The ASLA annual meeting is just around the corner. This year’s schedule includes an amazing array of education sessions and field trips and the largest Expo hall yet. And of course there are also a variety of formal and informal events for networking, socializing, and recognizing leaders in our industry. Of this there is of course a great deal of offerings related to sustainable design including workshops, education sessions, and roundtable discussions on the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES). You can review the full schedule online as well as many of the education session handouts.

Leaders and members of the ASLA Sustainable Design and Development Professional Practice Network (SDD PPN) are giving a variety of talks throughout the conference, and we will be meeting to network on Tuesday, November 1st, 9:15–10:45 am in the Expo Hall.

And don’t forget many of the workshops and education sessions will gain you Continuing Education Units (CEUs) Currently:

• 75 qualify for GBCI credit to maintain your LEED credential
• 66 qualify for AICP credit
• 60 qualify for AIA credit
• 120 are approved by the Florida Board of Landscape Architecture
• 105 are approved by the New York State Board for Landscape Architecture

We look forward to seeing you there!

re-posted from sustainablesites.org

Recently, Wheaton, Illinois held its annual summer festival that draws around 15,000 people over three days. The event typically has three main sections: an area for carnival rides, an area for entertainment and food and an area featuring a vintage car show. Connecting these areas is a street closed to traffic,Hale Street. Restaurants and shops along Hale Street stay open during the festival, hoping to increase business. In past years, their efforts were not successful. People mainly used the street to walk between the different areas and events. Sales did not increase.

The area, however, had potential to be a popular gathering spot. With a bit of financial assistance from the Downtown Association,Hale Streetwas transformed, without breaking the bank. A local landscape architect created “Park on Hale” – seven maple trees in colorful planters  with flowers and benches were placed in the middle of the street.

The simple change made a dramatic difference. This year, the street filled with families. The weather was hot like years past, but festival-goers this year found a new stopping point with sitting areas under the trees. Restaurants were packed. Children began to perform in the street at a small stage. Benches set around the planters were full.

A new festival midway was born.

A few simple trees had made a space come to life. They helped transform an asphalt street into a fun and lively family entertainment park for two days.

mama don't let your babies grow up to plant veggies

You can’t have a lifestyle trend such as urban farming or edible frontyards without some controversy. Did you know that there really are many cities and towns with old bylaws or zoning codes that prohibit a person from actually eating any food they grow in their own yard!  While some cities such as San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, Seattle and Detroit have begun to change laws and policy in support of urban agriculture, and as this trend continues to thrive because of food safety and security issues, the growing foodie locavore movement and urban hipster cred, many citizens in other cities and towns have been threatend with jail time or fines for planting a garden or organic farm on their own property. Yes, it seems that vegetable gardens are just not good for you or the community in these towns. Who knew planting a garden or creating an urban agriculture landscape could be the sign of a budding citizen activist. Let the revolution unfold. Here is a round up of some of the latest news of people who want to live a healthier lifestyle and grow their own food but now are being treated like criminals for doing so.

In Vancouver Island, Dirk Becker may soon be joining the lady in Michigan who was recently threatened with 93 days in jail for growing a garden in her front yard.  Becker, of Lantzville, British Columbia turned his 2.5 acre property which was a gravel pit into a thriving organic farm. The Beckers were cited under the  ”unsightly premises”  bylaw for having piles of manure on their property.  According to the post on Grist.org  the letter came on the very day 8,000 compost bins were distributed to residents in their community. So gravel pit = okay but beautiful organic farm with real soil = not okay.  Read the rest of the story and decide for yourself.

Becker Farm - before and after - you decide what is better

Now take the story of Julie Bass in Oak Park, Michigan where after her front yard was torn up to replace a sewer line, she decided to plant a vegetable garden instead of the lawn that was originally there. But instead of being praised for her decision, she has been cited by code enforcement as a misdemeanor because they say that the edible garden is not a “suitable” front yard choice. City code says that all unpaved portions of a site shall be planted with grass or groundcover or shrubbery or other suitable live plant material.  According to the Planning Director,  suitable means common and since there are no other vegetable gardens in the city’s  front yards the Bass garden is unsuitable. But, a quick look at Websters will tell you otherwise. You be the judge – does Julia Bass deserve jail time for planting a vegetable garden that even her neighbors might enjoy?  Read more in this excerpt from the source.

Bass edible front yard - suitable or not suitable?

Source: www.nps.gov

Did you know that the US spends upwards of $138 billion annually to manage both plant and animal invasive species that threaten and impact crops, managed forests, recreation areas, and wildlife habitats? This does not account for the extensive invasive management efforts by private land owners and managers, non-profit groups, and volunteer crews.  And did you know that there are studies that directly link development to exotic plant invasions, as well as profit driven nursery industries. These are just some of the reasons that the Sustainable Sites Initiative requires you to document that you are not planting an invasive plant with Prerequisite 4.2.

We often assume that nurseries wouldn’t sell us an invasive plant. While this is the law, the law only pertains to plants listed in the national data base of invasive plants. While there is a pretty extensive list of nationally recognized invasive plants, many states and local regions are battling invasive plants that are still widely sold at local nurseries.

Many of us don’t take the time to educate ourselves or others on the project team about  local invasive plants when working on a project. I personally know of a couple of cases where the landscape contractor unknowingly substituted invasive plants on habitat restoration projects when they were unable to obtain all the plants specified in the planting plan.

So how do you educate yourself, your plant supplier, your contractor, and others? There are local organizations that can usually help educate you and provide you with lists of local known invasives, as well as species of concern. These may include state and regional Invasive Plant Councils, local Soil and Water Conservation District offices, local Forest Service Offices, Universities, and others. Many government agencies and regional organizations produce free resources such as Invasive Plants of the Eastern United States: Identification and Control,  A Management Guide for Invasive Plants of Southern Forests, and Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas. There is an amazing amount of information available online; a web search using the word ‘invasive’ and your local area may bring up some local lists or links.

Here are a few helpful resources:

Plant Wise is a partnership between the National Park Service, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Garden Club of America, National Invasive Species Council, the Student Conservation Association and many others. Their webpage has a great deal of resources and links, especially links to state and local invasive species organizations and lists. www.beplantwise.org

USDA Invasive Plants Page has a wealth of information on invasive species including profiles and images of some of the worst offenders  www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/main.shtml

Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health also has many resources and information on invasive species and their management, including links to many publications available online.  www.invasive.org

ASLA is working to gather 300 green infrastructure case studies to submit to EPA, to aid in their rulemaking related to green infrastructure for stormwater management.  Please submit information on stormwater management projects from your firm/organization by filling out the green infrastructure project survey.

Your response to this survey is very important to every landscape architect and provides you an opportunity to showcase some of your own work. Here is the link to the recent Land Online for more information. It really doesn’t take too much of your time and your effort will be very much appreciated by ASLA, the EPA and many of your fellow members. Choose any topic you like, permeable paving, slope stabalization, water quality improvements etc… here is one example.

Before photo of a slope that washed out and silted in a pond.

After photo of the same slope with protection methods in place. This hillside will become a berry bramble that the client can harvest while protecting the integrity of the pond.

Representative Carnahan receiving his ASLA Honorary Membership from Saint Louis Chapter Trustee in a SITES Pilot Project rain garden

It’s true; Federal Representatives really do pay attention to us as Landscape Architects.

ASLA membership recently responded to a survey on Federal Priorities for 2011 and consistently ranked the following issues the most important to the profession:

• Sustainable design
• Water and stormwater management
• Transportation design and planning
• Parks, recreation, and active living issues

For more about this visit last months LAND e-news from ASLA

As you can see every one of these has relevance to Sustainable Design and Development. We would love to start a dialog about how these Federal Priorities relate to your regional and local issues.

It would also be great to hear about how these priorities might fit into the work some of you are doing with Sustainable Sites Initiative.

Learn more about ASLA Advocacy at asla.org/advocacy.