Jason Statham
Rule #1: Landscape architecture is meaningless.
My final studio proposes turning vacant land into green +blue infrastructures. Re-thinking landscapes and open spaces for the greater community and for the environment.
Landscape architecture perfectly idealized and meaningless. Bravo!
“The Broad // Los Angeles, CA
The Broad is a new contemporary art museum located in Downtown Los Angeles right next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Its beautiful architecture and landscaping has drawn attention to many people and has revolutionized the upcoming urbanized space of Los Angeles. Admission is free, but upon reservation request through the website. There is underground parking for a fee or street parking.”
Landscape architecture located.
Please direct thanks and gratitude to Diller Scofidio + Renfro
sinusoidal distortion
f/14.0
Watch your step.
ékm architecture’s Stewart Biology terrace is a large central exterior space that connects the four pavilions of the Stewart Biology complex at McGill University in Montreal. About 9000 plants, including flowers, shrubs and trees were planted. The existing vegetation, including a rare Meta Sequoia, was conserved. Waterproofing of the surrounding buildings, including new membranes, flashing and drainage strategies were included in the mandate. I played in a central role in all phases of the project at ékm, from preliminary design to construction administration.
crushed it.
Guardians of the Galaxy [by Matt Ferguson]
Germany, 1969 // Verner Panton
Ride the High Country [1962, dir. Sam Peckinpah]
earth porn
