Items of Note Associate Professor David Watts Named Interim Department Chair

Associate Professor David J. Watts has been named Landscape Architecture department Interim Chair for the 2014-15 academic year. "David's wealth of academic and professional experience will benefit our students. I look forward to working with him as a member of the college's administrative leadership team," said Christine Theodoropoulos, CAED dean. "I would also like to extend my great appreciation to Joseph Ragsdale for his excellent work as department head and for the many contributions he has made to the mission of the college." Ragsdale rejoins the faculty, teaching during Fall term and then going on sabbatical for the balance of the academic year.

Watts came to Cal Poly in 2007, teaching a variety of classes including the senior capstone series, design theory, and implementation strategies. He also served as one of the universitys first service learning fellows and received the Presidents Community Service Award in 2014.

His area of research is childrens play environments, their impact on child development, and their role in reconnecting children to nature.His interest in social justice and accessibility within the landscape has influenced his professional practice and teaching. As part of a service learning class, Watts led a class to South Africa, where the students designed and constructed playgrounds and vegetablegardens for underprivileged children. The students also worked at AIDS orphanages in urban townships and rural public schools.

Watts earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a registered landscape architect and member of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Landscape architecture professor emeritus and former CAED associate dean K. Richard Zweifel has been elected president of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Zweifel was sworn in as president at the 2014 annual meeting in Denver, becoming the 70th president since ASLA's founding in 1899. Zweifel was also named one of the 30 most admired educators in architecture and design programs by the 2014 DesignIntelligence survey. He was cited in the survey for "his consistency and vision [which] have kept Cal Poly SLO among the best education programs in multidisciplinary design professions." To read the Cal Poly new release, click here.

Zweifel also received the 2014 Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture (CELA) Presidents Award for his work in advancing a strong and mutually supportive relationship between CELA and ASLA.

Programs accredited by the Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board (LAAB) are required to provide reliable information to the public. Programs must report on accreditation status and its performance. This information is to help potential students make informed application decisions. To review this information, click here.

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Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly - Landscape ...

After seeing plans for a new riverfront promenade in Burlington City, several people at a special meeting Thursday night pressed the landscape architect for an answer to one question.

"Can you give us a date when this will be done?" Jeri Waters asked. "You've been working on it for a while."

Waters and others said the plans looked exciting, but they wondered if it would be years, maybe decades, before the grassy 14-acre space along the Delaware River is beautified.

Richard Newton, a partner with the Philadelphia-based Olin Studios, told the 100 people at the meeting in City Hall that the availability of funding would set the timetable. "I don't want to make any promises," he said.

City Council President David Babula said some of the financing might come from the anticipated $1.8 million sale of city property near the river to a developer who is planning to build market-rate apartments. He said that project, known as Pearl Pointe, could bring the city $250,000 to $350,000 a year in new tax revenue.

The promenade is estimated to cost between $2.5 million and $5 million, based on the final plan, he said. The council is expected to vote on it next month.

Resident Jon Harpool commented that it was a "very nice plan" but wondered whether eliminating the overlook would save money. He said state funding for the project might be difficult to obtain and could take from five to 15 years.

Newton said that the overlook would be a special place. "It's where you would go to propose and where you go to meet someone," he said.

During his presentation, Newton described the new promenade as a "more interesting and more romantic" place than the grassy promenade and sidewalk now there. That space was created about 25 years ago and is used mostly by joggers, boaters, and anglers. Sometimes small concerts and holiday events are held.

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Burlington City's planned waterfront promenade discussed

James Corner Field Operations was announced this week as the firm chosen to redesign the New Presidio Parklands Project in San Francisco. James Corner Field Operations

James Corner Field Operations was announced this week as the firm chosen to redesign the New Presidio Parklands Project in San Francisco.

Five teams submitted proposals for what to do with a new swatch of land that was created when the city demolished Doyle Drive and built tunnels into the land. James Corner Field Operations

Five teams submitted proposals for what to do with a new swatch of land that was created when the city demolished Doyle Drive and built tunnels into the land.

Corner's proposal kept it simple: rather than build an icon, his plan includes several footpaths and outlook points. James Corner Field Operations

Corner's proposal kept it simple: rather than build an icon, his plan includes several footpaths and outlook points.

There will be three prime lookout points: a western one facing Golden Gate, a central spot overlooking Alcatraz Island, and an eastern outlook looking back over the city. James Corner Field Operations

There will be three prime lookout points: a western one facing Golden Gate, a central spot overlooking Alcatraz Island, and an eastern outlook looking back over the city.

A zcalo, or the main plaza. This will anchor the park by both providing a central drop off point for vehicles and by playing host to markets and festivals. James Corner Field Operations

A zcalo, or the main plaza. This will anchor the park by both providing a central drop off point for vehicles and by playing host to markets and festivals.

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A New SF Landmark, Created by the Worlds Best Park Designer

Future Landscape Architect Beck Schultz
Future Landscape Architect.

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Future Landscape Architect Beck Schultz - Video

Winter garden London by Landscape Architect Marco Gaudioso
Winner Project. Competition by invitation for the artistic impressions to transform two pounds in a contemporary gardens in Canary Wharf, London (UK). by Marco Gaudioso email: landscapearchitect.g...

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Winter garden London by Landscape Architect Marco Gaudioso - Video

CoeurdAlene Park is looking a little ragged around theedges.

So the Brownes Addition Neighborhood Council and the Friends of CoeurdAlene Park are teaming up to write a new master plan and make somechanges.

Theyve hired landscape architect Bob Scarfo to help them come up with the changes they would like tosee.

Topping the list is removing some of the overgrown shrubs that they say are a haven fortransients.

During a neighborhood meeting in November, one resident told a story of two men who emerged from a shrubby hiding spot and

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Bob Scarfo, a landscape architect who is gathering ideas from the community for CoeurdAlene Park, stands in the park in Brownes Addition on Dec. 3,. The neighborhood council and Friends of CoeurdAlene Park are starting a process of gathering ideas from the neighborhood about desired improvements in thepark. (Full-size photo)(All photos)

CoeurdAlene Park is looking a little ragged around theedges.

So the Brownes Addition Neighborhood Council and the Friends of CoeurdAlene Park are teaming up to write a new master plan and make somechanges.

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Facelift pondered for historic Coeur dAlene Park - Thu, 11 Dec 2014 PST

A TV drama focussing on the murder of a Hampshire landscape architect will be aired tonight.

The dad of victim Jo Yeates has welcomed a new ITV drama which tells the story of an innocent man wrongly suspected of killing his daughter.

David Yeates says he believed the programme will shine a light on police failings in their investigation which he believes led to delays in catching the man responsible.

Mr Yeates said there had been inadequacies in the police probe and he hoped the programme, which airs next month, could bring a positive and help improve future investigations.

He also spoke of the familys loss at it prepares for the fourth anniversary since Jo, pictured above, was brutally strangled, before her body was found dumped at the side of a road in Bristol.

The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, which will hit TV screens next week, tells the story of Mr Jefferies, who was arrested on December 30 after the discovery of Jos body on Christmas Day in 2010.

Jo vanished on December 17 after going for Christmas drinks with colleagues in the city.

Mr Jefferies, a retired schooltmaster, was later released without charge.

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TV drama on murder of Jo Yeates to be screened tonight

Landscape architect James Corner unveiled a new concept for the Nicollet Mall redesign Thursday night stunning light and art walks for Nicollet between 6th and 8th streets.

The new design for the central stretch of Nicollet replaces an earlier concept featuring glass staircases descending from the skyway linking the IDS to Macy's. Businesses, Metro Transit and city leaders raised concerns about the logistics of the staircases, prompting the design team to consider alternatives.

The light walk will feature a trellis of tilted mirrors on the east side of the mall, Corner said. When people walk under the mirrors headed north on the mall they will see their reflection and those of passersby; going south they will see reflections of the sky.

At night the light walk will resemble a starry sky that could change colors, imitating the Northern Lights.

The west side of the street will include mature trees, street furniture and an art walk with spheres lit at night with distinctive patterns. Corner said there's talk of collaborating with the Walker Art Center to curate art installations in storefronts and perhaps a large art piece could be suspended over 7th Street.

The blocks will also have diverse activities, such as bocce ball in the summer, curling in the winter and community gatherings.

The goal is to transform the blocks from rather drab spaces to the most vibrant section of Nicollet, Corner said.

The designer and other project leaders briefed the community on the project at the Hyatt Regency.

The $50 million project has secured $21.5 million in state bonding and $3.5 million from the City of Minneapolis. A plan to assess businesses for the remainder of the project's cost will be finalized early next year.

The goal is to complete the Nicollet Mall renovation by the end of 2016. The entire mall, from Washington Avenue to Grant Street, will be redone with more durable paving materials, new trees, enhanced lighting and public art. It will also be renovated to be streetcar ready, project organizers said.

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Light walk will be focal point for redesigned Nicollet Mall

After nearly a year of study, a prominent architectural-landscape company in Philadelphia will present its vision Thursday for improving the tired riverfront promenade in Burlington City.

The grassy 14 acres along the Delaware River would be transformed into a more inviting space, with new park benches beneath a grove of shade trees; winding paths; changing art installations; designated areas for concerts, kite-flying events, and children's sports; and more, said Richard Newton, an Olin Studios partner who is working on the project.

A presentation will be made at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at a special public meeting at City Hall, 525 High St.

The renderings, which have not been released, depict a "more interesting . . . more romantic" promenade that takes full advantage of the location's "amazing views of the bridge, the Delaware itself, the island, and, of course, the sunsets," Newton said in an interview.

How the project would be financed has not yet been determined, but officials said it could be a combination of donations, state aid, and other sources.

Council President David Babula said the beautification project was a key part of the city's ambitious revitalization plans. The project could take more than three years to complete and cost $2.5 million to $5 million, he said. "That's just a ballpark figure," he said, adding that a planned development of market-rate apartments nearby might contribute to the project's funding.

"We're looking mostly to enhance and beautify that area," he said, "to make it into a tourist attraction and also an entertainment venue."

Built more than 25 years ago, the promenade is a quiet, grassy space between the Burlington-Bristol Bridge and the Oneida Boat Club, with a paved walk that stretches less than a half-mile along the river. Used occasionally by pedestrians, joggers, and boaters, the area also has a soccer field and a band shell for summer concerts.

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Public meeting on proposed promenade upgrade in Burlington City

Running Cedar Garden Dialogue
The 2014 Garden Dialogue season was exceptionally rich. The capstone of the year was a dialogue on the Virginia estate Running Cedar between landscape archit...

By: tclfsteward

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Running Cedar Garden Dialogue - Video