The West Philadelphia Landscape Project
West Philadelphia Landscape project has worked with the community for over twenty-five years to restore nature and rebuild the neighborhood through design, strategic planning and educational projects. They have worked in the Mill Creek neighborhood since 1987 and use their experiences to demonstrate how the human population can live healthier, more economic lives. The aim of the project is to make the Philadelphia community more sustainable, with the proposal to manage the area of Mill Creek in a way that would improve the local water quality. The project utilizes landscape literacy as a means to preserve the environment and develop community relations. During the twenty-five years that the project has been running, hundreds of citizens, students and even government officials have taken part in the project in an approach to restore the environment and make the community more sustainable.
From the years, 1987 to 1991, the West Philadelphia Landscape project was part of collective landscape plan which was established as a “greening” project for the West Philadelphia community. A large team of teachers and students from the University of Philadelphia developed a database that used digital maps of the area neighborhoods as well as designed proposals that would allow the project to reuse vacant land in the Mill Creek area. They used the maps they created to design and strategically place organic gardens all around the Mill Creek neighborhood. These gardens helped replace the vacant landscapes with lush green and vibrants flowers. Others used the lots as a means to create community organic gardens, which allowed residents of the community to come and pick fresh produce free of charge.
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...onditions happened due to decades of poor urban planning. In the early nineteenth century, Mill Creek was converted to a sewer system, this has caused problems for the community ever since. The damages from this include sinkholes and structural damage to buildings around the neighborhood. In the late twentieth century due to unethical lending practices and urban renewal projects, the community of Mill Creek is filled with vacant and unused lots. The West Philadelphia Landscape Project has built a relationship with the Mill Creek community and has forged a partnership with the community leaders to make Mill Creek a more sustainable living environment for everyone. Since the projects start in 1987, they have built numerous gardens and cleaned up the area. They will continue this legacy for a brighter future and a completely sustainable urban environment.
The government did not care about the health of the Africville Community when they decided to place a dump at the edge of the community in 1958. This was very unhealthy for the community because the community became infested with rats because the dump was a food source for them. This is a problem because rats and carry many diseases. Many parents did not allow for their children to go near the dump but as kids being kids they went anyway. Kids loved going and playing at the dump because there were so many interesting things in there that it made this imagination go
In the article Southwest Philadelphia written by McCauley is about an Irish boy who tell his story about growing up in southwest Philadelphia, Cecil street to be specific in the 1960. He talks about his block and how his negbiors and the people in the block seems like an extended family to him. His childhood memories consist of play baseball in various ways during the summer with his friends. He also added that when the weather is hot they turn the fire hydrant to keep them cool. Although he liked his negaborhood had many darksides like domestic abuse, alcholism, racism, teen gang , and many more. He now lives in the suburban in southern New Jersey, comparing it to his old neborhood is more quiet and less crimes. In his current neborhood he
In conclusion, brownfield redevelopment supports the continual goal of sustainability through utilization, incorporation, preservation and remediation. For instance, brownfield sites offer developers a chance to utilize the existing infrastructure, which lowers municipal costs. Additionally, developers can incorporate ancient and modern technologies that create more efficient buildings thus reducing energy use. Moreover, with opportunities to grow within cities, there is less pressure to develop greenfields. Furthermore, through the required process of remediation, environmental hazards are removed or prevented. Overall, brownfield redevelopment saves money, reduces energy usage, protects greenfields and removes critical dangers to the surrounding environment thus moving towards a more sustainable society.
In Boston, Massachusetts, this topographical assorted qualities has rendered the range inclined to natural corruption. Boston has numerous ecological issues for example, air, water and soil contamination. These issues exists because of Boston being toward the end of both gas and power pipelines (De Vito, 2010). Boston is
Along with a thorough enough discussion of anything comes the inevitable unearthing of its strengths and weaknesses. The Portland Plan has a number of strengths: it is comprehensive, well thought out, inclusive, and should ultimately lead to a well-planned and sustainable city. How in-depth the Portland Plan is, is a testament to its preparedness to face any challenges to lead the Portland of today into becoming the Portland of tomorrow, as any potential question that may arise is likely addressed within the text of the plan. The mercurial nature of the plan is to its advantage, as anything not addressed within the text of the plan does not render the plan obsolete, but rather may be simply found by finding the popular opinion of the citizens of Portland, as the plan is simply an extension of the will of the people of Portland, and inasmuch the plan ever-changing just as their needs and goals are changing. Furthermore, this plan will have succeeded where others have failed in that measures of success within the Portland Plan are on the whole quantifiable, and so citizens and civil servants alike may actively track the cities progress in accordance with the plan. Finally, the biggest strength within this plan lies within its most unique aspect: its underlying theme of citizen participation. It is therein that the effectiveness lies, as it becomes a plan not simply forcing the people to be sustainable, as so many have attempted to do in the past, but rather a plan which gives the people of Portland a support structure by which to educate the people of Portland on these issues, and provides them an outlet encouraging the development of long term sustainable behaviors and lifestyles. These strengths will allow the Portland, Ore...
New England Landscape, No.8: Mt Monadnock, ca. 1912 - 1916 is an oil on panel done by Pennsylvanian artist Charles Demuth. It is not a large landscape, 31 X 471 cm, for such a mountainous subject but then Monadnock is small, as mountains go. Demuth used the Fauvist method to depict Monadnock, a perfect method considering his subject. Ranges of mountains line the Eastern and Western borders of New Hampshire, Monadnock stand alone in the southern portion of the state, alone and wild. Demuth divides his painting into a series of triangles, Monadnock’s triangular form is majestic in the background with light bright colors to the right and darker, storm tinted colors to the left. The shortened foreground continues with the triangular motif,
Non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) have played a significant role in establishing grassroots methods of environmental protection while incorporating citizen involvement. The most prevalent types of NGO’s in the United States are ones that rally public opinion and advocate legislative and/or social change. Among these are the various Public Interest Groups (PIRG’s), the Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and Greenpeace. Public education and involvement are seminal components to the success of these organizations. Hence, the application of NGO’s to other issues might prove successful in advocating and implementing change while bettering the community that they inhabit. Such is the case with the relatively newly established watershed management associations in New Jersey. These organizations employ grassroots tactics to increase community education and establish stronger environmental protection. Thus I assert that inter-municipal (and inter-state as we will see later) watershed management, through the use of non-governmental organization, has the ability to have a profound impact on how natural resources are managed and subsequently on how an area is developed. This is extremely valuable to a state like New Jersey, where uncoordinated development has led to a sprawling landscape causing fragmentation of natural features and severe depletion of water quality. Furthermore, in the large bureaucratic system of development that dominates New Jersey, this NGO method of watershed management is a qualitative and creative way to promote democracy, public education, and public participation.
In order for this program to work it relies on the collaboration of community groups and volunteers working together to build and protect these gardens. By willingly having a hand in the creation of these gardens allows
When Pennsylvania was first settled in the 1600’s by William Penn, abundant plants covered about 90% of the state (IConserve 2007). All of these plants are considered to be natives because they existed in the area before human settlement. Unfortunately, due to human interactions with nature, the landscape has changed significantly over time. Many plants that once defined Pennsylvania have been lost; however, this problem can be reversed to some extent. By 2000, five percent of Pennsylvania’s native plant species had been lost and another twenty-five percent were in danger o...
I live in the Northeast, in southern New England to be exact. We are trying real hard to get the Eco-Friendly thing right, so this year we have decided to let our landscaping company go and do it all ourselves! Here are some of the things that we have implemented into our green landscaping since January 2008. We are allowing native plants and ground covers to spread into our Lawn. It is a big step in going green and one that I admit I've had to get accustomed to. I am used to having crisp edges and clean lines around our planting beds and landscaping, this is a big change, but I already like the result. This is a step that is worth considering when starting a new project because materials such as stone, timber and gravel have to be sourced
According to Twiss, Dickinson, Duma, and Kleinman (2003), community gardens are important because they “improve community nutrition and physical activities” and “promote the role of public heath in improving quality of life.” They do so by allowing for easy and cheap access to nutritional food people otherwise wouldn’t receive. A big problem that comes with healthy eating is that it can be expensive or hard to find in your area. Community gardens like the UCF Arboretum eliminate these concerns. All harvested food goes to students on campus. Volunteers get to take home all the produce they can carry and the rest is donated to the Knight’s Pantry. Any UCF student can take home the food
With the ever-expanding population growth seen throughout Hillsborough County in recent years, environmental degradation will inevitably occur. Environmental degradation is defined as, “the deterioration of the environment through depletion of resources such as air, water and soil; the destruction of ecosystems; habitat destruction; the extinction of wildlife; and pollution. It is any change or disturbance to the environment perceived to be deleterious or undesirable” (Johnson). Creating beneficial, eco-friendly programs is in the best interest of the citizens of Hillsborough county. Beneficial environmental programs could include, designated community compost sites within neighborhoods or in easily accessible areas. Also, introducing a different
These benefits demonstrate the need for green walls in the Hamilton area is not only to promote community engagement, but also to improve environmental quality of the Hamilton area by moderating internal temperature variations in winter and summer, beautifying outdoor and indoor environments, and providing additional green space. Ultimately, the implication of implementing the Garden of Dreams project with the help of community members is that it will promote social justice amongst these community members, while promoting sustainability, economic success and urban development for the City of Hamilton.
After reviewing the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government’s planning guidelines for Landscape Character Assessments (LCA) it is clear the intentions of these documents. These guidelines give a template for the production of cohesive reports that include the input of professionals and non-professionals alike. These reports are focused around the landscape and encourage communal guidance for landowners, county councils and even ordinary interested parties. LCA’s give a comprehensive guide to the landscapes identity and share valuable information to aid development of land while being aware of various values the landscape may have to offer. As Landscape and Landscape Assessment portrayed, ‘we have inherited our present landscape’ and by doing so it is important for us to protect it in the most appropriate way while ensuring we don’t lose any historical, social or cultural value. Throughout this essay I will look at the main guidelines when evaluating a LCA and the various categories within while looking at Counties Meath and Carlow as examples.
With rising concerns about the long term damage that development and industrial progress is having on the environment, master planned communities and the developers creating these neighborhoods are doing their best to minimize damage and to preserve the natural habitat.