Inner-City Farms is an look at Urban Farmers a new trend in USA and other developed countries. Read the article at TIME – Inner-City Farms

The Berkerly Daily Planet reported on the City Council meeting for the Downtown Area Plan for Berkerly. In the meeting a Commissioner raised queries about the language used by the landscape architects and other authors in the Area Plan document. The terms in question were

– ‘to reference Strawberry Creek’ in which a they were referring to a design element such as water that would be used to represent Strawberry Creek.

also the term ‘wayfinding’ devices in relation to directional signage was also confusing to the readers.

and the last term was ‘vocabulary of features’ in relation to streetscape design

Often as built environment professionals we use professional jargon to express our concepts, thoughts and ideas for a design. However, I think we often forget to consider the reader’s education and demographic that when writing a document. 

I am not one to shy away from using a terms/phrases such as ‘interpretation’ in relation to signage or informative/education signage or ‘using the consistent design language’ however I usually try to remember to aim at the level of the design knowledge of the audience and the client to strike a balance between a professional design document and one that the general public can understand.

In the case of the Berkerly Downtown Area Plan, I can understand that with a University’s involvement that the authors felt it necessary to use design language however, I think it is best when writing design statements and documents to be more relaxed and use plain language when the reader’s are from the general community and those who are not in the built environment profession. This often allows residents and participants to understand and feel more apart of the design process.

Read about the Berkerly Downtown Plan @ the Berkerly Daily Planet

LOVE it or hate it, Redcar seafront is in line for change – and residents can have a say on its possible new look.

Redcar and Cleveland Council is hosting an exhibition so the public can comment on how the seafront might be developed in conjunction with a £12m new sea wall scheme.

RIBA will draw up a shortlist of five schemes for the second stage of the competition, with the authors invited to present proposals to a jury panel.

The competition is open to all practising architects, landscape architects, town planners and urban designers. Subject to gaining the necessary approvals, it’s hoped to start work on a new £12m sea wall in 2010.

SOURCE: Redcar residents to have say on new look for seafront – Gazette Live.

An exceptional feature of Nissan Americas is the 2.5-acre wetlands, now thriving due to Nissan’s investment in its restoration. In an effort to restore natural balance to the area while enhancing biodiversity and natural beauty, Nissan has planted more than 50,000 plants native to Middle Tennessee. The wetlands, located on the property’s southwest corner, are fed by an underground spring and run-off from nearby retention ponds. Water quality will be improved as water passes through the wetlands. The landscape design features carefully planned green spaces and includes a water-runoff system that captures and collects rainwater from the entire site, directing it to one of two water-control systems for irrigation.

SOURCE: Nissan/Infiniti News Room.