CDF Provides Green Streets Training in Main Street
Cities Throughout Iowa
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 On
March 17, David Yocca led a webinar that included ญญญญa diverse team to provide
an overview of integrated sustainable strategies relevant to downtown districts
in Iowa cities. CDF is currently leading educational workshop
meetings offered through the Iowa Department of Economic Development in each of
these forward-thinking towns seeking to improve the long-term livability,
environment, and economy of the communities with these practices. Main Street cities include: Bloomfield, Bonaparte, Central City, Charles City, Colfax, Corning, Elkader, Hampton, Iowa Falls, Jewell, Keokuk, LeMars,
Manning, Marcus, Mount
Vernon, Mount Pleasant, Spencer, Washington, Waverly, and West Union. |
US EPA Announces Green Infrastructure Requirements
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 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing
a new rule to greatly improve the standards for managing stormwater management
on sites. The rule would require green
infrastructure such as green roofs, rain gardens, and permeable paving to
retain and clean 90% of rain water falling on a site during a storm. Washington D.C. will be subject to the rule
initially as a pilot city, and it will eventually apply to cities nationwide. Tom Price, CDF's Principal Hydrologist/Civil Engineer, was
one of the experts retained by the EPA to provide feedback on aspects of the
rule. David Yocca, CDF's Principal Landscape Architect/Planner, also met with
EPA officials as one of several representatives from the American Society of
Landscape Architects' (ASLA) to discuss implications and opportunities
associated with sustainable water management integrated into site design. Read the Washington post articleRead the EPA's fact sheet |
Charles City Permeable Streetscape Under Construction
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 Construction
began this summer on the permeable streetscape for a 16-block area of the
downtown historic residential district in Charles City, Iowa. Street improvements include permeable paving,
cobble infiltration areas, and amended soil infiltration areas. The new streetscape will reduce peak discharges
for 10-year storm by over 90%. The
project is partially funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and
I-JOBS. Read the KWWL articles on the streetscape project
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Omega Center for
Sustainable Living Receives AIA/COTE 2010
Top Green Project Award
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Image credit: BNIM Architects
In April 2010, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the
Environment (COTE) selected the "top ten examples of sustainable architecture
and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment." The Omega Center for Sustainable Living and BNIM
Architects was honored at the AIA 2010 National Convention and Design Exposition in Miami in June. CDF provided landscape architecture and water
resource engineering assistance on the project.
Read the press release
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Sustainable Sites Initiative Selects Pilot Projects
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Chicago Tribune Architecture Critic Blair Kamin reflects on "Ten Years of
Green Roofs in Chicago..."
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 Image credit: Conservation Design Forum
The Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden, one of the first ecological green
roofs in the nation, began the green roof movement in Chicago. Ten years later, the city now has
nearly 500 green roofs that cover 7 million square feet of roof top space. Blair Kamin describes Chicago as "North America's undisputed leader in covering
roofs with vegetation," but describes the initiative as still in its
infancy.
Learn more about the article
Learn more about the Chicago City Hall green roof
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CDF Principal Landscape Architect/Planner joins
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities board
|  David Yocca, CDF's Principal
Landscape Architect/Planner, has recently joined Green Roofs for Healthy Cities
as a board member. David will also serve
on the editorial advisory board for the Living Architecture Monitor,
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities' quarterly publication. |
Lost Valley Visitor Center Grand Opening
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 The McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) has
recently completed the renovation of the lodge at the Glacial Park conservation area, now the Lost Valley Visitor Center. CDF was part of the team led by
Williams Architects and including MCCD staff landscape architects to design a
building and site renovation supportive of the unique landscape ecology of the
preserve. The integration of sustainable
practices helped secure an Illinois EPA 319 grant and Illinois Clean Energy
Grant, and serves as a demonstration of green strategies for McHenry County communities and businesses. The
facility is open to the public, and a grand opening event is scheduled for
Saturday, August 14th. Learn more about the Lost Valley Visitor Center
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More News...
| Walsh College Library Expansion achieves LEED GoldLearn moreJohnson Controls Corporate Headquarters featured in Wisconsin Builder MagazineLearn moreMilwaukee City Council Approves Near North Area Plan and Citywide Policy PlanLearn moreBack to top |
 
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Iowa's Living Roadways Community Visioning
|  Image Credit: Conservation Design ForumAs part of Iowa's
Living Roadways Community Visioning Project , CDF is working with Iowa State University, Trees
Forever, and four Iowa towns
to help prioritize and plan for community enhancement projects. The visioning
program for Rockford, Clarksville,
Gunder, and St. Olaf includes community workshops and conceptual designs and
implementation strategies for projects that include downtown streetscape
improvements, signage and wayfinding, natural enhancement of road corridors,
park and recreational improvements, traffic calming and pedestrian enhancement.
The visioning process with be completed in August. Iowa's Living Roadways Team: Conservation Design Forum, lead, landscape architecture and planning
Iowa State University, student interns Marty Albert, Eric Doll, Chris Riggert
Trees Forever, community facilitationLearn more about the program |
Hegewisch Marsh Restoration & Interpretive Signage
| Image credit: Conservation Design Forum
Beginning in 2007, Conservation
Design Forum and Conservation Land Stewardship, in partnership with the
Chicago Department of Environment, began ecological restoration of the
100-acre Hegewisch Marsh. Following the City's lead, CDF/CLS set
project goals of restoring natural hydrology, biodiversity and health to a site
previously used as an industrial dumping ground.  In
late 2009, CDF began developing interpretive signage to help visitors to
the Marsh understand the complex history of the site, the process of
restoration in natural areas, and the illustrious future envisioned for the future
Ford Calumet Environmental Center and
Marsh. Using materials removed during the restoration process and signage
capable of being reclaimed at the end of their temporary life cycle,
CDF is creating an installation that will support the expressed
mission of Chicago's Mayor Daley, to 'turn the Calumet area into a major
showpiece - visitors will come from all over the world to learn about what
happens when nature, industry and community interconnect in an urban area." Location: Chicago, IL Chicago Department of Environment Team: Conservation Design Forum,
lead, landscape architecture, graphic design
Conservation Land Stewardship, restoration and management
More about the Hegewisch Marsh Restoration |
San Jacinto Texas Historic Corridor Standards
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Graphic credit: Native Sun Productions
The San Jacinto Texas Historic District Corridor
Standards is a set of standards for design, development, and maintenance of
sites and projects within the District, located southeast of Houston. The
standards provide recommendations and guidance to maximize the value,
performance, and aesthetic quality of capital projects and long-term
operational expenditures throughout the District, primarily along
transportation corridors. The application of the standards will create a
consistent character unique to the Historic District that celebrates its
heritage, history, culture, and natural elements. Guidelines and standards were
prepared for six distinct design scenarios and included recommendations for
landscape architecture, infrastructure, circulation, planting materials, water
management, lighting, art and sculpture, community gateways, signage, hardscape
materials, and site amenities and furnishings. Recommendations for highlighting
and celebrating the area's rich history as the birthplace of Texas include the application of EPICArtTM
depictions of scenes from local historic events as
massive outdoor murals, a concept developed and implemented by Native Sun
Productions.
Location: Houston Region, Texas
Client: Economic
Alliance Houston Port Region
Team: Conservation Design Forum, lead, landscape architecture and planning
Knudson LP, planning and landscape architecture, facilitation
Native Sun Productions, historic interpretation and integration
Klotz Associates, civil engineering
Caerulean Collaborative, creative directionMore about the San Jacinto Texas Historic DistrictBack to top
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Parson's Park
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Image credit: All Bry Construction
In 2007 the Chicago Park District, CDF, and Terry
Guen Design Associates began a project to convert an asphalt parking lot into a
vibrant neighborhood park in Kilbourn Park along Belmont
Avenue. The park was designed for two of the neighborhoods
populations; youth and seniors. The youth area features water spray, swings,
and several climbing structures, while the senior area includes game tables and
a bocce ball court. A Community Presentation Wall encloses the central
gathering space and will feature local community art.
The park includes a collection of natural perennials and
trees, and a natural stone channel that collects water runoff from the rubber
playground surface and the spray park. Water is infiltrated and used for
irrigation on site rather than directed into the city sewer system. Parson's Park opened in May 2010, and has
been well received by the community.
Location: Chicago, ILClient: Chicago Park District Team: Conservation Design Forum, lead, landscape architecture, water resource engineering
Terry Guen Design Associates, facilitation, design
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July 31
Elmhurst Green Fest 2010
James
Patchett, President and Founder, CDF
August 4
Trial Garden and Plant Health Field Day
James
Patchett, President and Founder, CDF
September 7
Oakland County Building
Sustainable Communities Seminar
Patrick Judd and David Yocca,
Principal Landscape Architect/Planner, CDF
September 11
ASLA Annual Meeting and Expo
David
Yocca, Principal Landscape Architect/Planner, CDF; Deb Guenther, Mithun; Jose
Alminana, Andropogon Associates; Jacob Blue, Applied Ecological Associates,
Inc
September 16-17
Clean
Water and Climate Adaptation Summit 2010
James Patchett, President and Founder, CDF
September 22-24
2010 APA Illinois
Chapter Conference
James Patchett, President and Founder, CDF
November 17-19
Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
David
Yocca, Principal Landscape Architect/Planner, CDF
November 30 - December 3
Vancouver Cities Alive 2010David Yocca,
Principal Landscape Architect/Planner, CDFMore events>Back to top
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