Ground 34 – Summer 2016 – Question

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Landscape Architect Quarterly

Features Partnering Up

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Expressing Heritage

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Round Table Landscape Architecture in the Anthropocene Age

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CSLA Awards

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OALA Awards

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Summer 2016 Issue 34

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Contents

Up Front Information on the ground

Question:

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Partnering Up A collaborative approach to landscape performance research Text by Lauren Mandel, ASLA 08/

Expressing Heritage

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Interview by Katherine Hamilton with Calvin Brook

Round Table Landscape architecture in the anthropocene age

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Moderated by Kate Nelischer, Landscape Architectural Intern

CSLA Awards

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OALA Awards

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Student Corner The lowdown on LABash

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Text by Adele Pierre

Plant Corner Alternatives to invasive species

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Text by Sean James

32/ Research Corner Endophytes for turf grass Jocelyn Hirtes in conversation with Dr. Manish Raizada

President’s Message

Editorial Board Message

President’s Message

Editorial Board Message

“If the 20th century belonged to architects, then the 21st century belongs to landscape architects,” said Craig Applegath, OAA, in June at the 2016 Grey to Green Conference in Toronto.

Throughout the OALA’s 48-year history, we have implemented programs to ensure our members work professionally with regards to the health and welfare of our clients and the public. We have requirements for education, professional development, and examination. We have bylaws, policies, professional standards, disciplinary actions, and continuing education requirements for members to adhere to, to ensure the delivery of professional services. With this foundation, we are now working to be recognized through modernized legislation that gives landscape architects selfregulation and a voice in government.

The OALA has embarked on a journey to pursue legislation changes that will allow landscape architects to be governed by a Professional Practice Act as opposed to a Title Act. If implemented, the legislation will elevate the profession and protect the public interest by enforcing a standard that allows only skilled and knowledgeable professionals to work as landscape architects in Ontario.

Our Practice Legislation Committee (PLC) along with the Executive Committee (ExeCom) have engaged Brown & Cohen Communications & Public Affairs to assist in bringing the OALA’s ask to the legislature. Mills & Mills Law Firm has also been engaged to support the legal drafting of a Practice Act. With the help of Brown & Cohen, members of parliament will hear about the work landscape architects do in Ontario and the importance of a Practice Act so that they can make an informed decision on our proposed bill when it is presented to the legislature.

Artifact Crafting care TEXT by lorraine johnson

Brown & Cohen will also assist in building partnerships with allied professions such as Landscape Ontario and the Certified Landscape Designers, Ontario Association of Architects, the Professional Engineers of Ontario, and Ontario Professional Planners Institute, to name a few. These meetings will solidify our working relationships with these professionals so that we can all have a better understanding of each other’s work, and how we can best support each other when approaching government.

Summer 2016 Issue 34

The pursuit of recognition is not easy. Working collaboratively amongst our committees, volunteers, allied professionals, clients, and politicians is key. There is much to do to bring our bill to Ontario’s legislature. The PLC and ExeCom are looking for your help and assistance. A number of events are being scheduled and volunteers are needed.

Please advise a staff member or contact an OALA Councillor should you be able to afford a bit of time. I thank you all for your continued efforts on behalf of the OALA.

Notes A miscellany of news and events 34/

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Doris Chee, OALA oala President

We all have questions. Grad school taught me to wonder, “what is the better question?” rather than the better answer. What questions are you asking yourself as you go about your practice? The Editorial Board wanted to raise the importance of question and ask what the important questions are for our profession. Our Round Table, moderated by Kate Nelischer, convened some great minds to posit the burning questions for landscape architects and try to frame everyday questions in a new way.

Summer is time for the Awards issue. Take a look at these winning projects and the inspiring people and efforts that encourage us all to take our work and creative pursuits a bit further. More and more each year, these awards showcase the broadening scope and capabilities of landscape architects. A huge congratulations to all the recipients.

Have you checked out Ground online (www.groundmag. ca) yet? Please do so when you can. Each interactive article is accessible to peruse, share, link from and to, and we have been sharing this content widely on our burgeoning social media channels. Let us know what you think.

This is my final issue as chair of the Editorial Board, and it has been enjoyable, stimulating, stressful, and enriching.

I am moving on to other volunteer interests, though I will miss the camaraderie and dialogue of working on a great magazine. I am proud that we have accomplished so much together: expanding our content to online audiences, allied professions, and industry colleagues; increasing exposure at local and provincial events; embarking on a new subscription option for Ground (still in development); and, above all, providing a forum for an increasingly sophisticated discussion on how amazing landscape architecture is and how much we all can contribute to a more resilient, peaceful, and beautiful Earth. All the very best to all of you.

Todd Smith, OALA Chair, Editorial Board

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Editor Lorraine Johnson

2016 OALA Governing Council

Photo Editor Todd Smith

President Doris Chee

OALA Editorial Board Shannon Baker Michael Cook Eric Gordon Ruthanne Henry Jocelyn Hirtes Vincent Javet Han Liu Graham MacInnes Kate Nelischer Robert Patterson Denise Pinto Tamar Pister Phil Pothen Todd Smith (chair) Dalia Todary-Michael Jane Welsh Kathy Zhu

Vice President Jane Welsh

Web Editor Jennifer Foden Art Direction/Design www.typotherapy.com Advertising Inquiries advertising@oala.ca 416.231.4181 Cover From Public Studio’s installation, 120 Mirrors, at Lee Lifeson Arts Park in North York. See page 6.

Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly is published four times a year by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects.

Ontario Association of Landscape Architects 3 Church Street, Suite 506 Toronto, Ontario M5E 1M2 416.231.4181 www.oala.ca oala@oala.ca Copyright © 2016 by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects All rights reserved ISSN: 0847-3080 Canada Post Sales Product Agreement No. 40026106 See www.groundmag.ca to download articles and share content on social media.

Treasurer Chris Hart Secretary David Duhan Past President Joanne Moran Councillors Stefan Fediuk Kendall Flower Sandra Neal Associate Councillor—Senior Maren Walker Associate Councillor—Junior Justin Whalen Lay Councillor Linda Thorne Appointed Educator University of Toronto Peter North Appointed Educator University of Guelph Sean Kelly University of Toronto Student Representative Jordan Duke University of Guelph Student Representative Chen Zixiang OALA Staff Acting Executive Director Aina Budrevics Registrar Ingrid Little Coordinator Sarah Manteuffel

OALA

OALA

­­About

About the OALA

Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly is published by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects and provides an open forum for the exchange of ideas and information related to the profession of landscape architecture. Letters to the editor, article proposals, and feedback are encouraged. For submission guidelines, contact Ground at magazine@oala.ca.

Ground reserves the right to edit all submissions.

The views expressed in the magazine are those of the writers and not necessarily the views of the OALA and its Governing Council.

The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects works to promote and advance the profession of landscape architecture and maintain standards of professional practice consistent with the public interest. The OALA promotes public understanding of the profession and the advancement of the practice of landscape architecture. In support of the improvement and/or conservation of the natural, cultural, social and built environments, the OALA undertakes activities including promotion to governments, professionals and developers of the standards and benefits of landscape architecture.

Upcoming Issues of Ground Ground 35 (Fall) Edges

Ground 36 (Winter) Data Deadline for editorial proposals: September 12, 2016 Deadline for advertising space reservations: October 10, 2016

Erratum Due to an editing error, Fidenzio Salvatori’s name was inadvertently left off the list of staff at the Site Planning Unit, Ministry of Natural Resources Parks Branch, 1971-1978 (page 31 of Ground 33 [Spring 2016]). Apologies to Fidenzio Salvatori and to the authors of the article, John Hicks and Garrett Pittenger.

TO view additional content related to Ground articles, Visit www.groundmag.ca.

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Advisory Panel

Andrew B. Anderson, BLA, MSc. World Heritage Management Landscape & Heritage Expert, Oman Botanic Garden John Danahy, OALA, Associate Professor, University of Toronto George Dark, OALA, FCSLA, ASLA, Principal, Urban Strategies Inc., Toronto Real Eguchi, OALA, Eguchi Associates Landscape Architects, Toronto Donna Hinde, OALA, FCSLA, Partner, The Planning Partnership, Toronto Ryan James, OALA, Senior Landscape Architect, Novatech, Ottawa Alissa North, OALA, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Principal of North Design Office, Toronto Peter North, OALA, Assistant Professor, University of Toronto, Principal of North Design Office, Toronto Nathan Perkins, MLA, PhD, ASLA, Associate Professor, University of Guelph Jim Vafiades, OALA, FCSLA, Senior Landscape Architect, Stantec, Toronto

’s environmental savings with Cascades paper Ground is printed on paper manufactured in Canada by Cascades with 100% post-consumer waste using biogas energy (methane from a landfill site) and is EcoLogo, Processed Chlorine Free (PCF) certified, as well as FSC® certified.

Compared to products in the industry made with 100% virgin fiber, Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly ’s savings are: 15 trees 55,306 L of water 158 days of water consumption 838 kg of waste 17 waste containers 2,178 kg CO2 14,566 km driven 25 GJ 113,860 60W light bulbs for one hour 6 kg NOX emissions of one truck during 20 days www.cascades.com/papers

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Art

a luminescent canopy Wandering through downtown London, Ontario, where trendy restaurants alternate with boarded-up facades and “For Lease” signs, a visitor might make an unexpected discovery: a small pedestrian laneway with a ceiling of multi-coloured lights moving in different directions, creating changing patterns and shapes.

The opportunity to create a landscape feature for mainly aesthetic purposes is rare.

The Market Lane light canopy is one such example. Nestled between the Covent Garden Market and Dundas Street (London’s main street), this net of 1,400 LED lights suspended on 13 strings and supported by five steel arches creates dynamic displays with moving, colour-shifting lights.

Different atmospheres are created to mark the changing of the seasons, reflecting special holidays and events. Colours range from cool white and blues for winter scenes, to deep, rich greens and reds for the summer and fall displays. Lighting effects vary from slow twinkling stars to a fast race of colour down the laneway.

Market Lane was the site of a national design competition in 2012 by the City of London. A relatively small design project, Market Lane was in a key location and being redeveloped at a pivotal time in advance of the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships being hosted by the city. The light canopy was part of the winning proposal entitled Figure Ground

by Joseph Fry, OALA, and his team at HAPA Collaborative, a landscape architecture firm in Vancouver, B.C. HAPA’s proposal for Market Lane displayed a meandering concrete bench and luminescent ottomans along a riverbank garden, with a light sky

Up Front: Information on the Ground

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ceiling as centrepiece. The landscape architects teamed up with EOS Light Media, a lighting and media design firm also from Vancouver, to create the light canopy.

According to the jury, this proposal distinguished itself as a leading-edge design that captured the spirit of London and responded to the need for a pedestrianfocused, day and night, all-season urban environment. It also provided opportunities for interaction with the surrounding context and festival activity, and innovatively responded to the community’s aspirations for Market Lane.

In 2014, Fanshawe College opened its new Centre for Digital and Performance Arts (CDPA) in the Howard W. Rundle Building, with a door on Market Lane. Although the building construction started concurrently with the completion of the lane and created some challenges, it also offered opportunities. The programmable light canopy is controlled by a computer that is housed in the CDPA building next door. The city and the college

have a partnership agreement in place to coordinate the programming and maintenance of the light canopy. Planned for the fall of 2016, theatre arts/technical production students will have the opportunity to create their own designs and light shows as part of their class curriculum using MADRIX software. This opportunity to program the light canopy in a real-life situation for specific requests in conjunction with the partnership agreement is unique.

The system can also be synched to music. This was tested during the last Nuit Blanche/Dundas Street Festival event in June, 2015, by Craig Blackley, technical support for the theatre arts program. For the occasion, the large side doors of the so called “Black Box” (where students experiment with theatrical performances and backstage

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The Market Lane light canopy in London, Ontario, creates dynamic displays with shifting colours and illumination.

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Five One Nine Photography

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In a 2013 interview with the London Free Press, Joseph Fry compared the site to a kind of urban acupuncture. His view was that, just like acupuncture—where a needle can pinpoint a specific area in order to heal the whole body—this specific design intervention on a very small site can help revitalize the entire downtown.

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technical support) were opened onto the lane and two DJ performances played out of the Fanshawe College Stage. According to some festival goers, Market Lane was alive and pumped up! The DJs‘ music was linked with the light canopy pulsating along with the rhythm and bass. “Everyone here at the Centre looks forward to the new lighting display that continues to greet us when we arrive and leave the building,” says Blackley. “It’s quite often that people will stop to view the lighting display and take pictures as well, even more so during live events being held outside.”

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Five One Nine Photography HAPA Collaborative’s renderings of the light canopy at night and during the day

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HAPA Collaborative

Downtown London is changing. Boardedup facades are being replaced by a new generation of businesses and schools targeting young bright minds. While the original idea was to generate an aesthetically pleasing community space, one might connect the dots and say it is now clear that the unique light canopy is also serving a higher purpose: illuminating the way for a brighter future in London’s downtown.

Text by Julie Michaud, oala, who has worked in the Environmental and Parks Planning section at the City of London since 2004.

Land Trusts

local community solutions Re-inventing entrenched patterns of land use and ownership is a mission that one Toronto non-profit collective, incorporated in 2014, is taking up in an effort to ensure their neighbourhood’s survival and prosperity. The Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (PNLT) joins the platform of Community Land Trusts (CLTs) in North America, with a goal of protecting people’s agency and well-being by enabling non-profit ownership of land. This safeguards its affordability, security, structural integrity, economic diversity, equitable opportunity provisions, service accessibility, and a stabilized sense of “home” in the neighbourhood.

Inspired by village gift systems in India, the organizational model originated in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, encouraging donations of land by wealthy landowners to the village, making it possible to secure access to farmland for poor, skilled farmers in rural communities. CLTs expanded in the U.S. as community support grew to sustain a slow and steady build of affordable housing units.

On the other hand, in Canada, such housing capacity was introduced by federal programs and funding, which meant that a strong network of private Community Land Trusts was less established here.

The Market Lane light canopy in London, Ontario

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And he might be right. Three years later, the City of London is planning to redesign the first five blocks of Dundas Street into a seamless flexible street called Dundas Place. In addition, the Dundas Street Festival is expanding from one to three days, from September 16-18, 2016. And that’s not all. The Back to the River design competition is proposing a new vision for the Thames River, and SHIFT: Our Rapid Transit Initiative is rethinking how Londoners move around the city. These plans are all complemented by the many new residential buildings and businesses being added to the downtown core.

However, today there are about a dozen CLTs operating across Canada, including cooperative CLTs, lease-to-own CLTs, and facilitative CLTs, all of which are primarily taking charge to fill the affordable housing 03

Up Front

gap. As much as units and homes managed through co-op housing corporations have been flourishing, a strong network of support for Community Land Trusts remains nascent in Ontario. Despite this, the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust built its model from a grassroots-inspired precedence far from master planning and revitalization politics.

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The Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust, in partnership with Greenest City, is currently fundraising to acquire their first piece of land, the 87 Milky Way Garden, an existing urban agriculture site.

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The seeds of PNLT’s initiative were planted three years ago through a series of mediations between multiple community partners that were long-established within the local Parkdale and west-end communities. “We identify as an organization of organizations, especially in our formation,” says Joshua Barndt, Development Coordinator at PNLT, when asked to describe their community-rooted emergence. As the neighbourhood was becoming more valuable, a fast-paced gentrification was imminent, and the question of how this would affect aspects of the community in the short- and long-term was urgent.

As the core partner and convenor of the PNLT, the Parkdale Arts and Recreation Centre (PARC) led the organizational facilitation, piloting a study in 2011, “Beyond Bread and Butter,” that focused on an aged, rapidly gentrified commercial strip on Queen Street West. The study identified the changing food security status of lower-income residents in the Parkdale neighbourhood and proposed a series of community-wide interventions led by community efforts to deal with the negative effects of gentrification. An unexpected finding suggested that commercial properties could particularly benefit from community land ownership. This is due to the domino effect that occurs when low-income businesses are pushed out by spiraling rent increases and commercial up-scaling, eventually affecting the affordability of residential properties.

It became evident to local stakeholders that the land issues could not be solved independently. This sparked a further year of engagements by PARC with more than 150 people from various agencies, organizations, and resident groups, to weigh the priority of establishing communal land ownership. The efforts culminated in the appointment of the initial board at the end of 2012.

Inspired by the Dudley Street Neighbourhood Initiative’s approach and governance structure in Roxbury, near Boston, Massachusetts,

the initial board focused on representing the diversity of Parkdale and ensuring the full spectrum of the neighbourhood’s involvement. In the course of two years, this effort has garnered support and engagement from the surrounding community, with the prospect of future land-acquisition projects.

Supported by a three-year capacity-building grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, PNLT’s first mission is organizational development. PNLT’s first annual general meeting was held in October, 2015, at which a board was elected.

Looking to develop their land-acquisition strategy, the board is taking steps to seek support from public and private sector experts within the industry and Toronto Community Housing.

Priorities that reach beyond affordable housing include community gardens, commercial space for non-profits and small businesses, and community employment. With partners like Greenest City on the board of directors, there is huge value in re-imagining alternative approaches to typical uses of existing public assets; for example, parks could be used for food production, training programs, and testing grounds for sustainable practices such as soil remediation. Most recently, PNLT, in partnership with Greenest City, has successfully launched a fundraising campaign to cover costs of their first land acquisition, the 87 Milky Way Garden, an existing urban agricultural site in the Parkdale neighbourhood.

As a neighbourhood with a strong social agency sector (there are more than 100 active non-profit organizations in Parkdale), PNLT is oriented towards a partnership model for their future; while PNLT intends to own the land, they would not manage it themselves but would instead lease it to non-profit partners who would take on the responsibility of improvement work and operations.

PNLT recently retained a business consultant to help them build an organizational business plan by the end of the summer of 2016, which would include initial strategy and realistic logistics of land acquisition.

As Barndt puts it, “The message is why [not] collectively find a way to generate a solution, let’s not blame anyone in particular. I think people have been super positive about it.”

Text by Dalia Todary-Michael, a member of the Ground Editorial Board, and a landscape architectural intern and strategist at Popovich Associates.

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07 Parks

sound-based art Lee Lifeson Arts Park, in North York’s Willowdale neighbourhood, is a new type of park that, like any good creative endeavour, is a bit of an experiment. Bordered by Victoria Park Avenue, Bathurst Street, Highway 401, and Steeles Avenue, Willowdale was once characterized by modest pre- and post-war homes on large residential lots. But like many other parts of Toronto, the area is experiencing massive change, in the form of new condo developments and housing stock turnover, from bungalow to monster home.

This process has facilitated the addition of many new parks to the area, funded by development charges and Section 37 funds, but it has also restricted their size. Though the area of Lee Lifeson Arts Park is only about half a city block, the design and programming of the park speak to a desire by the local government to serve the community in a creative way.

Councillor John Filion, representative for Ward 23 and Toronto’s official Arts Advocate, says that being imaginative with small spaces is fundamental to making successful new parks in Willowdale. He describes the process of acquiring new parkland in this heavily urbanized district as “difficult,” but says that this hasn’t stopped Willowdale from adding a new park annually in recent years.

The strategy is to acquire residential lots to expand existing parks and build new pocket

sites that add up to a network capable of serving the community. This has resulted in some great community-supported spaces like Parkview Neighbourhood Garden, a volunteer-run market garden that has operated on a former vacant lot since 2008.

Filion hopes that the community around Lee Lifeson Arts Park will feel that same ownership over the park when it opens in the summer of 2016. A five-minute walk from North York Civic Centre, and an expansion of Willowdale Park North, it will join a string of linear parks that mark the piped and channelized portion of Wilket Creek between York Mills Road and Steeles. A life-long supporter of the arts, Filion envisions it as an outdoor incubator for the arts, a haven for programming and performance, particularly sound-based work.

With Planning Partnership as the prime consultant, the park is designed to incorporate permanent art installations, temporary exhibits, and small-scale performances. However, the residential character of the surroundings will determine their amplitude. Community consultation determined that adjacent homeowners were concerned about loud noises potentially emanating from a park named after members of the band Rush, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, former Willowdale residents. As a result, the amphitheatre in the northwest corner of the park will have small performances only. (Amplified shows will

continue to take place at the nearby Mel Lastman Square.) This demonstrates the programming challenges of making a small park work in a location like Willowdale.

The programming must be dense enough to offer something to the community, but not so much of a draw that crowds become a problem in this residential area. Prescribing tranquil creativity is a challenge.

North York Arts will be working to initiate community programming in Lee Lifeson Arts Park in the fall of 2016, as part of the City of Toronto’s Cultural Hotspot Initiative. As a signature project of the program, a series of participatory events featuring youth, dance, and music will be hosted in the park, with the goal of engaging the community. Melissa Foster, Program and Outreach Coordinator for North York Arts, describes Lee Lifeson Arts Park as a place that will come into its own as the community begins to feel like they can use it. The details of the fall programming are still being developed, and Foster invites people to share their ideas: “Come out in September. People can contact us [North York Arts] and Councillor Filion’s office if they have ideas about happenings they would like to see,” Foster says.

The permanent art works in the park are already taking shape, with a mosaic by architect Paul Roth and a three-part installation by Public Studio, consisting of architect Tamira Sawatzky and filmmaker Elle Flanders, and their frequent collaborator

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Anna Friz. Their piece, 120 Mirrors, was conceived in response to a call for permanent installations exploring the park’s “art of sound” theme last year, and selected through a public vote. The piece draws on Friz’s background in sound design and is inspired by the idea of parks as gathering places for free speech and the colonial history of the site.

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Public Studio’s installation, 120 Mirrors, for Lee Lifeson Arts Park in North York is a sound-based piece inspired by the idea of parks as gathering spaces for free speech and the colonial history of the site.

Public Studio

The first part of Public Studio’s piece, “Speak and Listen,” is composed of underground speaking tubes through a section of berms in the park’s southwest corner, carrying sound vibrations between participants at either end, in the fashion of a tin-can telephone. The second part, “The Hornucopia,” is a structure made of multiple, different-sized horns that naturally capture sound with their shape. Situated among the densest plantings on the site, the horns can be rotated to capture the sounds of the park, from birds to performers.

Sawatzky describes the last part, “The Horn of Reflection,” as a more inward-looking piece, enshrouded by trees at the north end of the park. It’s a large horn structure, scaled for a participant to sit inside and listen to a sound piece developed by Anna Friz. The exterior of the horn is chrome, reflecting its surroundings and referencing the overall title of the work, 120 Mirrors. Inside the piece is a list detailing the items at the heart of the 1787 Toronto Purchase between the Mississaugas of New Credit and the British for the land used to establish Toronto.

This exchange of simple objects, including mirrors, gun flints, and laced hats, for rights to 250,808 acres of land, was disputed for the next few hundred years, with a settlement reached only in 2010.

The three pieces are integrated into the park, a requirement from the City of Toronto that Sawatzky says aligned with their desire to create elements you continually encounter as you move through the park, but it also posed some logistical challenges.

Sawatzky notes that Public Studio was brought into the project after the completion of the master plan and while land was still being purchased for the park. The artists would have liked the opportunity to work with the design team earlier in the park planning process, and Sawatzky describes siting the work as a constant negotiation.

The hoarding around Lee Lifeson Arts Park will be gone this summer, giving Willowdale residents the opportunity to explore the newest addition to their neighbourhood and define how they want to use it. How artists and the community take on its vision is yet to be seen, but the evolution of the new space will be worth following.

Text by Katie Strang, a landscape architectural intern at bsq design and a member of the Ground Editorial Board.

TO view additional content for this article, Visit www.groundmag.ca.

Partnering Up

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A collaborative approach to landscape performance research

of designers around the world that are monitoring and evaluating the performance of constructed landscapes in order to gain a more robust understanding of their environmental and social function and to inform future design.

Text by Lauren Mandel, ASLA

In the face of changing climate, densifying cities, and habitat degradation, constructed landscapes need to be workhorses of environmental function—managing stormwater and fostering biodiversity, for example—while simultaneously supporting social needs. But how do we know how effectively designed landscapes are functioning?

Landscape performance research asks the question: do built landscapes function as well as we assume? Answering this question requires an analytical, often scientific approach to evaluating how effectively constructed landscapes operate, usually in terms of managing stormwater, building healthy soils, fostering plant survivorship, providing habitat, or engaging people. Some researchers find added value in comparing a landscape’s intended performance (for

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TO view additional content for this article, Visit www.groundmag.ca.

“As landscape architects, we are still unclear as to whether or not our designs are maximizing their contribution to the health of our environment,” says Emily McCoy, PLA, ASLA, associate principal and director of integrative research at Andropogon Associates, a landscape architecture and ecological planning firm based in the United States. McCoy is part of a growing number

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The Shoemaker Green park and “living laboratory” at the University of Pennsylvania Andropogon Associates

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Students working next to the Shoemaker Green rain garden

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Shoemaker Green’s integrated rain garden, tree trenches, and lawn with sub-grade stormwater storage

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Barrett Doherty

Barrett Doherty Shoemaker Green was built atop the University of Pennsylvania’s decommissioned tennis courts, seen here.

Andropogon Associates

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effectively layered. Equally important is the adaptive feedback loop that’s created when landscapes are built, monitored, and then analyzed to form the fodder for the next generation of designs.

Landscape architects like McCoy are often interested in investigating multiple research questions on a given project, and while some fall within the realm of her expertise, such as plant survivorship, she often relies upon partners within the academic research community to explore the subject matter with which she’s less familiar, such as infiltration. Thought leaders at design firms including Mithûn, Biohabitats Inc., and 02

example, a rain garden that’s designed to infiltrate 1,000 gallons of water in 36 hours) to the site’s post-construction, measureable performance (the actual time it takes the rain garden to infiltrate 1,000 gallons of stormwater) in order to gauge the design’s effectiveness.

“The pressure to produce more resilient and functional designs is increasing dramatically,” says McCoy, who holds a B.S. in ecology and began monitoring Andropogon’s built work in 2012, particularly in light of mounting performance-driven municipal regulations. Embracing these multi-functional, performative landscapes—where a riverfront walk mitigates storm surges, or a social space sequesters carbon—bolsters a creative use of space in which environmental function and programmatic goals can be

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professor David R. Vann, PhD, who mentors students who perform research on the site’s rain garden, tree trenches, and lawn with sub-grade stormwater storage.

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Reed Hilderbrand similarly value academic partnerships when conducting research. José Almiñana, PLA, FASLA, a landscape architect at Andropogon since 1983 and current principal, explains that collaborating with academics is critical because it advances the caliber of landscape performance research by “imbuing a sense of scientific rigour… [and] fostering multidisciplinary associations and new transdisciplinary solutions.”

Additionally, these partnerships may expand expertise, funding, and work hours beyond the resources of a typical design firm.

While partnerships between designers and researchers are essential in strengthening the scientific underpinnings of design decisions, the formation of these unions often holds the mystique and precariousness of matchmaking. Many designers recognize the critical performance questions at hand but don’t have the scientific expertise to investigate the questions or don’t know how to find partners within the scientific community. Scientists, PhD candidates, and graduate students may experience the opposite problem, whereby they hold interest in investigating a certain area of landscape performance but lack access to a research site. Campus landscapes may offer a truncated matchmaking process by uniting interested faculty members and landscape architects during the pre-design phases. For other project types, partnerships often blossom from networking,

The Shoemaker Green monitoring efforts target water (quality, quantity, plant transpiration rates); soil (compaction, infiltration, biology, moisture, pH, organic matter); plants (vigour, species suitability); and human use (occupancy, behaviour). To tackle this ambitious breadth of research, McCoy orchestrated a sizeable, interdisciplinary team consisting of designers (two Andropogon principals and a landscape designer, in addition to McCoy); academics (Drs. Vann and Calabria, from the university’s Earth and Environmental Science Department, and five students); and stewardship professionals (the university’s director of facilities, two facilities personnel, an irrigation consultant, and the site’s maintenance contractor). Throughout the long-term study period, various partners have waxed and waned, but the essential trinity has remained static: designer, academic, and stewardship professional.

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or simple online sleuthing, to reveal which researchers contributed to completed landscape performance studies.

In 2012, McCoy embarked on a five-year landscape performance study at Shoemaker Green—a 2.75-acre, non-infiltrating park in Philadelphia—in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Earth and Environmental Science and Facilities departments. As the urban park’s landscape architect, Andropogon worked to satisfy the university’s desire for a highly monitored, highperformance campus landscape that was imbedded with instrumentation for specific post-occupancy research. “Shoemaker Green provides an excellent on-campus opportunity for cross-disciplinary studies for exploring stormwater collection and treatment within a vibrant urban social setting,” says collaborating university

Out of a myriad of ecological and sociological research, from compost-tea application analysis to behaviour mapping, one of the most important findings for designers and policy makers deals with transpiration: the rate at which plants release water into the atmosphere. Municipalities with stormwater crediting systems that consider transpiration generally offer a flat credit per tree rather than correlating credits to transpiration performance by species. At Shoemaker Green, however, researchers monitored the site’s tree species and turf grass using a porometer (a device that measures a leaf’s stomatal openings) and found statistically significant variation in transpiration rates between species within the urban landscape.

For example, a native floodplain tree species such as swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor) was found to transpire up to 35 gallons of water per day during the peak growing

Partnering Up season, compared to a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), which transpired as little as 2.44 gallons per day during the same season. This data can now function as part of an adaptive feedback loop for Andropogon, the university, and potentially for regulators as well.

In addition to academic institutions such as the University of Pennsylvania, several other entities embrace landscape performance research. The Landscape Architecture Foundation (LAF), a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., has focused on bridging knowledge and practice within the American design community since 1966. “In order to participate fully in solutions now,” says LAF executive director Barbara Deutsch, FASLA, “designers must go beyond representing their work with features and improvements [and instead] use quantified benefits to fully participate in certification programs, meet regulatory requirements, and satisfy clients by reducing their risk.” LAF offers resources under its online Landscape Performance Series (landscapeperformance. org), including a global database of performance investigation case studies, a fast fact library, and benefits toolkit. The case study investigations encourage interdisciplinary partnerships by requiring collaboration between each selected project’s designer, an academic research fellow, and student research assistant. Andropogon has participated as the design partner in six case study investigations, and LAF recently selected Shoemaker Green as a 2016 case study in collaboration with professor Nicolas Pevzner and research assistant Sean McKay

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from the University of Pennsylvania School of Design. Almiñana values LAF’s effectiveness in disseminating research findings to the broader design community when noting that, “LAF has provided landscape architects with a locus for communication and sharing knowledge about the social and environmental contributions made by projects created by landscape architects.”

The Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) is a landscape rating system, akin to LEED, that encourages designers and researchers to “partner up” by requiring performance monitoring. The system—developed by the American Society of Landscape Architects, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden—offers guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable land design, construction, and maintenance.

The SITES reference guide, rating system, score card, and case studies are available on the organization’s website (sustainablesites. org). The Living Building Challenge (LBC)—a certification program that emphasizes sustainability in the built environment—

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similarly requires post-occupancy monitoring.

The LBC website (living-future.org/lbc) offers useful tools including certification information, case studies, and data collection templates.

Andropogon embeds research in the design process. The firm’s Integrative Research Department often tasks Andropogon’s landscape architects with formulating research questions during early design stages, identifying potential relationships with researcher partners, and strategizing the integration of supporting green infrastructure into the design. This approach allows McCoy and her colleagues to input rigorous research findings into an adaptive feedback loop and confidently cultivate evidencebased designs that are in and of themselves, ripe for research.

BIO/ Lauren Mandel, ASLA, is a landscape

designer and researcher at Andropogon

Associates and author of EAT UP: The Inside Scoop on Rooftop Agriculture (New Society

Publishers, 2013). She holds a Master of

Landscape Architecture from the

University of Pennsylvania and a B.A.

in Environmental Science.

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Barrett Doherty

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University of Pennsylvania professor and facilities personnel jointly measuring soil moisture with a tensiometer at Shoemaker Green

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Shoemaker Green manages runoff from adjacent buildings and portions of the right-of-way.

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Lawn with sub-grade stormwater storage and tree tranches next to preserved, mature trees at Shoemaker Green

Andropogon Associates

Andropogon Associates Engineered soils at Shoemaker Green create a known baseline for performance monitoring.

Andropogon Associates Shoemaker Green during construction (left) and upon completion (right) Courtesy of University of Pennsylvania The highly orchestrated movement of water through Shoemaker Green Andropogon Associates

Expressing Heritage

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Katherine Hamilton interviews architect Calvin Brook on his firm’s multi­­–award-winning Thunder Bay project, Prince Arthur’s Landing interview by Katherine Hamilton with Calvin Brook

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Celebration Circle, Prince Arthur’s Landing, Thunder Bay Brook McIlroy Fire Circle Brook McIlroy Pond pavilion poety Brook McIlroy

Expressing Heritage

Prince Arthur’s Landing is an ambitious waterfront project recently built in Thunder Bay. It incorporates buildings, landscapes, and integrated public art that collectively embrace the deep cultural roots of indigenous peoples and their legacy of ten millennia of settlement along the Lake Superior shoreline.

The firm Brook McIlroy has received more than twenty awards for the project. Katherine Hamilton recently spoke with Calvin Brook, founder and a principal of the firm Brook McIlroy, about the project.

Katherine Hamilton (KH): I understand that Brook McIlroy has designed and created revitalization plans for a number of waterfront projects. What makes Prince Arthur’s Landing unique?

Calvin Brook (CB): This particular location is home to one of Canada’s most historically significant sites. The north shore of Lake Superior is the spot where water-based transportation routes from the Atlantic Ocean transferred to land-based routes, which led to the depths of North America. Prince Arthur’s Landing is the site of the historical port that became the hinge point for these travellers.

Notably, John A. Macdonald‘s troops travelled through this port on their way to Rupert’s Land [Manitoba] to quell the Red River Rebellion.

The site was also well-used during the fur trade years.

The vastness of the Great Lake Superior, the view of the iconic Sleeping Giant (Nanibijjou), the mountainous skyline, the rugged shoreline, and cultural history together create a rich sense of place that resonated with us.

Many of the sites we design have some sort of a history, but this particular site was deeply steeped in Canadian history and cultural significance. Indigenous place-making became the driving force for the design.

KH: How did the design process evolve?

CB: The consultation process for this project was very intense and controversial. The vision the City of Thunder Bay had, prior to Brook McIlroy being awarded the project, was that of mixed-use eclectic, with a blend of tourism, business, and industry—basically revitalizing the mixed-use site that was already in existence. There was significant resistance by the community to reintroducing commercial and residential uses to the park space within

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the waterfront area. In order to introduce this change, a rich values-based process was employed to create a place that was uniquely about the history of Thunder Bay, where the resources unique to this community could be utilized. Both sides eventually came together, and the project has become an expression of the combined history of the people of Thunder Bay and the Aboriginal peoples’ imprint on the region.

KH: Who was consulted during the planning and design process?

CB: The architecture, public art, and landscapes that define the waterfront evolved from a series of workshops hosted by the City of Thunder Bay. These workshops drew together representatives from the Fort William First Nation, communities of the RobinsonSuperior Treaty, and the Red Sky Metis. JP Gladu, President & CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, facilitated the Aboriginal engagement process, and our firm was the lead architect and landscape architect on the project. We were subsequently able to form a collaborative team with Aboriginal designer Ryan Gorrie.

KH: What are some of the design features that resulted from the engagement processes?

CB: Throughout the project, indigenous cultural practices and sustainable practices have been followed. The two principal buildings are LEED certified and the public art installations, Aboriginal Gardens, Inclusive Circle, and the Spirit Garden are all grounded in the local people and their history. The project has developed into a celebration of Aboriginal culture. The installations were designed and created using the collective vision that emerged from the workshops. The design motifs are subtle and unassuming and blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings. Poetry and prose honouring Aboriginal history, using circles to represent inclusiveness, employing local materials, and leveraging the expertise of artists are methods we employed to create a waterfront park that is inclusive to all. The gathering circle at the end of Pier 2 employs all these methods in one installation—the 24-metre-diameter circular wall is engraved with the poem Round Dance, composed by Aboriginal

writer Sarain Stump: Don’t break this circle/ Before the song is over/Because all of our people/Even the ones long gone/Are holding hands.

The waterfront at Prince Arthur’s Landing has become an iconic gathering place for the community and is used all year long. One of the most notable elements of the project is the Sprit Garden, which typifies an Aboriginal bentwood building technique and employs sustainable building practices through the use of the wooden members. The supports for the structure were hand built by George Price, who was originally from the local Fort William First Nation.

KH: Are there further plans for the Prince Arthur’s Landing waterfront development in Thunder Bay? CB: A second phase is planned for the project, and one of the key recommendations of the Phase 2 plan is to name this segment of the waterfront Wiingash (Sweet Grass) Park.

This next phase will continue the narrative of acknowledging the founding peoples and will continue to celebrate the richness of the Native culture and express it within a public space. Though the theme is much the same as Phase 1, the character will be much more natural, incorporating more outdoor activities and fewer structures.

KH: Your firm’s direction and leadership for this project has been an outstanding and progressive example of reconciliation that is both relevant and timely. Can you tell us in your own words what belonging looks like to you?

CB: If nothing of your culture, history, language or art is visible within the public spaces of your town or city—how can you ever feel welcome there? There is a deep history of indigenous place-making at the scale of communities, structures, and landscapes that we can draw on for inspiration. Places that can draw Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people together in an inclusive circle. Places that can better support and represent who we are, and want to be, as Canadians.

BIO/

Calvin Brook is an architect, urban designer, and planner, and co-founder of brook mcilroy, a firm with offices in toronto and thunder bay.

Katherine Hamilton, BLA, is a long-time resident of Thunder Bay who works in the land acquisition/management industry.

Round Table

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Moderated by Kate Nelischer, Landscape Architectural Intern

Held as a public forum at the University of Toronto, on April 25, 2016, this Round Table explores the future of the profession

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BIOS/

Adrienne Hall, Landscape Architectural Intern, is an artist and designer working in the overlapping fields of art, spatial research, and landscape architecture. She received her Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph, and will be entering the Interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Pennsylvania in the fall of 2016. She has worked on various public and private landscape architecture projects in Toronto at NAK Design Strategies.

Alex Josephson co-founded PARTISANS in 2012 after studying architecture at the University of Waterloo, the University of Rome, and the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA). PARTISANS is an intrepid practice comprised of architects, artists, thinkers, and cultural enthusiasts whose work across all scales is rooted in deliberate acts of craftsmanship and storytelling. The studio’s projects have been featured in international publications, such as Wallpaper, Dezeen, Frame, and designboom, won numerous awards, including the R+D Award, Canadian Interiors’ Best of Canada Award and 2015 Project of the Year, and the Ontario Association of Architects’ Best Emerging Practice and Design Excellence awards, and shortlisted by MCHAP and the World Architecture Festival. The only Canadian to have ever received the New York Prize Fellowship at the Van Alen Institute, Alex was recently named Best Emerging Designer by Canada’s Design Exchange. He currently lectures at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture, landscape, and design.

Nina-Marie Lister is Associate Professor of Urban + Regional Planning at Ryerson University in Toronto. From 2009-2013 she was Visiting Professor in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at Harvard University, Graduate School of Design, and in 2014, Visiting Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Toronto. A Registered Professional Planner (MCIP, RPP) with a background in resource management, ecology, and environmental planning, Lister is the founding principal of plandform, a creative studio practice exploring the relationship between landscape, ecology, and urbanism.

Her research, teaching, and practice focus on the confluence of landscape infrastructure and ecological processes within contemporary metropolitan regions. Through this, she has developed three streams of applied research and design: adaptive ecological design for ecosystem complexity and biodiversity conservation; parklands and waterfronts in post-industrial landscapes; and urban food systems and productive/ edible landscapes.

Kate Nelischer, Landscape Architectural Intern, is a Senior Public Consultation Coordinator at the City of Toronto, and a member of the Ground Editorial Board.

Alissa North, oala, is the Director of the Master of Landscape Architecture Program at Daniels faculty of architecture, landscape, and design at the university of toronto, where she is an Associate Professor. A Founding Partner of the Toronto landscape architecture practice North Design Office Inc., she is committed to designing urban environments to engender vibrant communities and ecologies.

Cecelia Paine, oala, is a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Guelph where she currently teaches community design and professional practice. Active in professional bodies, Cecelia has served as president of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, was the founding editor of Canada’s professional magazine, Landscapes Paysages, and is immediate past-president of the Landscape Architecture Canada Foundation. She is a Fellow of both the Canadian society of landscape architects and the American Society of Landscape Architects.

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Kate Nelischer (KN): We’re looking at the future of landscape architecture, and exploring what questions haven’t been asked and what questions should be asked. Looking to the future must be done with one eye on the past, so I’m wondering: what are some of the key questions surrounding the profession of yesterday, today, and tomorrow?

Alex Josephson (AJ): I think the primary difference between now and ten years ago is that the distinctions between specialties are now disappearing. In the 1970s, everybody specialized, and now there is convergence. In all of our projects, we seem to be witnessing a blurring of boundaries between landscape and architecture. Obviously, there are regulatory reasons that we’re separate, but we’re coming together again. For the future, it seems to me that landscape architects and landscape designers could really tap into new technologies, processes, and methodologies, and actually implement them far more smoothly than architects because the performative vectors in landscape tend to be more concentrated.

Nina-Marie Lister (NML): I’m a trained ecologist and I’m also a planner, so I tend to share a perspective on landscape that has to do with scale, which is familiar to those of you who are practising landscape architects. There’s a resonance of scale, you might say. But there’s also a dissonance for me because I tend to work with processes that are very long-term. They’re ecological in nature. Looking back on the profession of landscape architecture, I would say that in the 1960s or 70s, we came to a time of crisis and concern about the ways in which landscape architects might be called to action to intervene in those systems—to make them safer and healthier, and so on.

In the past twenty years, at least for the time in which I’ve been practising at that interstitial space of urbanist meta-ecology, landscape has been redescribed as the city itself. Looking forward from this vantage

point, it’s time to question the role of landscape within the urban landscape itself.

What are the roles of ecological processes?

What is the role of the wild? Who speaks for ideas of wild, wildness, and wilderness when we have cities that are ever larger in size? What is the role of the landscape architect in commenting on the place of nature, the ideas of nature, both within and outside the city? These are really challenging questions. They’re also very pressing. If the urban landscape is the only landscape that future generations will ever really know, how do we navigate and mediate the role of the wild within cities? These are questions of form as well as function, because they relate to the way in which we design and build with those landscapes. Infrastructure is being redefined as alive and living, which means that landscape architects have a pivotal role—one that will increasingly be more transdisciplinary, where the boundaries are, if not dissolved, challenged.

Alissa North (AN): In a certain way, things haven’t really changed. If you were to read the writings of Frederick Law Olmsted today, not knowing the time period in which he was writing, the questions and the problems sound very much the same as they do today. However, even a decade ago we were constantly speaking about ideas as polarized: for instance, nature versus culture; art against science; ecology versus society. But I think we’re at the point now, in the anthropocene age, of recognizing that those sets of binaries, in which we’re constantly putting ourselves in oppositional problematics, don’t work. Rather, we’re really looking at a sort of single nature.

That’s where I think landscape architecture is heading toward.

In architecture right now there’s an obsession with technology. Landscape architects are a bit further behind in this, but I think there’s going to be a leapfrogging ahead— for example, with sensor technologies and being able to operate and adjust landscape responses in real-time.

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Adrienne Hall (AH): The critical questions we’re discussing today were central to the questions the profession of landscape architecture, in North America, was founded upon. From the very beginning, Olmsted did have a very critical understanding of what nature meant, and that all the landscapes he created were constructed natures.

One of the biggest challenges we face as constructors of “nature” relates to the public’s understanding of what is wild and what is manmade.

I think that landscape architects have recognized, in the past twenty years, the importance of becoming much more educated about ecology and natural systems, but perhaps we actually need to know much more about the greater social systems that are governing the anthropocene age—things like economics and cultural migration. We have a very shallow understanding or analysis of who’s going to be inhabiting our spaces.

Cecelia Paine (CP): A book that just came out, called The Death of Professions, argues that the need for professions is dying. That’s something to think about.

Another important issue is the question of just who we’re designing for. Olmsted was designing public parks, parks for everyone, and yet he was really designing for the one percent… People all over the world are impoverished. How do we deal with some of the bigger issues that are influencing millions of people around the world?

KN: It’s interesting to think about the process by which Olmsted designed those iconic landscapes such as Central Park in New York City, and how different this is from what we do today. A lot of the work I do, for example, is focused on public consultation.

I’m wondering what the panel thinks about how that public process creates design, and if it creates better design? Are we are going along the right track in engaging people in our processes? Are we creating any better landscapes than, say, Central Park, which

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was created without any public consultation, or, as Cecelia said, not even really considering the people who actually live there?

AJ: In my experience, processes of engagement are there to pacify a group of people who care about something. But fundamentally, these public consultations are done after the designs are already done. You can move a tree here, move a setback there, change the colour, but fundamentally, the big things have already been decided.

NML: The real question is: what is the role of design relative to a much more meaningful and enriched engagement of the public? There is a problem with not understanding integrated, complex systems and how we design a city. Landscape architecture is one sliver of that; the public engagement process is another tiny sliver of that. These questions are layered and complex, they’re not easy to answer. What might the roles of our professionals look like if we really took seriously what the publics, plural, want in our cities? I don’t purport to have the answer, but I think it’s important to ask these questions in an honest way that gets at where the problems lie, for sure.

Consultation isn’t solving problems of urban resilience, for example.

AJ: We tried an experiment recently in which we went with an anthropologist to a neighbourhood and actually started consulting. I feel like a group of people can realistically tackle roughly ten square blocks.

You can get a good snapshot of the unique possibilities of a place before you then go into the consultation, and that can inform the design so much more than a blanket design aesthetic treatment.

AN: Scale is so important for issues of public consultation: how many people can come together to answer the fundamental questions on a project? We’re working on the master plan for our kid’s schoolyard. It’s easy—you send out a survey, it’s

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done online, kids and parents can click on whether they want the frog playground piece of equipment or something else…

But you know what? It comes down to separating out priorities that may not be so apparent in certain ways. On much larger projects, how do you ask the questions in the right way to get feedback that can be valuable?

AH: There are a lot of in-depth and complicated issues to address when you’re dealing with the public that landscape architects can’t expect to know all about.

Instead of engaging someone who is simply a facilitator, why not engage someone who’s an ecologist or a sociologist, or a social worker, or someone who works at the United Way neighbourhood office for that project—someone who has much more on-the-ground knowledge of the place?

Another layer is that we need to look at who we are as designers and how we can bring diversity to the spaces we’re designing. You get a broader understanding of place from different backgrounds. But the profession is still predominantly white, and mostly male.

AN: The demographics for graduates are predominantly female, but you tend to lose them very quickly when you get into the motherhood years.

CP: If you look at people of my age, the profession is male dominated. If you look at people Alissa’s age it’s probably half and half, and for the younger generation, it’s probably dominated by women.

AH: Maybe gender is actually not the most important thing? I’m thinking more of ethnic diversity, economic diversity.

KN: The American Society of Landscape Architects did a survey: in 2012, 82 percent of the practising landscape architects in the United States were white.

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AH: I’m not surprised—it’s a different situation in the States, where higher education is really a privilege and it’s much more expensive than Canadian universities.

CP: We stopped requiring portfolios for applicants to our BLA program. We ended up with a more diverse student body. That’s one of the big reasons why we stopped requiring a portfolio. They’re discriminatory.

Only wealthy people can afford to study art and prepare portfolios.

NML: Representation in any profession is a loaded question. You need to ask who are in positions of power, who’s getting the work, who are the top-grossing principals and the influence of their work, and who’s teaching, and how many are at the rank of full professor, how many are publishing, and how many are taking on advanced graduate students? When you start disaggregating the data, you get a different picture. Certainly we are not particularly well represented in terms of the diversity of populations we serve. This relates to the points that have been raised already regarding the dissolving of the edges of the profession—the places for us to merge our talents and be very strategic about how we inform ourselves of the clientele we serve. We need more nuanced research. That’s my suggestion regarding whether you find an anthropologist or a sociologist to put on your teams. The value of research is that it leads to the possibility of a richer, more nuanced evidence-informed practice. And the evidence you’re gathering helps you to know your clientele better, helps you to know your publics better. And the formalization of that research into the academy and into practice is hugely valuable and timely, and, frankly, not very well done in landscape architecture to date, though not for any lack of desire.

CP: Practitioners are not using the research that’s available to them. But an argument can be made that the academy is not

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doing the research that practitioners feel is relevant to them. I think that the merging of research and design is what will truly make us a discipline and a profession. I mean, can you imagine doctors not keeping up with what the journals are saying?

AJ: My firm has an R and D shop. Beyond the fact that working with people in other professions makes your practice better, I just find it more enjoyable to work that way.

It’s enriching.

Our firm applies for all these grants. But there’s nobody on the funding agencies’ juries to adjudicate an architecture research grant. It’s lumped in with fine arts grants, and the juries look at the proposal and say, that’s not an artwork.

CP: There’s a team from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects trying to have landscape architecture research recognized by the national research councils.

AJ: We exist in limbo in another sense, as well, because the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport took out landscape design, landscape architecture, architectural design, and interior design from their entire cultural platform.

AH: I think you have to separate being a profession and being an industry. Going back to the 1970s or 80s, a lot of people were and still are working as an industry on a very service-based platform as consultants to commercial clients concentrated on a very narrow economic bottom line. In this kind of position, many practices are not driven to use research that academics are doing because of the industry business model.

CP: In our undergraduate capstone course this spring, every student had to be able to provide evidence for their design, and it had to be peer-reviewed evidence. We think people should be able to create research results and be able to read, understand, and use them.

AN: U of T’s research is really impacting practice right now though the GRIT Lab, where, on the green roof, the testing of green roof permutations allows the lab to directly influence policy. This is a landscapearchitect-led, multidisciplinary study with ecologists, engineers, and multiple PhD students, and they’re publishing results on various permutations that have never been tested before in Toronto. Academics need to be thinking about their research agendas in a way that actually can and will have impact on the cities in which they’re located.

AH: Now that we have a mandatory continuing education requirement for OALA membership, that’s a huge step, though it was quite difficult to pass. The idea of expanding your knowledge and keeping up with current research seems like a no-brainer, but it’s something that is actually new to being a practising professional landscape architect.

AN: I remember the first time I went to an ASLA meeting, as an undergraduate student, and I was overwhelmed by the expo floor—just blown away at the scale of everything you could specify and put into a design. I think it’s incumbent upon us to think about how we want to transform this world and the tools that are going to allow us to do that in a way that’s not just about a pick-and-choose solution.

NML: It’s absolutely important and incumbent on those of us who have positions within the academy to train professionals, but also to ask important research questions that no one gets paid to ask.

But be careful what you wish for… As someone who holds grants funded by the federal government, I can tell you that the minute you start to draw boundaries in research around what the profession is, you will also be told what the profession is not.

And so while we have this luxurious position of being able to team up with our professional allies, we can do things like be clever

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about who fronts the grant under which category. We then have to sometimes twist our research question because we know that’s how the reviewers are going to look at it, but we can ask very broad questions and we can challenge and push back because we’re not so categorically defined.

As well, when we ask for research- or evidence-informed practice and research, we want to be sure that the research questions are not so finely tuned as to make them entirely widget-based, so that they become market-based solutions that wind up on the expo floor. This is not the solution for building knowledge, right? It’s policy-relevant and maybe or maybe not practice-relevant, but we still need a canon of research that opens up questions that are never going to be marketable. Frankly, I think the profession’s a long way from that.

AH: I would love to see engineering come together much more with landscape and architecture studies.

CP: When I started out, engineers were always the bad guys. Now that companies like AECOM and Stantec are absorbing so many of us, they have come to like working with us. Especially with the green infrastructure movement, they’ve become very good partners for landscape architects, and they create tremendous opportunities for us. There’s been a huge transition from running away from engineers to really welcoming the opportunity to work with them, and vice versa.

AJ: In his book The Revolt of the Masses, Ortega y Gasset said that the death of civilization is actually the specialized man, and the self-satisfied man. If the professions are dying, maybe it’s a good thing?

KN: The question really is: what’s the core of landscape architecture?

NML: And what is it shifting towards? When every fact that we used to have to memorize is now something that’s on your phone, at

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your fingertips, do we not need to process knowledge differently? Are there different types of knowledge that become more important because they’re not immediately accessible? As an analogy, if I’m going into surgery, I probably want a surgeon who knows a lot without having to check his or her iPhone before operating on me.

We also have interactive possibilities of working in real time where information is being updated, so it’s not a question of holding things in our heads—we hold different kinds of information and cognitive pathways. So it stands to reason that we would practise differently, and that the core of what’s considered essential knowledge will shift. Though I still hope you have to learn about plants. I still hope you know something about the material palette of your profession, as architects know about material palettes in theirs.

AN: It’s a way of thinking that may not be unique to landscape architects. The idea of lateral thinking as a way to solve complex problems is a broad way of thinking about knowledge, and then the specific technical aspects within that larger realm of thinking are basically what make you a landscape architect. You have to have knowledge of all those individual technical aspects and then be able to draw upon any of those tools within this method of lateral thinking that allows you to always figure out a solution to complex problems. That’s something that landscape architects are incredibly good at.

An engineer has a very specific lens, and a landscape architect can say, what if we look at it this way instead?

CP: UBC is taking the process we use as landscape architects, the structure of the design process, and teaching business students to think more broadly.

AN: We really need to claim that process as ours. It’s a design way of thinking, and we can’t let go of that as being one of our key competencies, our overarching key competency.

AJ: Everybody’s going to figure out the equation, but it’s actually just design.

NML: Quick, agile visual communication is invaluable in the climate in which we find ourselves. Being able to tell a story visually, being able to explain a process—whether it’s with a diagram or a design—is incredibly valuable in a multi-lingual, very diverse, ethnocultural country—that is, being able to sit with a group of people with diverse backgrounds, and explain a process, propose an idea, with a very simple device called a pencil. This is very old fashioned, and it sounds so facile that you forget it’s a powerful thing, right?

AN: I don’t believe that the LARE exam is an accurate judgment of that skill, and I believe our students do have that skill.

NML: If the gatekeepers of what constitutes the profession are asking very different questions than the people who are entering the practice, then there’s a disconnect. We need to define what is the core of landscape architecture and relate that to the gatekeepers, because that will determine whether you’re inside or outside of the field. We need to determine the blurry edges and the creative tensions between the edge and the centre. This is moving all the time in a world that is fastpaced, diverse, and complex.

AN: Landscape architects need to start defining—not just responding to—the projects that are important for our current contemporary conditions. An example is what George Dark is doing, where he’s working with Evergreen to create a new park in Toronto’s Don Valley. It’s not a park that is ready to be put out as an RFP by the City of Toronto, but it’s a need for the city that’s actually going to solve several contemporary issues. George is working on defining that need. If we’re always just sitting and waiting for a call, for the RFP, we’re always going to be the last ones to join the project, versus going in and saying this is the type of work that landscape

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architects can do, this is what we’re expert in. George figured this out a long time ago, and I think it’s a really necessary agenda if we want to elevate our profession in any significant way.

amazing examples of neighbourhoods utterly transformed by the introduction of nature to their lives. Would anyone like to comment on what could be done for Toronto if this power were unleashed?

NML: There’s a moment for landscape architecture to claim a stake in the shaping of that space, but also to show the relevance of that to the city system as a whole.

Evergreen is a convener and a host, but the idea is owned by the collective and by the city, but landscape architecture is at the centre of it.

AN: I published a book called Operative Landscapes: Building Communities Through Public Space, and it’s based on the idea that if we design public space so that the community can grow and iterate their ideals on that public space, then the space will constantly be able to renew itself into continued relevancy. We can’t keep thinking that there’s a bank account someone will give us; instead, we need to find our own projects.

KN: I’d like to open up the floor to questions from the audience.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: I believe there’s an important role for landscape architects to be a bit more entrepreneurial in how they approach work. What are your thoughts on the role of pro bono work, what’s being called public interest design?

AH: There’s an organization called P-REX, run by Alan Berger, and their refined model is very research-based, posing very large-scale questions—very much the opposite of site-based practice. One of their major clients has been Toyota, and they’re looking at what urbanization and suburbanization might look like in the next ten or twenty years.

NML: We have to find more entrepreneurial ways of moving our research out into practice. There’s a social innovation component for those of us who are academics, or who have one foot in the academy and one foot in practice. There are all kinds of new niches emerging, ways to leverage our work out into practice and still maintain an ability to innovate or change that practice through a connection to research.

AUDIENCE QUESTION: Landscape architecture has the ability to transform communities, to change our world in urban settings in positive ways. Take the example of a run-down park system in the city. There are so many

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AUDIENCE QUESTION: At the beginning of this discussion, it was noted that we’re in the age of the anthropocene, of global climate change, and that these changes have to do with life systems and organisms. How will you address the future of that change?

CP: I had a student a couple of years ago who looked at the City of Toronto’s plant list, the plants they recommend to developers, and the student looked at it in terms of the models of climate change that are out there, and found that more than half of the plants will not survive in forty years. The research is published in Landscapes Paysages if you want to read it.

AH: One thing we can do is to educate the public. One of our skills relates to visual communication and visual synthesis in a fast way.

Helping the public conceive of nature as being something inclusive of the urban mess we live in is a huge challenge.

NML: This question brings us right back to the beginning of the conversation and identifying the challenges ahead. If one of the challenges in the age of the anthropocene is that nature is us and we are nature, then I’d also urge caution, because while we can know a lot about novel ecosystems—and a lot of us spend time studying those changes, particularly in terms of constituent ecosystems in the urban fabric and how they relate to ideas

of ecosystems that are not dominated by people, ecosystems that are shrinking—we need to ask: what are we without the rest of the species around us? Do we continue defining our living urban experience only by cockroaches and blue jays and rats, or is there something else to the constituent species around us that matters?

That’s a social and cultural question. We have to ask how much we value this very wide spectrum of landscapes, from an urban wild to another wild, and how we as humans relate to ideas about nature.

While you can and should invest time in understanding the novelty of the urban ecosystem, and while there is tremendous potential for public place-making and biomimicry and green infrastructure and all the other things that landscape architects are good at, we forget that there are many other species on which we depend fundamentally for life support. That information is a grey zone for landscape architects.

But there’s a vast amount of knowledge that we might consider tapping into. What might our role be to help navigate through all this information, whether though communication or shining a light on a place to value it?

Maybe it doesn’t even need design.

Maybe it needs a different kind of energy.

But it is part of the suite of questions that landscape architects are equipped to deal with, and I hope that you pose them, and pose them articulately and somewhat urgently with the professions that are there to help with these collaborations.

With thanks to the University of Toronto Daniels Faculty of architecture, Landscape, and Design for hosting Ground’s Round Table as a public event.

TO view additional content for this article, Visit www.groundmag.ca.

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CSLA Awards Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Awards of Excellence— Ontario Region

The Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Awards of Excellence are given for outstanding accomplishment in landscape architecture.

Congratulations to the following OALA members whose projects received awards.

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Project Name: University of Ottawa Campus Master Plan Consultant: Urban Strategies Inc. Category: Planning & Analysis | Large-Scale Design Project Description: The University of Ottawa Campus Master Plan will guide the transformation of its environment, image, and experience. It will restructure the university’s mobility network and enhance its open space system to create a cohesive and memorable campus.

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CSLA Awards

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Project Name: The West Don Lands Consultant: The Planning Partnership and PFS Studio Category: Public Landscapes Designed by a Landscape Architect

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Project Name: Peace Garden at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto Consultant: PLANT Architect Inc.|Perkins + Will Canada in Joint Venture with Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architecture and Adrian Blackwell Urban Projects Category: Public Landscapes Designed by a Landscape Architect Project Description: Echoing the form of two cupped hands, the new Peace Garden frames a lush and intimate public garden focused on the “project of peace” with a restored pavilion and iconography. It transforms a noisy space into a calm and richly planted destination in which to linger.

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University of Ottawa Campus Master Plan

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The West Don Lands, Toronto

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Courtesy of Urban Strategies Inc.

Courtesy of The Planning Partnership and PFS Studio Peace Garden at Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto Courtesy of PLANT Architect Inc.

Project Description: Between the Don River and the Distillery District, a new neighbourhood is emerging from a former industrial area into a vibrant place to live, work, and explore, marking a shift in thinking about how large-scale, mixed-use projects can put the public realm and pedestrians first.

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CSLA Awards

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Project Name: 230 Sackville Consultant: Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. Category: Residential Landscapes Designed by a Landscape Architect Project Description: 230 Sackville’s multilevel urban landscape offers ecological, aesthetic, and social benefits within the Regent Park Revitalization.

Rooftop gardens foster community interaction by creating unique spaces for residents of all ages to connect with nature in the heart of the city.

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Project Name: Bayview Glen Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) Consultant: Schollen & Company Inc. Category: New Directions | Conceptual Work 11

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230 Sackville, Toronto Courtesy of Scott Torrance Landscape Architect Inc. Bayview Glen Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) Courtesy of Schollen & Company Inc.

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Project Description: The Bayview Glen Sustainable Neighbourhood Retrofit Action Plan (SNAP) was initiated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority and the City of Markham to create a sustainability strategy for an established suburban community. The SNAP proposed innovative solutions to manage runoff, mitigate flooding, improve energy efficiency, and enhance natural heritage through community-based retrofit initiatives.

CSLA Awards

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In addition to the National Awards, the jury attributed honorary mentions to the following projects: 13

Project Name: City of Kitchener: Cultural Heritage Landscapes Consultant: The Landplan Collaborative Ltd. Category: Research | Communication Project Description: The purpose of this study is to provide a working, readily accessible inventory of the City of Kitchener’s cultural heritage landscapes, beyond the recognition of individual heritage properties, which will serve as a planning tool in the assessment and management of these resources as the community changes and evolves.

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Project Name: City of Toronto: The Grow More Manual Consultant: Forest and Field Landscape Architecture Category: Research | Communication

Downtown Fenwick Revitalization (The Planning Partnership, David Leinster) — Queens Quay Central Waterfront Revitalization (West8 + DTAH in joint venture, Jelle Therry) — The recipient of the 2016 Jury’s Award of Excellence and a National Award is Lansdowne Park, designed by PFS Studio of British Columbia, but the project is situated in Ontario (in Ottawa).

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Project Description: The Grow More Manual is a pocket-sized, portable planning and implementation guide for allotment and community gardening in the City of Toronto. This accessible guide presents democratic and efficient elements that are easy to understand, construct, use and re-use, providing each gardener with an equal opportunity to grow.

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City of Kitchener: Cultural Heritage Landscapes Courtesy of The Landplan Collaborative Ltd. City of Toronto: The Grow More Manual Courtesy of Forest and Field Landscape Architecture Lansdowne Park, Ottawa Courtesy of PFS Studio

OALA Awards

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2016 OALA AWARDS

Congratulations to all those honoured with 2016 OALA Recognition Awards, and a special thanks to the OALA Awards Committee: Sarah Culp, Nelson Edwards, Jim Melvin, Joanne Moran (chair), Linda Thorne, Maren Walker, and Jane Welsh.

OALA Awards

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OALA Awards OALA Public Practice Award: This award recognizes the outstanding leadership of a member of the profession in public practice who promotes and enhances landscape architecture by working for improved understanding and appreciation of the work of landscape architects in both public and private practice.

Marion Rabeau Marion Rabeau has successfully brought the discussion of the need for asset management, specifically in relation to park infrastructure, to the forefront at the City of Burlington. With her knowledge of park planning, design, and construction, she has taken the lead for the Parks and Open Space section, Capital Works Department, to develop and implement an asset management system for park infrastructure. This innovative work makes it possible to estimate funding requirements into the future to maintain park infrastructure at the required level of service, ensuring that funding for park infrastructure is considered along with other funding requirements for competing asset categories in the city.

Steve Barnhart Steve Barnhart has worked for the City of Hamilton for 12 years. Ten of those years were spent as part of Landscape Architectural Services in Public Works, where his quiet and reserved manner subtly inspired the people around him. A mentor to many, Steve was promoted to manager of the section in 2010. He is knowledgeable in the fields of planning and landscape architecture, and is able to balance the small details with big picture ideas. Steve has played a key role in the construction of numerous unique stormwater management techniques, many of which were reviewed and followed by other municipalities and Conservation Authorities.

DAVID ERB MEMORIAL AWARD: The award is named after David Erb, who was an outstanding volunteer in furthering the goals of the OALA, and his examples set a truly high standard. The award is the best way to acknowledge the one outstanding OALA member each year whose volunteer contributions over a number of years have made a real difference.

Tim McCormick Tim McCormick is a passionate advocate for our profession. He is committed to outreach initiatives that serve to strengthen the OALA’s partnership with the accredited programs of landscape architecture in Ontario and is encouraging the future generation of emerging professionals. His volunteerism reflects a strong commitment to the future of our Association. Aside from his OALA service, Tim has also made himself available “on call” to attend landscape architecture course class sessions, as needed. He is appreciated by university faculty as well as several generations of students.

OALA AWARD FOR SERVICE TO THE ENVIRONMENT: This award is given to a non-landscape architectural individual, group, organization, or agency in the Province of Ontario to recognize and encourage a special or unusual contribution to the sensitive, sustainable design for human use of the environment. The contribution must emulate the fundamental principles of the OALA and the OALA Mission Statement and go beyond the normal levels of community action in preserving, protecting, or improving the environment.

Waterfront Regeneration Trust (WRT) The WRT is governed by a Board with Hon. David Crombie, an Honorary Member of the OALA, as the Founding Chair; D. Keith Laushway, Chair; and Marlaine Koehler as Executive Director.

The WRT was established as a charity in 1992 to develop, enhance, and expand the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. It has since included the promotion and development of a Greenway Trail through the Ontario Greenbelt to further the healthy environment and lifestyle of Ontarians.

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OALA Awards

OALA Certificate Of Merit For Service To The Environment: This certificate is given to a nonlandscape architectural individual, group, organization, or agency in Ontario to recognize and encourage a special or unusual contribution to the sensitive, sustainable design for human use of the environment. Contributions may have had a local, regional, or provincial impact through policy, planning, or design, or as an implemented project.

Town of Milton and Conservation Halton for the Restoration Framework: Stream Corridors and Natural Area Buffers for the Boyne and Derry Green Subwatershed of Sixteen Mile and Indian Creeks The Restoration Framework is the culmination of Sixteen Mile Creek and associated subwatershed studies conducted by the Town of Milton in support of new Secondary Plans since 1998. The recent Boyne Survey

and Derry Green Business Park Secondary Plans, which will ultimately support 50,000 new residents and add 470 ha to Milton’s employment lands, were developed under a concurrent Subwatershed Update Study. In 2011 the Town took the lead to provide guidance for detailed site-specific landscape plans for these restoration works.

The restoration framework was ultimately developed to guide the design of the new riparian corridors and buffers in an adaptive, cost-effective manner, in order to create a system of connected ecological features and wildlife functions.

OALA CARL BORGSTROM AWARD FOR SERVICE TO THE ENVIRONMENt: This award is given to individual landscape architects or a landscape architectural group to recognize and encourage special or unusual contribution to the sensitive, sustainable design for human use of the environment. This award is named in honour of Carl Borgstrom who, of all OALA’s founders, was the most actively in tune with the natural landscape.

Dougan & Associates Ecological Consulting & Design Dougan & Associates Ecological Consulting & Design was founded by James Dougan in 1981. As an ecologist and Honorary Member of the OALA, Jim’s deep understanding of ecology and his vision for what a healthy landscape could be led him to hire a landscape architect as his first employee.

Since that time, the firm has grown from a sole proprietorship to 16 employees with expertise in landscape architecture, terrestrial ecology, and GIS. Based in Guelph, Ontario, Dougan & Associates provides a wide range of services to the public and private sectors.

OALA JACK COPELAND AWARD FOR ASSOCIATE LEADERSHIP AND CONTRIBUTION: This award recognizes the outstanding leadership and contribution of an Associate for going above and beyond to assist fellow Associates. Activities include, but are not limited to, tutorials, LARE exam help, special tasks, OALA Library, special events, meeting Associates and others, including being an Associate representative on OALA Council.

This award is named after Jack Copeland, who passed away in 2013. Jack was an active Ottawa-area member who was an enthusiastic advocate for Associate members.

Maren Walker Since joining the OALA as an Associate member, Maren has been involved in Association activities. She joined the OALA Council in the spring of 2015 and has worked to ensure that Associates have the resources they need to become full members of the OALA. She has organized and facilitated LARE workshops and has improved upon the workshop coordination to ensure they are both effective and productive. Maren has located the most current online and downloadable resources to assist Associates in preparing for the LARE while aiding in the operation of the newly founded online support forums for members who are studying.

Aside from her role as the Associate representative Maren is also an active member of the Social Committee working to organize events for OALA members throughout the year and encouraging Associate participation.

OALA Awards

OALA HONORARY MEMBER AWARD: The Honorary category of membership is for non-landscape architects whom Council wishes to recognize for outstanding contributions in their own fields that improve the quality of natural and human environments.

Robert Gordon Robert Gordon is the recent past Dean of the Ontario Agricultural College and also a professor in the School of Environmental Sciences. He was appointed on August 1, 2008, and was serving his second five-year term until October, 2015, when he took a position at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo. As a researcher, Dean Gordon focused on environmental resource management at the farm level. He has dedicated the latter part of his career to the advancement of OAC, its departments, campuses, and research stations, as well as supporting Ontario’s agriculture and food industries and our environment and rural communities. Returning to the University of Guelph as the 14th Dean of OAC, he took leadership just as large financial cuts were imposed on the college. Dean Gordon proved to be a champion for the continued viability of the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development (SEDRD), which is home to Guelph’s landscape architecture, planning and capacity development, and extension programs.

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OALA EMERITUS MEMBER: Emeritus members are full members of the OALA who have ceased full-time practice and who are nominated by another full member in recognition of their years of service to the profession.

Owen Scott Owen Scott has been an OALA member since 1968 and a CSLA member since 1966, being elected to Fellowship in the CSLA in 1977. He has served as President of the OALA (1973-1975), the CSLA (19761978), and the Ontario Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (1984). He and his wife, Barbara, edited and published the country’s official landscape architectural magazine and journal, Landscape Architecture Canada, from 1975 to 1981, for which he was honoured with a CSLA Communications Award in 1980. He also served as chair of the memorable CSLA Congress in Kitchener in 1973, Secretary/Treasurer of the CSLA College of Fellows from 1979 to 1989, member of the CSLA Accreditation Council, and numerous other committees. His contributions to the community include chairing the City of Guelph’s LACAC (now Heritage Guelph), director of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, member of both the Advisory Board of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and the Advisory Council for the Centre for Canadian Historical Horticultural Studies.

OALA PINNACLE AWARD FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL EXCELLENCE: This award recognizes an OALA member and his or her professional work. It singles out specific projects to draw attention to a body of work which demonstrates outstanding professional accomplishment.

Cecelia Paine Cecelia has been an active member of the OALA for more than three decades, and during this period has made a substantive and remarkable contribution to the profession of landscape architecture and to our related landscape architectural associations, namely CSLA and LACF. Cecilia is a passionate landscape architect who has been committed to the profession over her long career. Her lifelong association with our profession began in the private sector, practising in Chicago and then in Ottawa over a period of 18 years.

Throughout the course of her career, Cecelia has received numerous juried awards in areas of professional practice, ranging from landscape architecture and planning to research, teaching, and communication.

She has served as President of both the OALA and the CSLA and was on both governing boards for several years.

Her significant service to the profession has been acknowledged with special recognitions including the prestigious national Schwabenbauer Award in 2009. Also, in evidence of her recognized commitment and contributions, Cecelia has been made a Fellow of both the CSLA and the ASLA.

Student Corner

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Networking, presentations, parties, after-parties, after-after parties—an attendee dishes on this annual event

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Ohio State University landscape architecture studio Cyrille Viola The bicycle shelters in downtown Columbus sport green roofs.

Adele Pierre

Student Corner

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text by Adele Pierre

Why attend LABash? That’s the question we were asking ourselves as we piled into a van at end of term to head down to Columbus, Ohio. Five of us MLA students had just presented our final project for community design studio, and one of our number was in the final stages of writing a thesis. We were tired and bleary-eyed, not sure we were up for a long drive and conference. We arrived in Columbus in the evening, met up with six University of Guelph BLA students who had driven down as well, caught site of the smiling face of Amanda Berry, OALA, at one of the sponsor booths, and then set out to meet more than 300 landscape architecture students from across the continent.

LABash originated in 1970 at the University of Guelph, and each year it is planned, organized, and run by students for students.

Because our programs are studio-based, landscape architecture schools tend to be small in size. LABash brings together hundreds of students and professionals— a broad community connecting through inspiring talks, informative seminars, good meals, and great parties.

The opening keynote address was given

by Brad McKee, editor of Landscape Architecture Magazine. He set the tone for the conference, speaking eloquently about the need for social justice through use of land. After citing instances of environmental degradation, particularly lead pollution in his home town of Desloges, Missouri, he ended his talk with reference to the work of Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, FCSLA, who is planning, building, and planting with deep respect for land and culture.

The evening concluded with what proved to be a recurring theme: lots of food and drink accompanied by animated conversation.

Where are you from? What school? What kind of courses and projects? What will you do after? For Laura Williams, a student at the University of Guelph, “The best part about LABash was networking with like-minded students from across North America. It’s inspiring to talk to talented people with similar interests who want to create positive change in the world.”

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Throughout the weekend, the keynote speakers stressed the importance of creating positive change, not through massive projects, but by improving existing spaces and connecting people to place. Shannon Nichol of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol spoke about the Pike-Pine Renaissance project in Seattle, creating connectivity from a neighbourhood to the waterfront by overcoming the barrier of a busy commercial street. Laura Solano presented the Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Inc. master plan for the Lower Don Lands in Toronto, showing the creation of a healthy ecosystem at the mouth of the Don River while providing green space for residents nearby. The speakers were not shy about presenting the challenges of their projects and reminding us of the importance of thorough analysis both of land and culture.

Friday and Saturday were filled with informative sessions and tours. The sessions were incredibly diverse, with 53 professionals offering advice on topics such as: the need for nature in play; designing an office space; creating budgets; Green Street initiatives; working in an interdisciplinary firm; BIM (building information modelling); the importance of construction knowledge (very important); and composting. Many of the topics were familiar to us but took on new meaning when shared with colleagues from diverse locations.

University of Guelph student Cyrille Viola opted to go on a tour of the Ohio State landscape architecture studio: “I enjoyed the opportunity to see the type and scope of projects the

students are working on, and the technologies that are being used in the classroom, particularly the 3D printers. I also enjoyed experiencing the landscape architecture culture outside of Canada.” Saturday morning featured a career fair, and professionals offered to meet with students for one on one portfolio review. Karen Shlemkevich, another University of Guelph student, came back energized from a productive session of good criticism and positive feedback. She found out later that her reviewer, Chad Danos, is the current president of the ASLA. The conference was inspiring, educational, and, above all, a chance to broaden our perspectives in a warm and receptive community. Mealtimes and social events were times to meet new people, talk to students and professionals, and have a great time.

The social events each evening were hosted in unique venues, the parties were fun, and everyone was invited to the after-party, then the after-after party. The students of Ohio State proved to be warm and welcoming hosts, and during the closing ceremony they handed over planning of LABash 2017 to the University of Maryland.

Will it be worth going? Absolutely.

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Adele Pierre is an MLA candidate at the University of Guelph, with a special interest in the use of Geodesign tools and technologies to manage urban stormwater.

She is also a professional violinist and landscape designer, living the good life on an acreage in Haldimand County where she and her husband have a large vegetable garden, laying hens, honey bees, and an extensive collection of native flowering shrubs and perennials to feed the bees.

Plant Corner

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text by Sean James

Of the non-native plants that arrive in Canada, whether accidentally or deliberately through nursery introduction, only one percent becomes a problem. Of that one percent, 60 percent are brought in for ornamental purposes—in other words, by us.

While there are situations in which nonnative species aren’t likely to escape into natural areas and disrupt native plants, there are many locations, even in cities, such as along ravines, where enormous damage can be done to wildlife, plant diversity, and even soil stability.

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Norway maple (Acer platanoides ‘Crimson King’) is an invasive non- native tree.

Sean James Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica)

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Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

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Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus) fall colour

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Freeman maple (Acer X freemanii)

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Forest Pansy redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’)

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better adapted to local climates and pests, ultimately making landscapes more resilient.

It’s often said that the public demands certain species even though they can damage the environment. For example, many nurseries still grow the non-native, invasive Crimson King Norway maple because of perceived demand. However, people’s likes, dislikes, and expectations/ preconceptions can be changed through education. It’s important to spread the message that native plants are often

Let’s start with dry shade, a notoriously difficult growing condition. The following natives are excellent choices. Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum) has amazing architecture and delicate spring flowers.

Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus) spreads slowly in dry shade, forming a fourfoot-tall thicket with great, bold texture, bright magenta flowers in June, and soft yellow fall colour. It can be fairly aggressive in fertile soil, or areas that are irrigated, but it’s the perfect plant for dry areas. It’s also food for wildlife, though its fruit is usually too dry for humans to eat. Pennsylvania sedge (Carex pensylvanica) offers great texture and is semi-evergreen. Each of these suggestions is an excellent alternative to plants that invade our wild areas (and are difficult to keep in check in our landscapes) such as the non-native goutweed, periwinkle, and English ivy.

So, what are some great native and noninvasive alternatives to invasive species?

Sean James Red oak (Quercus rubra) fall colour Sean James Chokeberry (Aronia abutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’) fall colour Sean James

Grey-twigged dogwood (Cornus racemosa) fall colour

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Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and monarch

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Sean James Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor)

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Fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata)

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In rural areas, it’s easy for introduced seeds to make the leap from the landscape to the field or forest. This is especially the case with wind-borne seeds and with berries that birds eat and transport.

Schubert cherry (Prunus virginiana ‘Schubert’)

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There’s an irony with natives for dry shade in that even though they’re bulletproof once established, they need much more attention for the first year in order to get their roots deep into the soil. Mulching helps with this, but people need to be taught how to water properly if the xeriscape is to survive.

Barring rainfall, xeriscape plants need half an inch of irrigation, twice a week, for the first two months, and an inch a week for the remainder of the first year. This encourages roots to reach deep into the soil, one of several characteristics that give xerophytic plants their drought tolerance.

Plant Corner

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rich burgundy fall colour, and interesting seed heads in winter. Chokeberry (Aronia sp.) also has many seasons of interest, and the various nativars of ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius cvs.) are great in many settings, including rain gardens.

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stunning fall colour and bring beauty to the garden, attracting butterflies and birds and increasing biodiversity, thereby keeping pest populations down.

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Trees and shrubs? The invasive tree that does the most damage is Norway maple, since it germinates so easily and casts dense shade, making the establishment of groundcover plants difficult. Norway maple is a biological black hole—so few native creatures can make use of it for food. An alternative is the cultivar of the native cherry tree, Schubert cherry (Prunus virginiana

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The Ontario Invasive Plant Council, with the help of Landscape Ontario and many others, has put together a booklet, Grow Me Instead, which lays out some invasive species and some native and non-invasive alternatives. It is available for free download at ontarioinvasiveplants.ca.

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‘Schubert’), which provides beautiful purple colour. (A drawback is its susceptibility to black knot, a fungal disease; however, if pruned in August, the disease doesn’t spread.) Forest Pansy redbud (Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’) is also excellent in sheltered areas and offers remarkable spring flowers. Red oak (Quercus rubra) and Freeman maple (Acer X freemanii cvs.) offer

Invasive wetland plants such as yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus), yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltata), and flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) are all prone to escaping from our gardens to the wild. Great alternatives to these species include blue flag (Iris versicolor), which tolerates a wide variety of situations including salty roadside bioswales and rain gardens; fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata), which grows and blooms strongly and smells like peaches and cream; and pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata), a butterfly magnet that blooms in mid-summer.

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There are several excellent alternatives to the commonly planted invasive shrubs Russian olive, burning bush, and honeysuckle. Greytwig dogwood (Cornus racemosa) offers early summer flowers, ivory berries for the birds,

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Sean James is a graduate of the Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, the owner of Fern Ridge Landscaping & Eco-consulting, and Chair of Landscape Ontario’s Environmental Stewardship Committee.

Research Corner

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Jocelyn Hirtes in conversation with Dr. Manish Raizada, a researcher at the University of Guelph, on his research into low-cost technologies that reduce the need for synthetic pesticides Jocelyn Hirtes (JH): You’ve done a significant amount of work with crops such as corn, and you have expanded your research to include alternatives to pesticides for other crops, including turf grass. I’d like to discuss the biological control of weeds such as dandelions in turf grass using probiotic microbes. I understand your research involves discovering novel endophytes that can be used as probiotics. Could you explain what novel endophytes are?

Manish Raizada (MR): An endophyte is a microbe, typically a bacteria or a fungus, that inhabits the internal tissues of a plant without causing disease. They’re analogous to the probiotic microbes that inhabit the human intestinal tract which, for example, help us to digest milk. If you were to look at any particular plant tissue, root, shoot, or seed, they have dozens to hundreds of different species of naturally living bacteria or fungi. These endophytes are in a symbiotic relationship with their host plant. Their functions appear to be to help the plant combat disease and pests, and to acquire nutrients from the soil. Other research suggests that they even help the plant resist certain types of stress, such as drought. Endophytes, in general, seem to represent a relatively untapped reservoir of technology for agriculture, including turf grass systems, but most endophytes remain to be explored.

We think this is on the order of thousands, maybe tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of species living inside plants that remain to be explored. I think it’s a very exciting era that we’re entering into.

JH: What led you to undertake this research?

MR: We had discovered a couple of hundred bacterial endophytes that live inside different corn varieties, including wild relatives. We did initial tests to determine if these microbes could help plants increase their growth. We happened to only have access to potatoes in which the naturally occurring microbes had been removed. So we injected the endophytes from the corn into the potatoes, and to our surprise it actually inhibited the growth of potato rather than increasing it. Potato comes from a very different genetic family than corn.

They’re evolutionarily distant by about a hundred and fifty million years. Corn and other grasses are monocots, which means single seed, whereas potato belongs to the dicot family, or two seeds. Think of peanuts—they are dicots. When you eat a peanut, there’s two halves to the peanut.

So, we then had this idea. Given that turf grass (a monocot) is closely related to corn, and dandelion (a dicot) is closely related to potato, we thought that if we were to spray endophytes in a turf field, it would have no negative effect on turf grass (and might even help the turf grass), but it might suppress the dandelion. And, in fact, that’s what turned out to be the case.

JH: Does this method suppress any other weeds or have you just worked with dandelions?

MR: We’re just doing those experiments right now, so I can’t say anything conclusive at this point.

JH: Are there any products on the market now or that will soon come to market? How will the endophytes actually get into the plants? Will they be injected?

MR: Yes, there are some products on the market. Golf courses already spray their turf grass with microbes. They may not be endophytes, however. The product would be available as a powder, or would be mixed with another substance like clay, and you would add water to it. You would need a backpack

Research Corner

sprayer to apply it. The liquid solution would get in through the tiny natural cracks in the plant’s surface, at branch unions or through the stomata, which are the microscopic pores on a leaf surface. Since some endophytes work better at a specific temperature—for example, some at 35 degrees, some at 22 degrees—the spray could be a mix of endophytes. Biotech industries and the endophyte industry think this is an important topic. People want specific herbicides. These endophytes are specific, too.

JH: Would this application be for commercial uses, like sod farms, or could homeowners conceivably use these products on their front lawns?

MR: This would definitely be easier for commercial use than for homeowners, but the potential application is definitely there.

Especially where pesticides have been banned for residential use.

JH: Do you anticipate having to obtain federal approval for the use of this product, or because it’s a natural, non-harmful product, would there be no regulation? Also, do you think there would be any push back from the pesticide industry against this more low-cost technology?

MR: With regard to the first question, yes, this is under federal regulation, and so if we have success in the field, it will need to be approved by the federal government before it can be released commercially. That is not a short process, and it is not a cheap process. With regard to the second part of your question, large biotech companies are now investing hundreds of millions of dollars into endophytes, as well as other microbes.

They actually see this as a future growth technology. GMOs have become so expensive—it takes about five hundred million dollars now to get one GMO to market—and because there’s push back in terms of public acceptance, the companies are now looking towards other technologies. The nice thing is

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that these microbes are a rare example of a technology that the organic industry likes and favours. I don’t think there will be push back from some pesticide companies. Quite the opposite. I think there’s actually a lot of support for this—they view it as a new growth business. I don’t want to claim that these microbes will take the place of pesticides, but I think there’s a place for them. In areas that have pesticide bans, this technology is a good option, potentially.

essential. The traditional pesticide industry spends a lot of time with the formulation— for example, to make it stick to the plant, to make sure the chemical is stable under different temperature conditions. Our industry, the endophyte industry, has to do the same thing, and it does take some time and resources to do that.

Unlike a herbicide or pesticide, a potential advantage of these microbes is that they could have a multipurpose trait. As an example, we have a microbe that appears to combat dandelions. But if you spray it onto a turf field, it also suppresses the most important disease of turf grass called Dollar Spot disease. It’s quite possible, in addition, that this microbe might have some nutrient benefits. It might help the plant acquire nutrients from the soil.

MR: The monetary cost may end up being less expensive, but it depends on the extent that the endophyte can persist across seasons. That’s something we’re also studying.

What we’re hoping is that once you spray it onto a lawn, the endophyte will persist in turf, or possibly even in the soil, across seasons, so you get a multi-season benefit.

If that happens, then this technology will be cheaper. If that does not happen, I don’t think it will be cheaper. The other opportunity is its multifunction benefit. If it does provide multifunction benefit, then depending on what those benefits are, that might bring the overall costs down for the owner of that field in terms of maintenance.

JH: Will this work as well as regular herbicides in terms of suppressing weed growth?

MR: It may not be as good as a herbicide, but it may provide additional benefit. We don’t know for sure at this point, but in general what we see in our endophyte research for different problems is that it’s not always 100 percent reliable. These are biological organisms, so if it’s a very hot day, or if it’s not humid enough, or if you’re spraying with some other chemical that might damage these microbes—all of these things combined can create variability. One of our missions is to understand how this environmental variability impacts the microbes’ effectiveness, and if there’s any way to mitigate that. For example, we’re combining different microbes—one may work well at 23 degrees Celsius, another works great at 35 degrees Celsius. So that’s one way of doing it, by pyramiding microbes.

Another is by changing the spray formulation—for example, adding some nutrients to the spray, or even coating microbes with a sugar-type agent, a gel-type agent that protects them before they can enter the plant. The spray formulation is really

JH: Do you anticipate that this would actually cost less than a traditional herbicide?

JH: Thank you very much for you time, Dr. Raizada.

MR: Thank you. I’d like to add that this research was supported by the Ontario Turf Grass Research Foundation, as well as a grant by the Agriculture Adaptation Council, of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Canada. Dylan Harding is the person actually doing the research.

Notes

Notes: A Miscellany of News and Events

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books A number of interesting books have come to Ground’s attention. Victory Gardens for Bees (Douglas & McIntyre), by Vancouver beekeeper and artist Lori Weidenhammer, investigates the honey bee crisis and offers plans for bee-friendly gardens and plants.

Architect and newspaper columnist Avi Friedman’s A View From the Porch: Rethinking Home and Community Design (Véhicule Press) presents a series of essays about car-oriented urban design and alternatives.

Thoreau’s Wildflowers (Yale University Press), edited by Geoff Wisner, with illustrations by Barry Moser, is a selection of Thoreau’s flower and nature writings, along with philosophical musings. Guerrilla gardening—the practice of cultivating land, without permission, for urban agriculture—is a relatively neglected topic in academic literature. Informal Urban Agriculture: The Secret Lives of Guerrilla Gardeners (Springer), by Michael Hardman and Peter J. Larkham, explores this underground movement, presenting the stories and the philosophies of people and groups engaged in this somewhat controversial activity. Permaculture and Climate Change Adaptation (Permanent Publications), by Thomas Henfrey and Gil Penha-Lopes, draws on case studies to provide detailed descriptions of practical applications of permaculture, a design system for sustainable human habitats. Urban Revolutions: A Woman’s Guide to Two-Wheeled Transportation (Microcosm Publishing), by New Orleans transportation planner Emilie Bahr, demystifies urban bicycling and explores what it means for a city to be bike-friendly. Landscape designer Margie Ruddick delivers an inspirational guide to innovative landscape design that integrates ecology, urban planning, and culture in Wild by Design: Strategies for Creating Life-Enhancing Landscapes (Island Press).

Planting in a Post-WIld World (Timber Press), by two leading voices in ecological landscape design, Claudia West and Thomas Rainer, presents a powerful alternative to traditional horticulture: designed plantings that function like naturally occurring plant communities and are resilient, beautiful, and diverse. Terra Preta: How the World’s Most Fertile Soil Can Help Reverse Climate Change and Reduce

World Hunger (Greystone Books), by Ute Scheub, Haiko Pieplow, Hans-Peter Schmidt, and Kathleen Draper, explores how the key component of terra preta, biochar (charcoal made from organic wastes exposed to heat in a low-oxygen environment), could solve two of the greatest problems facing the world: climate change and the hunger crisis.

The book includes instructions on how to make terra preta at home on the smallest of garden plots, in urban or rural settings.

parks Running until September 30, 2016, Arts in the Parks is a series of events that brings arts to parks across Toronto. Hosted by the Toronto Arts Foundation, the free series encourages community building and enjoyment of local parks through dance, music, theatre, film, and temporary installations. For more information, visit www.artsintheparksto.org.

exhibitions in/FUTURE: A Transformative Art Experience, presented by Art Spin in association with Small World Music Festival, will be held at Ontario Place, in Toronto, in September, 2016. Innovative arts organizations and more than 40 individual artists will come together to animate Ontario Place’s indoor and outdoor pavilions, including the site’s iconic Cinesphere. Visit www.infuture.ca for more information.

green roofs “CitiesAlive: 14th Annual Green Roof & Wall Conference” will be held in Washington, D.C., on November 1-4, 2016. The event will focus on stormwater management—policies, technologies, design, and best management practice. For more information, visit www.citiesalive.org.

Notes

Jerry walked through most of his adult life with his wife, best friend, and soul mate, Leida. Their 40th wedding anniversary would have been on June 12 of this year.

Jerry was a dedicated and loving father to his children, John and Alison. He shared his love and acceptance freely and was seen by many as a mentor and father figure.

01

in memoriam Gerald George Englar Gerald George Englar, who celebrated his 80th birthday this past winter, passed away on May 15, 2016. To the end, Jerry exuded a positive attitude and an appreciation of life. He lived with cancer for 23 years and instead of allowing this disease to define him and beat him down, he embraced the challenge and experienced every moment to its fullest.

Jerry’s exuberance for life was infectious: he spurred on creativity and action in others. Among many of Jerry’s great passions were art and music. Trained as a landscape architect at Michigan State University and Harvard University (1965), Jerry had a zeal and talent for drawing. He was a prolific painter and many of his great works depicted panoramic landscapes and structures from his home on the Toronto Islands. Jerry decided to pursue a career in landscape architecture as it combined two of the things he loved most: drawing and gardening. Jerry worked in private practice and was also a tenured professor at the University of Toronto.

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Gerald George Englar Courtesy of Alison Englar-Carlson

Jerry could often be heard singing and playing the horn or the ukulele. He played weekly with his buddies on music nights and was always up for a good street parade or protest about politics or the environment. Jerry provided a glowing example of living life through his commitment to professional and personal excellence. He touched the world in a positive light in many ways, leaving a legacy of art, music, joy, style, and love.

ravines The City of Toronto is consulting with the public on a Ravine Strategy, which is being co-led by Garth Armour, OALA, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and Jane Welsh, OALA, City Planning. The final strategy will be released in the spring of 2017. For more information, visit www.toronto.ca/ravine.

restoration “Urban Ravine Restoration: Plants, Plans and Progress,” a one-day symposium being held at the Toronto Botanical Garden on October 28, 2016, will bring together advocates, scientists, and stewards to discuss exciting ravine-focused initiatives and research.

Visit www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca/ symposium for more information and to register.

awards A new garden awards program has been inaugurated in Hamilton. The Monarch Awards recognize gardeners who contribute to a biodiverse and sustainable environment, including pollinator habitat, native plants, and rainwater capture. For more information, visit www.monarchawardshamilton.org.

magazines Great summer reading can be found in Scapegoat, a magazine that explores architecture, landscape, and political economy.

The recent issue’s theme is Night, looking at the aesthetics, politics, and technologies of the urban night. For more information, visit www.scapegoatjournal.org.

new members The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects is proud to recognize and welcome the following new full members to the Association: Colin Baddeley

Darcie McIsaac *

Christopher Baker

Angela Mourao

Kirstenn Brown *

Nicholas Onody

Sandra Cappuccitti

Sabrina Parent

Erik Coleman *

Kyle Poole *

Tonya Crawford

Jessica Russell Euser

Heather Cullen

Devin Segal

Ding Ding

Sarah Taslimi

Audrey Fung

Shane Taylor

Jude Gaboury *

Leila Fazel Todd *

Gillian Hutchison

Mark Zuzinjak

Brian Jacobs

Asterisk (*) denotes Full Members without the use of professional seal.

conferences The Ontario Invasive Plant Council and the Carolinian Canada Coalition are joining forces to host OIPC’s Invasive Plant Conference/Annual General Meeting and Carolinian Canada’s annual Ecosystem Recovery Forum at the Toronto Botanical Garden, October 25-26, 2016. “Restoring Resilience: Big Impacts Across Small Spaces” will focus on recovering ecosystem health at all scales, from backyards to landscapes, in the context of changing climate, biodiversity loss, invasive species, and the growing disconnect between society and nature.

The keynote speaker is Douglas Tallamy, author of Bringing Nature Home. For more information, visit www.caroliniancanada.ca.

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Artifact

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01 text by Lorraine Johnson

Visual artist Christina Kingsbury and poet Anna Bowen’s collaborative project at the former Eastview Landfill site in Guelph, Ontario, straddles sculpture and craft, in a creatively declarative gesture of healing.

With public participation, Kingsbury stitched together a 2,000-square-foot quilt, composed of handmade paper embedded with local native seeds, and, in 2014-2015, laid it over the damaged land(fill). Anna Bowen’s poetry evocatively explores the artist’s work and dozens of stories collected on and about the site.

With decomposition comes renewal—a pollinator garden that flourishes as the paper decays, seeded with possibilities.

ReMediate, an exhibition at the Boarding House Gallery in Guelph until July 23, 2016, documents the collective labours of this project through video, poetry, photography, and installation. A book (of photographs, Anna Bowen’s poems, and an essay) about the project, published by Publication Studio Guelph and the Art Gallery of Guelph, is also available.

BIO/ Lorraine Johnson is the editor of Ground.

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Anna Bowen’s poetry was presented on site in 2014 and 2015 as an audio installation. Selections of her text were also printed directly onto the quilt.

Scott McGovern

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More than 40 different species of native plants were seeded into the quilt.

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Tallgrass prairie and meadow ecosystems provide ample forage and nesting habitat for pollinators.

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The Eastview Landfill site was historically wetland and, in part, farmland. The landfill was in operation from 1961 to 2003 and contains 4 1/2 million tonnes of waste.

IMAGE/

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Scott McGovern

Robert Kingsbury

Anna Bowen

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