Chuck Wolfe's photoshoot in the Palouse region of southeastern Washington State shows the timeless issues of human settlement, from agrarian to urban.
Writing in the Huffington Post, Wolfe depicts in words and photographs the rural character that to some is a world forgotten, where the relationship of land use and transportation displays differently, and clouds, roads, houses and colors show more art than science.
Yet, he notes, in lone shade trees, small towns and homestead remnants, there are urban lessons learned:
But envision an agricultural landscape, and look back at the farm-to-market basis for why and how many cities grew. Take a harder look, and see the reasons forests and farms have been elemental to growth management legislation, emulating the naturally evolved agricultural region that has always surrounded the City of Rome.
Consistent with his recent book, Urbanism Without Effort, Wolfe describes buildings and settlement forms that "motivate nostalgic reinvention" and continued fascination with Palouse imagery, even among the most die-hard of urbanists:
Small markets, the local bar, the library and the school -- no longer needed in one context, they rise again in reinvented urban settings with new tests of who gets and who pays.
FULL STORY: The Rural Landscape and Urban Lessons Learned
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In his third "place-decoding" essay from France, Chuck Wolfe recalls all that we can learn from walking between settled places.
Visioning Edges in Cities, and the Spaces Beyond
In an inspirational essay about the undeveloped boundaries of the public domain (such as street-ends), Chuck Wolfe urges innovation in city spaces where we "blend the familiar with the edge of the unknown."
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Chuck Wolfe underscores the importance of a holistic view of urban places, referencing themes of common experience, aesthetics, feelings of happiness, safety, or security—a basic narrative of the city that often goes beyond first impressions.
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Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
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Invasive Insect Threatens Minnesota’s Ash Forests
The Emerald Ash Borer is a rapidly spreading invasive pest threatening Minnesota’s ash trees, and homeowners are encouraged to plant diverse replacement species, avoid moving ash firewood, and monitor for signs of infestation.
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