Landscape Architect & Specifier News

MAR 2018

LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.

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Publisher/Editor-in-Chief George Schmok gschmok@landscapeonline.com Editor Stephen Kelly skelly@landscapeonline.com Assistant Editors Breanna Belken bbelken@landscapeonline.com Greg Frank gfrank@landscapeonline.com Associate Editors Associate Editor/Digital Information Ashley Steffens Associate Professor, University of Georgia steffens@uga.edu Associate Editor: Ordinances Buck Abbey, ASLA Green Laws Org lsugreenlaws@aol.com Associate Editor/Erosion Russ Adsit, FASLA Associate Editor/Lighting Janet Lennox Moyer, IALD moyerj@rpi.edu In Memoriam Don Roberts, FASLA; Kay Tiller; Frank Manwarren; David Brian Linstrum; Lois E. Schmok; Otto Edward Schmok _______ Art Director Nicole Miller nmiller@landscapeonline.com Senior Graphic Designer Dylan Brinkley dbrinkley@landscapeonline.com _______ IT Technician & Graphic Design Jerry Short jshort@landscapeonline.com _______ Advertising/Marketing 714-979-LASN (5276) x113 • 714-979-3543 (Fax) Print Advertising Sales Matt Henderson mhenderson@landscapeonline.com Jason Seaberg jseaberg@landscapeonline.com Clint Phipps cphipps@landscapeonline.com National Accounts Digital Sales Nathan Schmok nschmok@landscapeonline.com _______ Executive Administration Amy Deane adeane@landscapeonline.com Office Administration Cynthia McCarthy cmccarthy@landscapeonline.com _______ Trade Show Manager Margot Boyer mboyer@landscapeonline.com Trade Show Sales & Marketing Representative Nathan Schmok nschmok@landscapeonline.com _______ Director of Data Development Frank Vazquez fvazquez@landscapeonline.com Circulation / Fulfillment Francisco Alvarez Grace Bennett David Ibriham Ana Linares Chase Reed Calvin Scott _______ Contract Fulfillment Coordinator/Jr. Graphic Designer Ryan Moore rmoore@landscapeonline.com _______ Warehouse & Facilities Manager Javier Miranda jmiranda@landscapeonline.com John 11:25 … Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die." Find Us Online: p u b l i s h e r 's l e t t e r 12 Landscape Architect and Specifier News Well, spring is in the air and that must mean you are reading the annual LASN "Parks" issue. With that, here are a couple of things trending in the world of park development. Recently, the ASLA released a statement opposing the Trump Administration's 2019 fiscal year budget proposal, because it "recommended cutting the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) by 98 percent from FY17 levels and zeroing out the state grants program." This represents a potential $900 million savings for the gov't, but a huge loss for park development across the country. Since a lot of the allocations are based on a given state's population, this retreat in spending would affect states like California, New York and Illinois to a greater extent than other less populated states. While I am definitely for less government spending, this matter does warrant further review. To find out more you should visit: www.asla.org/FederalGovernmentAffairs.aspx?id=30713 From the NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association), I recently read a very entertaining piece on park trends that offered several interesting predictions, including a trend to renovate underground and otherwise abandoned facilities (like Seattle's Battery Street Tunnel) into park spaces. Old train stations, subways, rail tunnels and more are all in play when it comes to this trend. Another interesting prediction was that puppy waste could become fuel through "small- scale anaerobic digesters for parks. Patrons could deposit dog waste, which is composted to produce methane that is used to power park lighting." (See page 120.) And also from the NRPA is a more somber prediction. Lack of housing is forcing cities to look hard for available real estate. Some parks are being replaced with high-rise or other population-dense developments. The NRPA is predicting this trend to grow in 2018, but offered a potential deterrent to this by "dedicating" land as park land. Apparently in New York, approving a conversion from a dedicated park to a different kind of development requires a 2/3 majority in the legislature and the change must also "comply with federal protections of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act" if the original park was built with those funds. (Although if Trump's proposed budget changes kick in, this point would be somewhat moot for future developed parks.) I'm sure every state is a bit different, but if you can officially dedicate the land as a park it has a better chance of withstanding the onslaught of developers. So, it appears that developing a park will not always be a walk in the park, but keeping an eye on legislation and working the system will definitely help to park the park as a park . . . God bless and happy Easter . . . George Schmok, Publisher gschmok@landscapeonline.com Park Your Park as a Park! And speaking of parks . . . I was recently down at San Diego's Balboa Park and Museum Complex and found this ASLA Centennial Medallion recognizing the site as "a National Landmark for Outstanding Landscape Architecture."

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