Minneapolis' Peavey Plaza, designed in the heady early 70s, is a sunken design with waterfalls. The site has not aged well, and the landscape architect tasked with fixing the situation is taking significant steps to improve it.
Landscape architect Tom Oslund is bringing much of the plaza closer to grade, and making the fountains more functional:
"Oslund's comparatively simple, shallow fountain could be drained easily to create a seating area for performance events. An outdoor stage-large enough to accommodate most of the orchestra-would flank the new fountain. The plaza will, in many ways, act as an extension of the Orchestra Hall..."
Preservationists who were also assigned to work on the project are not happy with the proposed redesign, and say the real decisions have been made behind closed doors.
FULL STORY: Parsing Peavey
Minneapolis' Influential Modernist "Park Plaza" Saved from Demolition
The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) and the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) have reached a settlement with the City of Minneapolis to preserve and rehabilitate Peavey Plaza, ending a lawsuit brought by the groups to prevent demolition.
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Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
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Which US Rail Agencies Are Buying Zero-Emissions Trains?
U.S. rail agencies are slowly making the shift to zero-emissions trains, which can travel longer distances without refueling and reduce air pollution.
San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan
The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.
Lawsuit Aims to Stop NYC’s ‘City of Yes’ Zoning Reforms
A lawsuit brought by local lawmakers and community groups claims the plan failed to conduct a comprehensive environmental review.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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