There was plenty of good to go with the bad from a year of professional and academic practice in the field of landscape architecture.

Charles A. Birnbaum takes a tour of the year in the field of landscape architecture, noting the big trends in an up and down year for the profession.
Among the highlights of the year: Kate Orff, founder of SCAPE, earned a MacArthur genius grant, a first for the profession. Among examples of the best projects by landscape architecture around the country, Birnbaum explores Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania; Centennial Park in Nashville, Tennessee; and an eight-acre addition to the San Antonio Botanical Garden.
Birnbaum is not as kind in assessing a trend that dominated landscape architecture in 2017—what Birnbaum calls "splash pad urbanism." According to Birnbaum, the reliance on splash pads as a one-size-fits-all park amenity raises the question: "are we becoming lazy?—or just willing to accept a little mediocrity in exchange for a planning board’s easy approval (and public buy-in)?" When considering the rise of splash pad urbanism, and its implications, recall also the term "bouncy house urbanism," coined by Los Angeles Times Architecture Critic Christopher Hawthorne. It seems there's a lowest common denominator available for every age bracket.
Also concerning Birnbaum is the ongoing threat to open space, which includes the Trump Administration's unprecedented decisions to shrink national monuments, but also the decision to site the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park, Chicago.
FULL STORY: “Splash Pad Urbanism” and 2017’s other notable developments in landscape architecture.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
County supervisors moved forward a proposal to build workforce housing on two county-owned parcels.

San Mateo Formally Opposes Freeway Project
The city council will send a letter to Caltrans urging the agency to reconsider a plan to expand the 101 through the city of San Mateo.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.
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