[P2P-F] [P2P-URBANISM WA] biophilic citi

Michael Mehaffy michael.mehaffy at gmail.com
Tue Apr 19 07:14:29 CEST 2011


Dear all,

Tim Beatley also has a closely related chapter in the book Biophilic Design,
as does our own Nikos.  That book has sections from Wilson, Kellert, Ulrich
and many other legends of this burgeoning field.  (By coincidence I am
writing a review of that book just now.)

If I were to  critique Timothy's work - and I do regard him as an ally, I
should make clear -  I would say he doesn't go deeply enough into the
biological forms of the buildings themselves, but still sees greenery as
mostly a kind of applied building decor.  (Reminding me of the Frank Lloyd
wisecrack to a doctor at a party, "you're lucky you can bury your mistakes -
we architects have to plant vines...")

The worst form of this superficial treatment, for my money, is the kind of
"Chia building" syndrome, the giant green walls (for those of you who know
those little "chia pet" clay figurines that, when watered, sprout a fuzzy
green covering).  They have questionable durability, maintenance cost, and
just plain design rationale, as I see it.   Again, I always think, too bad
we can't just bury our mistakes!

Cheers, m



On Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 9:03 PM, Samuel Rose <samuel.rose at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 11:48 PM, Michel Bauwens
> <michelsub2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > This article first appeared as a guest post on Sustainable Cities
> Collective
> > by Amanda Rosenberg, 2010 ASLA advocacy and communications intern.
> >
> > Image credit: Timothy Beatley / Island Press
> >
> >
> > Taking Nature to the City
> >
>
> I'd love to see the city of Detroit restore marshes in the vacant land
> around the city, to treat sewage/grey water in warm months, and
> provide hatching grounds for fisheries off the coast of Detroit.
>
> --
> --
> Sam Rose
> Future Forward Institute and Forward Foundation
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> ambition." - Carl Sagan
>
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-- 
Michael Mehaffy
Visiting Faculty, ASU
1019 E. Lemon Street #204
Tempe, AZ 85281

Permanent Address:
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