The Next Page: Designs on Pittsburgh -- memos to the next mayor: "The Next Page: Designs on Pittsburgh -- memos to the next mayor
Ahead of the May 19 mayoral primary, three voices from Pittsburgh's architecture and design community focus on ideas central to the city
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The clean-water imperative -- and a better, greener solution
VIVIAN LOFTNESS: Let's lead the nation in landscaping our way out of the storm-sewer crisis -- to become a truly green city.
Between $2 billion and $4 billion in scarce resources will be needed to address the storm-sewer crisis in Pittsburgh. While Pittsburgh's population is half of 100 years ago, our storm runoff is at historic highs due to increased paving for parking lots and roads, and of course climate change.
The uncontrolled runoff during each storm has resulted in sewage overflows right into our rivers, and those of many older cities -- causing EPA to mandate money be spent (in budget-busting amounts). Yet the only solution on the table is a conventional big-pipe solution (actually two big pipes) that will tear up our streets, our sidewalks and street trees -- and leave a city poor and scarred.
We have a strategic opportunity to landscape our way out of the storm-sewer crisis, to create a world-class city and create a new green "export" industry.
Imagine every drop of rain is captured by new gardens and landscaped surfaces. Imagine tree-lined streets, rebuilt porous sidewalks edged by colorful plantings and parking lots defined by green swales and tree canopies. Imagine green roofs and connected parks, watersheds that are micro "waterfalls in the rain" and riverfronts that are ribbons of indigenous plants. Combined with investment in water-conserving fixtures, these investments in greening our city will eliminate storm water runoff, and ensure that our relined sewers can continue to meet the cities demand for generations..."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Maryland State Forester outlines UTC role in public-private/urban-rural state-wide tree cover strategy; Maryland
Carroll County Times: Westminster, Maryland: "Maryland wants a future filled with forests
By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer Sunday, May 10, 2009
Kyle Nosal/Staff Photo
Dozens of volunteers help Carroll County Boy Scout troops plant trees at Freedom Park in Sykesville April 25.
Trees aren’t just nice to look at. They store carbon and release oxygen. They provide shade, keeping areas cooler. And their roots hold soil and nutrients in place so that they don’t pollute local waterways.
Maryland has 2.6 million acres of trees, and that’s where state officials want to keep it.
“We’d like to keep everything that we’ve got, but that means we need to work with others because obviously, as new properties are being bought and sold and new houses are going in, you will have trees being impacted by new construction,” said Steve Koehn, state forester."
A large portion of the No Net Loss of Forest Act, passed in the 2009 Maryland General Assembly, deals specifically with urban tree canopy, which applies not only to true urban areas but municipalities and suburbs as well.
Having those municipalities get on board is great, Koehn said, but it is still important to have individuals, no matter where they live, plant and care for trees on their land.
By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer Sunday, May 10, 2009
Kyle Nosal/Staff Photo
Dozens of volunteers help Carroll County Boy Scout troops plant trees at Freedom Park in Sykesville April 25.
Trees aren’t just nice to look at. They store carbon and release oxygen. They provide shade, keeping areas cooler. And their roots hold soil and nutrients in place so that they don’t pollute local waterways.
Maryland has 2.6 million acres of trees, and that’s where state officials want to keep it.
“We’d like to keep everything that we’ve got, but that means we need to work with others because obviously, as new properties are being bought and sold and new houses are going in, you will have trees being impacted by new construction,” said Steve Koehn, state forester."
A large portion of the No Net Loss of Forest Act, passed in the 2009 Maryland General Assembly, deals specifically with urban tree canopy, which applies not only to true urban areas but municipalities and suburbs as well.
Having those municipalities get on board is great, Koehn said, but it is still important to have individuals, no matter where they live, plant and care for trees on their land.
Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms; Tenafly, NJ
Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms Philadelphia Inquirer 05/08/2009: "Arborists turn to surgery to save American elms
By James M. O'Neill
BERGEN RECORD
TENAFLY, N.J. - A chain saw's drone drowned out the trill of migrating warblers in the Greenbrook Sanctuary woods as arborists conducted major surgery to save an extremely aged patient - a 163-year-old American elm tree.
Dutch elm disease has wiped out some of the few remaining stands of native elms in the region.
Greenbrook Sanctuary recently lost four of its 12 remaining elms. That spurred Nancy Slowik, the sanctuary's director and naturalist, to lobby the organization's board to start an aggressive campaign to save the elms that were left."
By James M. O'Neill
BERGEN RECORD
TENAFLY, N.J. - A chain saw's drone drowned out the trill of migrating warblers in the Greenbrook Sanctuary woods as arborists conducted major surgery to save an extremely aged patient - a 163-year-old American elm tree.
Dutch elm disease has wiped out some of the few remaining stands of native elms in the region.
Greenbrook Sanctuary recently lost four of its 12 remaining elms. That spurred Nancy Slowik, the sanctuary's director and naturalist, to lobby the organization's board to start an aggressive campaign to save the elms that were left."
Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees; Belmont, NC
Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees trees, city, miller - Local News - Gaston Gazette: "Gaston County town spending $2,400 to count trees
May 7, 2009 - 8:41 AM
The inventory is being funded by a grant through the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. The city will pay $2,400, half the $4,800 cost of the process.
The goal for city trees is to grow, provide canopies and filter water and air pollutants, said Miller. Ideally, a large tree canopy would shade the street and provide more energy efficiency for homes, he said, possibly taking on the appearance of the Queens Road West area in Charlotte."
May 7, 2009 - 8:41 AM
The inventory is being funded by a grant through the N.C. Division of Forest Resources. The city will pay $2,400, half the $4,800 cost of the process.
The goal for city trees is to grow, provide canopies and filter water and air pollutants, said Miller. Ideally, a large tree canopy would shade the street and provide more energy efficiency for homes, he said, possibly taking on the appearance of the Queens Road West area in Charlotte."
Lanham sector plan on its way to being finalized - includes UTC enhancements; Lanham, MD
Sector plan on its way to being finalized: "Sector plan on its way to being finalized
Recommendations would make streets safer, improve bus service
by Liz Skalski Staff Writer"
Preliminary recommendations for a revised sector plan, which has been in the works since last July, include adding speed humps to some neighborhood streets to slow down drivers, creating shopping centers and improving bus service and MARC ridership, according to M-NCPPC planners.
Short-term plans include continuing the historic surveying of and documenting of work throughout the planning area, building a public library at the Glenn Dale Community Center site, evaluating stream corridors for blockages and ensuring that the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists are considered in the design of new roads and road improvements.
Long-term plans include increasing the urban tree canopy through vegetation along roads, in median strips and within neighborhoods; renovating or replacing facilities rated "poor" by a 2008 physical conditions assessment, like the Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham; and widening Lanham-Severn Road to a four-lane road to decrease traffic congestion.
Recommendations would make streets safer, improve bus service
by Liz Skalski Staff Writer"
Preliminary recommendations for a revised sector plan, which has been in the works since last July, include adding speed humps to some neighborhood streets to slow down drivers, creating shopping centers and improving bus service and MARC ridership, according to M-NCPPC planners.
Short-term plans include continuing the historic surveying of and documenting of work throughout the planning area, building a public library at the Glenn Dale Community Center site, evaluating stream corridors for blockages and ensuring that the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists are considered in the design of new roads and road improvements.
Long-term plans include increasing the urban tree canopy through vegetation along roads, in median strips and within neighborhoods; renovating or replacing facilities rated "poor" by a 2008 physical conditions assessment, like the Howard B. Owens Science Center in Lanham; and widening Lanham-Severn Road to a four-lane road to decrease traffic congestion.
Critics question University of Maryland plan to bulldoze woods; College Park, MD
Critics question UM plan to bulldoze woods -- baltimoresun.com: "Critics question UM plan to bulldoze woods
Green credentials challenged in light of campus building plan
By a Baltimore Sun staff writer
May 7, 2009
The University of Maryland, College Park aspires to be one of the 'greenest' institutions of higher education in the country and plans to celebrate Friday its designation as an arboretum and 'tree campus.'
But some students and professors say the administration is missing the forest for the trees by planning to bulldoze nearly 9 acres of woods on the sprawling 1,400-acre campus to make way for maintenance sheds, a mail-handling depot and a parking lot for the university's buses and trucks.
'The university says they're going to become carbon neutral by 2050, but they make a decision to cut down 9 acres of forest on the campus,' said Davey Rogner, a senior from Silver Spring who's majoring in environmental restoration."
Green credentials challenged in light of campus building plan
By a Baltimore Sun staff writer
May 7, 2009
The University of Maryland, College Park aspires to be one of the 'greenest' institutions of higher education in the country and plans to celebrate Friday its designation as an arboretum and 'tree campus.'
But some students and professors say the administration is missing the forest for the trees by planning to bulldoze nearly 9 acres of woods on the sprawling 1,400-acre campus to make way for maintenance sheds, a mail-handling depot and a parking lot for the university's buses and trucks.
'The university says they're going to become carbon neutral by 2050, but they make a decision to cut down 9 acres of forest on the campus,' said Davey Rogner, a senior from Silver Spring who's majoring in environmental restoration."
Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees; Columbus, OH
Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees - News - Ledger-Enquirer.com: "Groups to pitch in to help Columbus plant trees
Crews to plant 20 trees today to restore area damaged by tornado
By Ben Wright - benw@ledger-enquirer.com E-Mail
City crews will be planting large trees today along 13th Street in an effort to restore the area damaged in the April 19 tornado.
“We are planting some to fill in,” said Scott Jones, chief of Urban Forestry and Beautification for the city of Columbus.
Jones said crews will plant about 20 large trees between 16th and 18th avenues, using a variety of red maples, elms, hornbeam, cedar and others.
Storm damage in Columbus Click here to learn more about preserving trees in Columbus
At least 200 trees were lost when the tornado roared along the 13th Street corridor, causing damage in Lakebottom, MidTown and Wynnton. Another 50 trees were damaged in Phenix City."
Crews to plant 20 trees today to restore area damaged by tornado
By Ben Wright - benw@ledger-enquirer.com E-Mail
City crews will be planting large trees today along 13th Street in an effort to restore the area damaged in the April 19 tornado.
“We are planting some to fill in,” said Scott Jones, chief of Urban Forestry and Beautification for the city of Columbus.
Jones said crews will plant about 20 large trees between 16th and 18th avenues, using a variety of red maples, elms, hornbeam, cedar and others.
Storm damage in Columbus Click here to learn more about preserving trees in Columbus
At least 200 trees were lost when the tornado roared along the 13th Street corridor, causing damage in Lakebottom, MidTown and Wynnton. Another 50 trees were damaged in Phenix City."
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