Productive Suburban Landscapes by Taylor

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TAYLOR OLSON CAL POLY POMONA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE LA401 LANDSCAPE DESIGN LECTURE INSTRUCTOR: ANDREW WILCOX

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Intro (SUB)URBAN LANDSCAPES Mark Lakeman Quail Ridge Landscape urbanism Smart Growth New urbanism Green urbanism

4 6 10 14 16 18 20 22

MESSY ECOSYSTEMS Regenerative Studies Pastiche Preadaptation Ruderal Landscapes Anecophyte

24 28 30 32 34 36

SPONTANEOUS URBAN VEGETATION Permeable Spaces Architecture of the Wierd Enrique Norton Conclusion Sources

38 42 44 46 48 50

INTRO

Suburbs have a long history of unsustainable building practices that separate neighbhorhoods from cities, and each other. The introduction of permaculture and new urbanism is the most efficient way to improve our most cherished landscapes. Creating productive ecosystems out of suburbia not only allows for sustainable growth but encourages a sense of community.

BAN )UR (SUB

As a landscape architecture student, my primary objectives for my professional career includes the promotion of permaculture, sustainable living, and a sense of community. There is no better place to practice these aims than the suburban environment. In his paper, Landscape (Sub)Urbanism In Theory and Practice, Richard Wells applies landscape urbanism principles to the ever-evolving suburban landscape, considering new ways that landscape architects can have an impact on the future of suburban life and ecology. Urban sprawl is generally considered unhealthy. It destroys agriculture land and local habitats, increases runoff, damages waterways, is not aesthetically pleasing, and allows for non-energy efficient homes to be built. Sprawl is becoming not only more common but necessary for the accommodation of a rapidly increasing population. Landscape urbanism begins to express the significant role of landscape in this setting, and follows a series of goals to accommodate the pressing issue of sprawl. Overall these goals include; bridging the gap between landscape designs, ecology and planning while adding more creativity and rationality where necessary, engaging the city while embracing its chaotic nature, understanding the forces at work on the site and respond to them, and creating open-ended designs that allow for evolution. This plan to revolutionize the suburban landscape is reminiscent of Communitectureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Oregon. Communitecture emphasizes the revitalization of communities through the introduction of permaculture and shared yards. The majority of their projects result in an increased sense of safety in otherwise unfriendly neighborhoods, an increased sense of community and shared history, and an ecologically sustainable and productive series of landscapes. The success of landscape urbanism projects in Oregon, particularly Portland, is even mentioned in Wellsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; paper.

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Landscape (Sub)Urbanism seeks to find the balance between ecological and suburban systems; the organic with the mechanical, the site specific with the generic. This sort of paradoxical set of goals appears to be a reaction to existing suburban mechanical systems in an attempt to bring an ecological and historical perspective to give meaning to a site. An experimental suburban community on the outskirts of Perth, Australia attempted to live up to the combined ideas of this emerging ideology. Despite their attempts to link the development to its surroundings, preserve open space, and achieve viable wildlife corridors, the site was not considered successful in all aspects of landscape urbanism. The attempt was at least considered innovative and attempted an operating strategy that has been missing in previous development projects. The issues still left unresolved include, â&#x20AC;&#x153;How to reconcile environmental values and human needs, how to give material form to ecological processes and values, and finally, how to conceive of local actions within a regional context.â&#x20AC;? The last thoughts of the paper include this riddle, which intrigued me even further to continue to develop ideas on sustainable living. The reconciliation of the environment with human needs is an exceptionally challenging question, made almost impossible by our modern expectations. Another question I might add to this list is how can we successfully transform existing communities into an acceptable version of sprawl? cile these different approaches but landscape (sub) urbanism seems to be headed in the right direction. 8

MARK

I thought my choice had been so easy And it was. Landscape architecture immediately struck a chord With every aspect of my personality As a freshman in high school And there I was 4 years later A freshman in college Only now realizing I had secondary decisions to make

A focus of study Something I am passionate about. And one day Mark Lakeman came to Cal Poly Pomona. As a dutiful first year student I attended his lecture after class I was immediately absorbed. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait to get started He spoke of concepts That added to the chords of landscape architecture Still playing in my mind Now forming a song out of my jumbled thoughts The notes: Community...Sustainability...farming...Permaculture...Neighborhoods... Taking back our public space Ideals of a child So simple, so perfect Made into reality I never forgot his words. How the works of Communitecture Transformed neighborhoods Reducing crime Increasing that sense of community That our prescribed neighborhood grids no longer provide His words were the motivation I needed The link I needed to attach landscape to life To problem solving To the ailments of our society And our disconnected suburban life we have grown so used to. An office in Portland That I wish to call my own Just another goal to conquer Maybe in another 4 years

I have forgotten their names

Crab grass dominates the dying lawns

Surrounded on all sides

I walk

I smile and wave

Keeping my head down

A safe greeting

Following the familiar path

I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the people

I see our fences

Living less than 50 feet from myself

Our separate lives

One without fences

Wrought iron, vinyl and wood posts

A place to utilize our land, our hands, our neighbors

A segregation of the present

I cross yet another empty field Right behind our organized chaos Is a less traveled hiking trail

Large open spaces covered in grass Flat Unproductive I imagine a space rarely seen

Nearing my goal

I survey the context of my world

I begin to run

A house among the thousands that surround this little hill

I run through the fields of wild mustard Taking in the scent of native sumacs and Artemisia

A home all its own A rarity of preservation

Along the first bend

I gratefully make the climb

A rigid snake

Despite the steep incline

Mirroring our city grids

A refuge for native creatures and plants alike

A landmark despite our intervention

Higher and higher

Anaheim is a derivative

I can see beyond my own small world

A river and a home

The Santa Ana River

How our neighborhoods have changed... 14

QUAIL RIDGE

LANDSCAPE URBANISM â&#x20AC;&#x153;...appears to offer a way to consider the complex urban condition; one that is capable of tackling infrastructure, water management, biodiversity, and human activity; and one that asks and examines the implications of the city in the landscape and landscape in the city. â&#x20AC;? Christopher Gray Scenario Journal 2011

Landscape urbanism is a crucial concept for our ever-growing population. Also a necessity to combat unsustainable sprawl, this ideal is used to repair environmental damage closest to our homes. Overall the goals of landscape urbanism include; bridging the gap between landscape designs, ecology and planning while adding more creativity and rationality where necessary, engaging the city while embracing its chaotic nature, understanding the forces at work on the site and respond to them, and creating open-ended designs that allow for evolution. All of these aims are reactions to sprawl and unsustainable urban growth. By embracing what we have already build, we can turn our cities and neighborhoods into a sustainable network for future growth.

SMART GROWTH “smart growth is about conserving open space, limiting sprawl, compacting mixeduse development, revitalising old centres, enhancing public transport networks, and sharing development costs equitably.” Arthur C. Nelson (2002, 86–88)

Focusing on the social and economic causes of sprawl, smart growth also shares ideals with both new urbanism and landscape urbanism. Smart growth is unique in its use of planning and policies to control the city growth. It does share however, landscape urbanisms goal of â&#x20AC;&#x153;engaging processes rather than superimposing forms.â&#x20AC;? This policy relies on both the efficiency of urban mechanisms of control as well as working with the urban environment to reveal existing forms. The significance of this approach lies in the shift from a grid-like, rigid urban environment to one that acts as a system of ecological function.

NEW URBANISM “new urbanism is preoccupied with the formal aesthetics of development ...to avoid sprawl means residential density must increase” Landscape (Sub)Urbanism In Theory and Practice

In contrast with smart growth and landscape urbanism, new urbanism embraces the density of city life and encourages with mixed use residential areas in the hearts of cities. The reasoning behind this idea is the minimization of sprawl by concentrating as many people as possible in the urban environment. Probably one of the more popular solutions to sprawl, the resulting multi-use spaces have the ability to reduce the need for transportation and provide functional areas otherwise inaccessible in the city. This technique can be difficult to apply in existing conditions however, and will not be a permanent solution.

GREEN URBANISM â&#x20AC;&#x153;Green Urbanism is a conceptual model for zero-emission and zero-waste urban design, which arose in the 1990s, promoting compact energy-efficient urban development, seeking to transform and re-engineer existing city districts and regenerate the postindustrial city centre.â&#x20AC;? Steffen Lehmann Sapiens Oct 12, 2010

The implementation of a truly green urban environment encompasses the management of energy , wastewater, pollution, recycling, nature, conservation, endangered species, and public transportation. Green urbanists share the idea of avoiding sprawl by increasing density in cities with new urbanism. However, green urbanism takes a regional point of view, focusing on the long term planning of a space. This is good news for the temporary fix of housing density, as a long-term plan would allow for the reuse or deconstruction of older residential districts.

MESSY ECOSYSTEM “Nature will speak for itselfif only human beings will quit interrupting.”

This quote from Joan Iverson Nassauer’s essay, Messy Ecosystems, Orderly Frames, immediately caught my attention. Her description of people’s reaction to ‘natural’ nature- often seen as an eyesore or dangerexamines how we have come to associate nature will more picturesque scenery than the reality of a sustainable ecosystem. Culture and societal influence has essentially brainwashed the public into this wellmaintained and monotonous plant palate. The public may voice their desires for more sustainable living, but they are not willing to sacrifice their perfectly manicured lawns and manufactured views of greenery.

The death of so many lawns in the current drought, a fact I have heard multiple complaints about, has actually brought me a significant amount of satisfaction to witness. I hope this wake-up call will not only transform our thirsty residential landscapes into more sustainable varieties, but educate the public on the many ecological impacts and functions a yard can possess. Nassauer accurately states how a landscape is a communication tool, used commonly when seeking approval from neighbors. She also says we need to â&#x20AC;&#x153;frame ecological function within a recognizable system of form.â&#x20AC;? A neat and orderly landscape is most often associated with human desire to control, but Nassauer points out that the control exhibited is also a sign of social interaction- indicating that humans frequently venture there. The indication of human intention in a site is crucial to how the land is perceived.

A space can either be considered not natural enough (a prairieland), or too natural (a densely wooded forest), leading to the manipulation of the ecosystem until it resembles an eighteenth century picturesque painting rather than a functioning landscape. This was a common discussion in a previous landscape architecture design lecture. I remember the multitude of ways to add a touch of human intention to a space that would otherwise appear dangerous or undesirable for some of the public. Adding birdhouses, fencing, pathways, mowed grassy areas or other signs of human presence can help in making a space feel more comfortable and safe for the user. Nassauer continues to say that the expression that a landscape is being cared for is the primary factor for the determination of an appealing landscape. The rejection of more ‘natural’ landscapes that serve a more significant ecological function by the public is an indication of the need for landscape designs that fit within the cultural and social expectation of a ‘beautiful’ landscape. This means working with a baseline of ecological function and placing it within the framework that our society has set up to define a landscape. This design shift will lead to the education of the public and a network of ecologically functional residences and public spaces.

REGENERATIVE STUDIES

The Lyle Center on the Cal Poly Pomona campus has a history of sustainable living practices and experiments. From the agriculture fields to the living quarters, this center maximizes the land to provide the most production per acre. A few discoveries that I made in my wandering around the facility was the living situation of the ‘dorms’ available to students. They have private bedroom space but communal kitchen areas. The residents also take turns making dinners every night, equally distributing the work among the housemates. Other community areas include a small stage and stadium seating area behind the Pineapple guava trees. Additionally, for a small quarterly fee, they offer a pick of the fresh vegetables grown on site every season. Their large harvest is generously shared for around $20 a quarter. The crop layout seems to still mirror traditional crop rows. However the plantings around the ponds on the site have more of a mixed planting bed. I would be curious to learn more about their water use policies for irrigation. While this type of communal living would be ideal for sustainability, I would be interested to see something more along the lines of the Earthships in New Mexico. Their current housing appears to be fairly traditional in architectural style. Pomona College has a dome ‘Earthship’ structure within an edible garden with a similar concept of passive heating and cooling. Overall, the site appears to be fairly productive along the lines of agriculture, but I would like to see a shift in their housing .

PASTICHE â&#x20AC;&#x153;something (such as a piece of writing, music, etc.) that imitates the style of someone or something else : a piece of writing, music, etc., that is made up of selections from different works : a mixture of different thingsâ&#x20AC;? Mirriam Webster Dictionary

The concept of Pastiche as imitation arises in all of the selected readings. On the one hand you have Landscape (Sub) Urbanism emphasizing the use of existing systems to inform design, and on the other you have the Messy Ecosystems reading calling for the necessity to change existing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;naturalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; areas to make them less intimidating. Interestingly pastiche may also refer to a mixture of different things, this most readily pertains to the results seen after applying landscape urbanism principles to an existing city site, creating a new entity from the combination of urban and environmental systems.

PREADAPTATION â&#x20AC;&#x153;a character of an organism or taxonomic group that takes on a function when none previously existed or that differs from its existing function which has been derived by evolution; also : the possession of one or more such charactersâ&#x20AC;? Merriam Webster Dictionary

RUDERAL LANDSCAPES “consists of marginal or degraded urban land that receives little or no maintenance and is dominated by spontaneous vegetation—a cosmopolitan mix of species that grows and reproduces without human care or intent.” Spontaneous Urban Vegetation 2011

Ruderal landscapes are those spaces that are filled with various â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;preadaptedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; plants that thrive in the conditions imposed by the urban environment. These spaces are often on the outskirts of industrial areas, abandoned residential or commercial areas, or near transportation structures. These unkempt landscapes are poised for productive use in the community, or to connect back to existing residential areas. There is a challenge in the maintenance of these neglected spaces, but as stated previously, using them as a network to connect back to communities would encourage their regular use and care.

ANECOPHYTE “Any plant found only in human-created habitats” Dictionary.com

The concept of hybridization and evolution is most apparent in anecophyte species. This plant material may also be found in ruderal landscapes. Anecophytes can be associated with agriculture, urban or industrial areas. The presence of species in agricultural areas indicates a species that has the potential to provide a more sustainable food source for the nearby population. Those in urban or industrial areas indicate species more tolerant to either foot traffic, pollution or other climatic conditions. Utilizing these species as food or for pollution remediation would need to be investigated further before use.

SPONTANEOUS URBAN VEGETATION Urban areas are notorious for the alteration of natural ecologies. Despite the shift in growing conditions, stresstolerant, early successional vegetation has thrived in neglected or low-traffic areas of the city. Peter Del Tredici explores the possibility of managing this ‘spontaneous urban vegetation’ to restore ecosystems. Emma Marris’ Rambunctious Garden, expressed a similar idea of embracing invasive or nonnative species that thrive in a particular environment, rather than attempt the removal of these opportunistic plants.

While Tredici points out the presence of urban areas is correlated with increased exotic plant success, he also acknowledges the positive effects of the city elements on growing conditions. “Elevated levels of carbon dioxide, altered solar radiation regimens, altered wind patterns, decreased humidity, increased or decreased ozone levels, increased soil and air temperatures, and extended growing season length,” all significantly contribute to the success of exotic or invasive species. Hybridized plants that thrive in the urban environment are a key factor in this urban diversity. The idea of adaptation to the city environment is a crucial design consideration, especially with population increase and the expansion of our cities. As the history of plant ‘immigration’ is discussed, from groups like the original colonials or the Japanese in 1853, the evolution of our plant material appears to be a direct reaction to the diversification of our citizens. The socio-economic implications of these adapted species reveal the abundance of ‘unkempt’ or ‘spontaneous’ vegetative areas in the city that are often associated with low-income or undesirable areas. In a previous research paper in a cultural studies class, I discussed the correlation between access to safe green space and the improvement of communities. Community involvement and interaction, namely through the use of community gardens or shared green space, can inflict substantial change on not only the city, but the people living in it. It is one of my personal goals to initiate this shared experience between neighbors through the practice of landscape architecture. 40

Major concerns with climate change and our drastically changed environments in urban areas led to the inability to completely reestablish native ecosystems as they were before human intervention. The idea that we have manipulated the land beyond repair is a frightening one, but hopefully solvable by our ever-evolving plant life. The concern with using these â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;spontaneousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; material is the negative association with neglect or weeds. The context and to a certain extent the human intention with the placement of these materials is necessary to the acceptance of these plants into the city culture. Many are concerned with the native status of the plant rather than its function in a given ecological system, where many non-natives are perfectly able to act as a substitute. As many plants have evolved due to agricultural industry influence, it stands to reason that these new landscapes have the potential to be food-producing as well as sustainable. The aesthetically pleasing nature of the landscape will determine the support for future conservation work of this manner. 41

PERMEABLE SPACE “...layers that become permeable to the context; their crossings, junctions, assemblies, transfers, confluences and envelopes.” Enrique Norten Ten Arquitectos

In Enrique Nortensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; description of his works, the concept of permeable spaces relating to the city and public space was a reoccurring theme. Permeability as described by Norten, is the ability for a space to be used by people from all backgrounds and cultures. In projects such as the New York Public Library, Norten seeks to create a new public space that has cultural elements that belong to the city and the people. Permeability is found in the program and new urban topography of the underground structure. A large element of his designs was the use of open space as a gathering area for the public.

ARCHITECTURE OF THE WEIRD “...Weirder is not always better. ” Enrique Norten Ten Arquitectos

Enrique Norten regards postmodernism as a form of this ‘weird architecture’. Buildings that take such extreme form that he has “ceased to be surprised.” He describes a return to modernism as the way to go, explaining that the odd forms of these buildings do not necessarily mean that they are a revolutionary. When thinking of the city as a manmade landscape, architecture can become a collection of objects, Norten is calling for increased participation of architecture in social, political and environmental concerns. Projects such as the Munet Museum are beginning to strive towards this ideal, using a combination of the park and architecture to create a net zero energy building and a new urban topography.

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What struck me the most about Enrique Nortens’ lecture at the Neutra Award presentation, was how his conceptual ideas meshed with landscape architecture. Not knowing what to expect, I found myself engrossed in his comparisons of architecture to landscape. Architecture as the landscape of the city was a major theme. Norten began by mentioning this concept, followed by his belief in urban density as an inevitable andlong-term solutionforourgrowingpopulation. These are New urbanism ideals that I linked back to the Landscape (Sub)Urbanism article that discussed the movement into cities as a viable option. Norten continued to discuss how we need to regress back to the fundamentals of architecture and modernism- disregarding the postmodern phase of ‘weird architecture’. The projects that stood out the most in my mind were the New York Public Library, MUSEIV in Villahermosa, and Amparo Museum in Acapulco. The New York Public Library was a discussion of a new urban topography which in this case extended far underground. The site also used the concept of permeable public space to create cultural elements to belong to the city and the people.

The MUSEIV project stood out to me only for the series of green spaces linked along a body of water. The structure was reminiscent of The Emerald Necklace, and it surprised me to see in an architectural presentation. To be fair, he acknowledged the help of multiple landscape architects in projects such as these. Finally, the Amparo Museum used landform to build upon the technology museum, and the building has a net zero energy impact. Another project I found strangely akin to a landscape project in San Francisco; the California Academy of Science.

CONCLUSION

Despite the currently unsustainable creation of suburbs, there are landscape architects and others working to remedy the situation. Increased access to cities, permaculture-driven neighborhoods and new urbanism principles, we are moving toward a more environmentally sound future. If this trend continues we will soon be living not in neighborhoods, but our own self- sustaining ecosystems.

SOURCES TEXT: Messy Ecosystems - Joan Iverson Nassauer (Sub)Urbanism in Theory and Practice - Richard Weller Spontaneous Urban Vegetation - Peter Del Tredici Rambunctious Gardens - Emma Marris Enrique Norten (Lecture) Mark Lakeman (Lecture) PHOTOS: Taylor Olson