10.B.5. PRSR 08-13-2003 ITEM / 10.B.5.
�
r-, of
ilk
River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River,MN 55330
July 29, 2003
Joe Caliguire
21711 County Road 15
Elk River MN 55330
Dear Mr. Caliguire:
The Park and Recreation Commission has received additional information regarding your
August 16, 2003 event from Chief of Police Beahen and Michele Bergh,Recreation
Manager. The Commission is disheartened that you misrepresented your relationship with
existing City staff and that you did not inform the Commission regarding the specific nature
of the bands that would be performing at this event. The Commission however, is not
rescinding its approval of your event, but they are requiring additional items other than what
was initially required. This additional requirements are:
1. The number of people attending the event will not exceed 500.
2. Two police officers will be in attendance during the entire duration of the concert
and the cost of overtime wages of the officers will be your responsibility. Payment
of the officers'wages at $50 per hour will be required to be prepaid by August 4,
2003. The deposit required by the Commission must also be paid at the same time.
3. Two additional portable toilets will also be required and paid for prior to the event
by the above date. The number of persons proposed to be in attendance will exceed
the capacity of the existing portable toilets currently located at Lions Park. Please
contact Terry Bye at 763/635-1120 for the cost of the toilets.
4. The maximum decibel level of the equipment to be utilized by the bands will not
exceed 100 decibels.
5. The event will end at 9:00 p.m. in order to allow a minimum of one hour prior to the
park dosing for cleanup.
6. Those organizing the concert will meet with Chief Beahen or a member of his staff
to establish crowd barriers, first aid stations, and to determine whether or not all of
Phone:763.441.7420
Fax:763 441.7425
wane,ci.elk-river.mn.us
Joe Caliguire
Lions Park Event
July 29,2003
Page 2
the electrical connections are state-approved. You will also meet with a member of
the Fire Department staff to ensure that appropriate safety measures are taken.
In addition to the above,the Commission expects that event organizers will monitor and
control underage consumption of alcoholic beverages.
Your event will be monitored closely by the Commission and failure to act appropriately will
result in: a) the event being completely shut down; and b) prohibition of future events
allowed within the park by your group.
If you have questions regarding any of the conditions outlined in this letter, please do not
hesitate to contact any of the City staff regarding this issue.
Sincerely,
Duane Peterson,Chair
Elk River Park&Recreation Commission
S:\PARK&REC\Caliguire hr 7-24.doc
J
Elk --
River-
Police Department
MEMORANDUM
TO: Michelle Bergh
FROM: Jeffrey A. Beahen. Chief of Police
DATE: 7-15-03
SUBJECT: Concert at Lions Park
I have been informed that there is a proposed concert at the Lions Park Shelter that involves
several heavy metal type bands from Minneapolis. I have several concerns about this
proposal.
1) We are familiar with at least one of these bands. On at least one occasion that band
was shut down by the officer working the event when the music being played
became extremely vulgar and profane.
2) The bands are looking into a very large sound system that would exceed the noise
levels we would allow with numerous apartment complexes surrounding the band
shell area.
3) We have been told that over 1,000 people could attend and that parking
arrangements are being looked at across the street at the High School. This area is
not designed for this type of large-scale event and we would very opposed to having
a concert of this size at the park.
4) No security has been required. We would insist that a minimum of two officers be in
attendance and that the overtime wage of those officers be paid by the performing
band.
5) We would also request that concert organizers work with the police to establish
crowd barriers, first-aid stations and that all electrical connections be approved by
the State electrical inspector as well as the Fire Department.
6) The crowd in attendance would be a metro-area, adult crowd with many being of
drinking age. Measures would have to be taken to closely monitor consumption of
alcoholic beverages and potential underage drinking.
One of our officers worked the last concert with the primary band for this proposed
concert.He did mention that at that concert the music was fairly clean with less vulgarity. He
did however express concern that the band was talking about charging admission for this
concert and that they expected 1,500 people to attend.
I personally feel that park concerts are not normally this type of venue, and that allowing this
size of concert will be a logistical problem that may surpass the support and staffing that
should be provided by our department, but due to budget constraints - can't.
Please call me if you have questions about my concerns.
JAB
i a
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Pragmatic sippi into Wisconsin and steep bluffs
t� that frame both sides of the valley.
Partnerships Using numerous participatory
techniques including public forums
The Mississippi River Greenway and citizen photography of cherished
Is l he Mississippi River Green- i5 a model for park planning. places,Chamberlain soon discovered
way Strategic Plan serves as a political- that the most valued landscapes in
ly-savvy model for open-space planning BY FRANK EDGERTON MARTIN Hastings lay outside its boundaries.
at the edge of growing metropolitan ar- Even though there are a historic
eas.Covering a 20-mile stretch of the river a long-term relationship with this dr rnat- downtown and traditional courthouse,
south of Saint Paul, the plan represents an is bluff landscape in 1998 with a greenway Hastings derives much of its identity from
all coo rare combination of ecologically plan for the city of Hastings,a historic and its rural and riparian surroundings. In the
based park planning,political outreach,and rapidly growing river town of 18,000 just public forums, residents of Hastings and
public support for funding. Bruce Cham- south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.Set neighboring townships often delineated
bedain,ASLA,of Minneapolis-based Hois- in the broad Mississippi River valley,Hast- blufftops and wooded slopes as important.
ington Koegler Group Inc.(HKGi),began ings is blessed with views across the Missis- Indeed, participants who lived outside
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y0a - t� '. *vat ? P,(Fr 1��ax yn' e v v .,; ' au�.s usiss k i2w.i��'''•, ,s
vra Ito"r s�_..�.tewytrs°.�x'v+ 42S1 '� s�....
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expansive gorge known locally as Sand Coulee, near Hastings, Minnesota, contains a rare sand-prairie habitat and s
is one of the primary greenway corridors suggested for preservation by the Mississippi River Greenway Strategic Plan. '_
Landmape.4 rchitecture 40 PiiNOAi{ 2003
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Hastings brought their own insights of Places like Pine Bend Bluffs and Spring awareness of the river and to support land
cherished viewsheds and open spaces near lake Reserve have names that are gen- conservation. The Friends chose Dakota
their homes. "It was interesting to see," erations old,attesting to the deep con- County as their first target for open-space
Chamberlain notes,"how people from Rose- nection between people and place. protection
lase fits raps agr vt oand
mount and Ravenna saw different places."
The public process led to a broader consensus that Hastings land in the watershed. Both an ecologist and public policy spe-
was part of a larger visual and ecological region—one that new cialist,Lewanski can speak the language of public funding while
patches of strip development and large lot housing from the Twin building enthusiasm for species diversity and conservation.
Cities clearly threaten. "Many people were very articulate about Originally, HKGi worked with Hastings on a greenway plan
rural character," Chamberlain observes."They feel a sense of loss only for the city itself. But ultimately, by allying with the
about the agriculture being lost to development." Friends of the Mississippi, the team encouraged Hastings to
During the public workshops, HKGI tried to raise awareness think more broadly about its open-space planning and to in-
that greenways are more than manicured pathways and can sup- dude neighboring communities that ultimately comprised
port species migration, diversity, aquifer recharge, wetlands, 55,000 acres of land spreading over six townships.
and steep slopes, among other factors. HKGi developed a site- The resulting plan locates new greenways along corridors and
sensitivity map that located these ecological qualities in Hast- ridges.They are designed for a minimum of 150 feet in width to
ings and in townships to the north and south. When overlaid accommodate species migration.On the southern edge of Hast-
with the map of residents' cherished places,there emerged a re- ings,a wide swath called the"Hastings Traverse"is the one piece
markable similarity of human perception and ecological value. of the system not located for ecological diversity. Rather, rest-
To address potential concerns about the imposition of greenways dents wanted to create a defined edge, a kind of greenbelt for
onto private lands,HKGi also developed six bird's-eye views that Hastings to preserve the sense of the rural character that they
show how ecological corridors can coexist with varying land uses, clearly value.Linking several greenways set in stream valleys,the
including housing,industrial,and agricultural.The drawings il- Traverse will become an important recreational connector with-
lustrate how greenways can link woodlots,streambeds,and parks in the area's web of hydrology.
with minimal dismption of development. .-.-..,R.,a- N z - r--,.."--....,_" ,�,,,5 !�
id,y '^ y v ^ 414, n
PRAGMATIC PARTKERS8IP5 „�„ A� \� /4"4-040$ __� -
Park system master plans are standard fare , • ,W„, l „ �.',q. x,
II _ n
for many landscape architecture firms.What 'r +ti:,v w-' 2r � `y ��\�rr�
sets the Mississippi Greenway Strategic Plan Ys...., iE �`` s -
apart are its scale,its ecological emphasis,and �" S
the involvement of the Sr.Paul-based Friends '1 •+ s. ;f- ������ ��
Mississippi, a nonprofit group that ha ✓,7 ;�„r
of the pp
works with n,an in landowner outreach,im- ere U - —
plemenration,and public policy. ^u , u. y' .. 1 ° ,c��\v\` i
Tom Lewanski,the conservation director " f, _• a ' \ s, "of the Friends of the Mississippi, works ...14,,,,',.,-,..,'i. ``v, ��`
with communities like Hastings to raise ., - k4%
< r To heocaesenvin- j ways uld inlande- 0' : `1..- ;r '
pared a series of bird's-eye sketches �C ti �� 'r _
showing local scenes as they exist today III', , �,!^^ \\:, -•
and with hypothetical greenways added. .
Landreape Architecture 142 FEiRU A RY 2003
_ - In a classic McHargian approach, landscape fea-
'� � '� tures were layered with sensitivity thresholds
a•••ppp•p•p•,,, �w
•l ,., ` applied and then recombined in GIS to paint
fma a picture of sensitive landscapes, and
Y a �, __ ', * thus prime greenway op-
\ ■ * 4 portunities, within
'1'"_ ,. , d" +�;f . the study area.
ilfe
R®sE•MOUNS, tk TINGE 5k ' H4QNGS -' t ;� %
a.
Landscape Thresholds Water p _ � ti\ A ' _.
®Hgh Se sainN Lanus
Center Pivot Irrigation 16 may'
FM
cow SensiWly Lands - •��,. —�
In October 2002, Dakota County passed a $20 • • t' =t
million referendum for open-space acquisition that 11A/14 RSHA _- •
will be matched by state finds. HKGi and the Friends
worked to build support for the bond. The fact that ai
so many residents had already participated in work- y
shops probably helped to improve voter support.Some of these DESIGN AT MANY SCALES
funds will assist in open-space acquisition for the greenway HKGi's relationship with Hastings is •
plan. But many other partnership and conservation cools will continuing with site-specific planning
be needed. for the Hastings River Flats,an"envi- •^q
With the completed greenway plan as a guide, Lewanski ronmental sculpture park" that will r
now travels the surrounding townships to talk with residents bring together art installations docu-
about conservation issues. He often refers property owners to menting Mississippi River ecology. vr�;
local land trusts and conservation easements. `Our role is to Located between downtown and the
build relations with the land owners," he says. "There are sev- river's edge,the 200-acre floodplain site is asmall piece of the larg-
eral high-quality ecosystems in this area, including the Vet- er greenway system.The Flats promise to become a highly visible
milion River Bottoms,approximately 6,000 acres of emergent attraction for downtown and a catalyst for increased understanding
marsh,floodplain forest,and lakes,with habitat for bald eagles, of riparian ecosystems.
cerulean warblers, and red-shouldered hawk," Lewanski ex- Paul Neseth of Locus Architecture worked with HKGi ro de-
plains. Upstream from Hastings, the Pine Bend Bluffs are sign an outdoor classroom,pedestrian bridge,interpretive center,
home to deep meltwater ravines with oak forests on the north- and bandshell."Since it is a former industrial zone,we wanted to
facing slopes and rare sand gravel prairies on the south-facing represent it by recycling pieces of old oil tanks and other refinery
slopes. materials." Locus located a treasure trove of metal at a nearby
� j� ��. .*,,, tank farm. Massive arcs of plate steel will be
__ -AY° ,,,,, 7 -`' —=- reused as curved sound baffling on the ceiling of
_
the bandshell.
-- - ,, ,. > - , Flat refinery panels are recycled as surface ma-
- - te " :-= ,ii cerial in retaining walls while old oil pipes serve as
load-bearing columns in the 3000 SF interpretive
/ center. Designed to work together, the center
‘44 '4: 2i i function�� ,tie �i '' serves backstage function for the bandshell.With
ar_ its low elevation, the interpretive center is de-
.R .,; 1 �t �,.;;1. signed to withstand flooding, with horizontally
,_----__ ,•. e h `�;+�+a°,' hinged doors on the lower level that can open up
during spring flooding and for large summer pub-
.« -' """• ' ,'s- `° o x tic events. Acting to mitigate flood effects while
• eUP`',°' _ making a bold visual statement,beaming around
- the bandshell and the interpretive center provides
r^4' -" ., "-a r ;,, ' ,- ; s;,' an upwater barrier to debris during flooding.
_ +� Au a metropolitan scale,HKGi is working with
t-"* F ' : �-' y, urban planner Calrhorpe&Associates to create a
r t regional plan for Pool 2,the Army Corps of Engi-
%l./, neers term for the Mississippi River segment
PEaRU,Rv 200 43 j Lan dscap e d rrb itecture
planning
K N G S LE Y-BAT q stretching 40 miles from the lock and dam
Jle m Sc.Paul to the lock and dam at Hastings.
Elegant Outdoor Furniture in Solid Teak Funded by the McKnight Foundation, the
Riverfront Initiative provides a regional per-
spective for future local projects such as the
River Flats and the Greenway Nan. In the
report, Chamberlain argues that the mina-
ale tt tive looks at the regional watershed as a
^,.hUT,agAAl�' c1—. ."'"' �'' whole to lay strategies for sustainable future
,. y .vr7.
•-� � 'e�C � agriculture and development.
Like the Mississippi River Greenway
Plan,ecology rather than economic or scenic
values grounds the policies for a working
river that flows through a highly urbanized
The wo'rld's finest teakwood. Uncompromising craftsmanship. Pair area of more than one million people. "In-
stead of beginning...by identifying land us-
prier-rig And, unbeatable service_ These are the things that have es,"Chamberlain wrote,"the process starts
with identifying essential ecological pre-
made Kingsley—Bate America's leading manufacturer and distributor serves within which land uses are then fit.-
As an early success story in the Riverfront
of superior teak outdoor furniture since 1983_ Kingsley—Bate Initiative,the Mississippi Greenway Srrate-
gic Plan is an important example of how
furniture, built for more than a lifetime— built for generations. landscape architects can work with policy
advocates and nonprofit groups to achieve
{ ..w shared goals.While the profession is adept
in ecological analysis, public input, and
,' 4 ta graphic documentation,implementation is
�s M,,° nzJrt 1lt e 9 �p 2 i t t„ often a lingering challenge. With the help
stir psi vy .n 4 :t \'l w, q
\ 4 ye of land trusts and experts familiar with con-
,A� to pc , �„1, 1� '',A., '/..--- .«a. ,, s A
i l { il d �,. Al .,,,,i„,,,XIL , , e,� �,� servation easements and funding sources,
t � 'AA1 7F t \ its . t . t2.4 HKGi is achieving a vision for connected
I tti l ,Iv .,, �'yi `"r, ? '''''4W2.1.' ,• ` parks that Minnesota has not seen since
l H.W.S. Cleveland persuaded the Twin
v s `" ',a , " e `' }"< Cities to lay out its Grand Rounds park sys-
` r°ta 1 1 , : y.,
�',, ten m the 19th century.
S The message here is that landscape ar-
" \,t. chitects build long-term client relation-
ships and see their projects built when they
involve the public and find partners to
4 i - support outreach to landowners and local
` ! �j governments. Tom Lewanski argues that,
_, n 1 1 t„j in many ways, the planning is the easy
�.�-•� °'�'"`""rte part. The work has really just begun now
w-_. I to engage the landowners in conservation
A,.«« 1 ..--'--- practices. LA
Frank Edgerton Martin is campus planning co-
ordinator for Hammel. Green and Abrahamson
in Minneapolis.
—��
PROJECT CREDITS
7'C /• I MISSISSIPPI RIVER GREENWAY
STRATEGIC PLAN
'200 Gateway Court, Manassas, Virginia 00109
I Project partners: City of Hastings,
0i461-7o0o i7o;-;a.-;ooi www.kingsleybatecorn Marshan Township, Ravenna Township,
I
(CIRCLE 126 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Landscape Architecture 144 I FEBRUARY 2003
I
I
City of Rosemount,Dakota County,Min- I
nesota Department of Natural Resources, I'
V
Metro Greenways Program_ : I,'
Bremer, bard Advisory Committee:Town- we hold u p banks
Bremer, board member, Nininger Town-
ship; Cathy Busho, mayor, Rosemount;
Roger Fox,board member,Marshan Town-
ship;Marry McNamara,park&recreation
director,Hastings;Lynn Moratzka,director
of planning, Dakota Counts', and council - , . - _ _ - __ . - -
member,Hastings;Bill Penning,outreach - - - - ? r
coordinator, MN/DNR Metro Greenways; - - _ - -- - . -
Dan Schultz, park & recreation director, ` f ,
Rosemount;Al Singer,coordinator,MNNNR - . .- - - p
Metro Greenways Program;John Menens, -- - - - -
senior planner, Dakota County; Beverly _& - _ _ I
Topp,Dakota County Farmland Narur- -
al Areas Project;Hank Tressel,board mem- - - - - - - .. - k.
bet,Ravenna Township.
Project consultants: Friends of the - H
Mississippi River, Saint Paul, Minnesota • o - _ L
�r::..,.
(Whitney Clark, executive director, Tom - _2.41-."-"ft - - `'
Lewanski, conservation director); Hois- ' • '.. .. .
ington Koegler Group Inc.,Minneapolis, - ^"" • ` �;x 'ra: ■i;l
Minnesota(Bruce L. Chamberlain,ASLA, - - 7C+
vice president,project manager;Lillian C. ' . •. ' ' • �'"
Leatham, associate landscape architect, "`` " •" �` I'
project designer; Eric Blodgett, publica- r'. i
Lion; Michael Schroeder, RLA, vice presi- - 111
dent, design support; Brady Halverson, - -
ASLA, PP design support).g PisaStone-
I
HASTINGS RIVER FLATS MASTER PLAN
Client: City of Hastings, Minnesota
(Many McNamara,park& recreation di- .
rector;Michael Werner,mayor);Advisory /� /O
Committee:Janette Yandrasits,city coun- a ♦/
cil;Turney Hazlet,city council;Lynn Mor- ' -
atzl:a,city council. get the credit.
Project team: Hoisington Koegler
Group Inc. (Bruce L. Chamberlain, ASLA, -
vice president,lead designer;Bryan Harjes, •associate landscape architect,project design- •• • . .
er:Brady Halverson,ASLA,project designer): ' -
Locus Architecture, LID (Paul V. Neseth, - .
MA, principal, lead architect; Wynne G. •
Yelland,AIA,principal,architect).
RESOURCES • i '
Hoisington Koegler Group Inc., Min- ±r . x , -
neapolis, Minnesota. 612-338-0800, 'as y -„, ..
uNunuhkgi.com. `„�
Risi
Ewa • Rs ,. h
- retaining wall systems
Friends of the Mississippi River,Saint Paul, :::±1.P.-1...":
-
Minnesota. 651-7___2�-_193,utuu:fm+aom. ,7 www.risistone.com
Mississippi Riverfront Initiative,mat:metro y l
1.800.626.9255
cauncil.o g/planning fiver/intro.
CIRCLE 315 ON READER SERVICE CARD
FEenol w 1 45 I LanarcateArch,/ecture
Revised 6/25/03
2003 Park & Recreation Commissioners'
Schedule to Attend
City Council and Planning Commission meetings
PC - Planning Commission
CC - City Council 2003
Kuester Jan. 28 PC Aug. 26 PC
Feb. 18 CC Sep. 15 CC_
Dave Anderson Feb. 25 PC Sep. 23 PC
Mar. 17 CC Oct. 20 CC
Peterson Apr. 22 PC Oct. 28 PC
May 19 CC Nov. 17 CC
Nystrom Mar. 25 PC Nov. 25 PC
Apr. 21 CC Dec. 15 CC
Jackett May 27 PC Dec. 16 PC
Jun. 16 CC Jan. 20 CC
(2004)
Paul Paige Jun. 24 PC Jan. 27 PC
Jul. 21 PC Feb. 20 CC
Polston-Hork Jul. 22 PC
Aug. 18 CC
S:\PARK&REC\2003 Mtg Schedule.dac
.
shared Avis o rt. q y % c_
1
nfrastructure is destiny for land- a
I
n i. , .
scape architects, says William f4t 4� lai -
. .
,
Morrish, PASTA, "the key con- „� - f r
cept in redefining professional t , g r '' r i
rot,`;
design and practice." He believes his �; �" �`s`�� �, �, "�
view of infrastructure can change the iL F ' ,* *g �" .. . .'i 4*
,; . 3, ,
prism through which we view land- II'.,, ' t ,s' ; �, 1s �'-`-
scape architecture and can create new # -
work opportunities. i U
Morrish, the Elwood R. Quesada ' r
t -
professor of architecture, landscape x.'f ,, r k ,�-
architecture,and urban and environ- ' t a T '" '
a -
mental planning at the University of i ti... ,�.,g
Virginia, honed his ideas about in- .` � ,,,a = '� -- .rr^ it
,
ftastruaure as he designed some 29 a �� ,,' #tom -
demonstration projects and urban r `'z ar ', t °'
design studies while directing the a.t , � �
Design Center for American Urban 4 ` y '^ 47 "t
Landscape at the University of Min a t ' �h _�' ,,'
nesota's College of Architecture and ¢ ;w A
Landscape Architecture. He found ?, ' ek ..
ed the center in 1988 with his late �t , p t z',[ , t'r 4 x
wife, planner Catherine Brown, to „„,,....: __- ` v > '.
„=.2"."‘;„‘„;; s . = M
educate decision makers and the - � 4 ;r x,. � ��,w,a,,
public about design's economic and ,,.... p ” " "»,--
social value.
His view of infrastructure has lit- ."4111.
de in common with prevalent post - , $
war concepts,which are rooted in the '"""' -- Y .s.‘c;
ideas of Le Corbusier, who equated
infrastructure with unsightly,prefer _,.,.:,-.;---;--
I
ably hidden, gray-colored utilities
and, says Morrish, "edited it out of
his urban utopia," the Radiant City Expressing the Infrastructure
of 1933.The influential architect de-
picted foliage draped over messy For William Morrish, potentially beautiful infrastructure
electrical lines, water mains, power
plants, and the like, or drew them connects and gives form to landscapes.
below the picture frame. Morrish
says more contemporary U.S. urban BY ANDREA OPPENHEIMER DEAN
planners similarly"regard infrastruc-
ture as a utility to be placed out of sight and separated from the water-and sewage-treatment and disposal facilities—conceal-
landscapes that nurture us spiritually as well as economically." ment of infrastructure has become increasingly impractical,if not
Urban planners separated the utilitarian sphere,which supplied impossible. The concept of infrastructure as detritus has left us
services,from the natural sphere,where people lived,raised their with abundant ugliness.
children,shopped,and went to church. Look at it a different way,Morrish urges.
"The idea was that you could escape ugly ur Morrish, here in his office Rather than being visual trash,infrastructure"ties
ban infrastructure by moving away from it," at the University of Virgin- everything together. It is the visible underpinning
Morrish ventures.This separation helped create ia's College of Architec- of civic lite.It provides our quality of life,our abil-
sprawl, of course, and worked only as long as ture and Landscape ity to communicate and connect and be commu-
there was enough undeveloped land to buffer Architecture, sees work nity animals."For him,as for the noted historian
subdivisions.With the population explosion and opportunities for landscape of landscape John BrinckerhoffJackson,infra-
proliferation of infrastructure—highways,Gran- architects who view infra- structure and landscape are inseparable.Morrish
sit stations,water mains,pumping stations,and structure in a new light. cites Jackson's essay,"The Word Itself,"in which
Landscape A rchetecture 1 92 I 9000ST 2003
E
the historian writes that landscape is"a composition of man-made engineers)that has become a public landmark and environmen-
or man-modified spaces to serve as infrastructure or background ml education center.(See"Solid Waste to Civic Monuments,"
for our collective existence;'and that the most magnificent of city Landscape Architecture.June 1995.) •
complexes"recognized the need to integrate infrastructure,or civil In his work in Minnesota,Morrish discovered that land val-
engineering,with landscape,or architecture."For Morrish,infra- ues are highest and crime rates are lowest wherever open space
structure provides not only a social safety net but also a cultural is integrated into the cultural and natural infrastructure.But
system that defines place and should inspire and shape the made merely creating an isolated park district draws no comers,he
landscape,down to streetlights,benches,and bollards. says. "Infrastructure has to be part of the basic civic equation.It
Infrastructure,or public works,"is what we put all of our pen- cannot be seen as an addendum."
nies together to build,and it should represent who we are,"he Morrish is currently studying the ways in which new forms
says.It's time we treat infrastructure with the respect it was given of transportation and new technologies are creating an urban
before modernist designers banished it from sight.
Think,for instance,he says,of the revolutionary road As shown in one of Morrish's evocative diagrams, an
system and splendid aqueducts built by the ancient integrated,multiuse public realm is made up of three
Romans or of the city fountains turned into such scalp- _ functional landscapes—resource,domain, and work.
rural masterworks as Rome's Trevi Fountain by Italian Re- 'ik
i 073
naissance cities.During the late nineteenth century,Frederick ar
Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux transformed derelict farmland . �� �`- '��y//��
and dumping grounds into Central Park,creating a reservoir
4$;Il�� - \V 7
and a system of picturesque carriage drives."The power of i �� n o t�
Y P 9 g Po ti ' .���� A
Central Park,"says Morrish,"was as a social and cultural •„.. ♦'�.
infrastructure that had aheavy-duty environmental � i,7 � ��ti
agenda.If you talk of these lungs of the city as in- •. r i�4" V a4e,,
frasrncture rather than as a park precinct,that's pretty important."Early in the last century,American
designers created beautiful an m«leme and a t de o inf astrno- \ -@ ` 7 P°BUe-
tore,most famously the hydroelectric dams in the West. \ '`--- 1,� l WatRK
A contemporary model,Morrish points out,is Cincinnati, _ se) -7/1
which invested heavily in replacing infrastructure—bridges,
riverfront esplanades,stormwater channels,water filtering sta-
tions,and miles of retaining walls—to keep hilltop neighbor- %r ' t' - �►°` ..e�►
hoods from sliding into the Ohio River. "Aware of its valuable t� 11 ���
heritage,"Morrish has written,"Cincinnati has begun to re- // X, r�i ad
g g rC�i f �i� mss'
build a stronger sense of community b.leveraging its infra- " r�ygro ♦1
g ➢ I g g •v ��__��,�,A% i ,q� ��
structure heritage....But the success of these efforts rests on / �sF ..�' i,'� i��
the recognition that infrastructure is created by our collet- t�� ;i� `• �:Y'�r
rive efforts and represents our collective wealth.As such,it F'� .-� �`� .. i • .
becomes the public domain we own and share.Therefore, "{ •
infrastructure should be designed as bridges to link us � 7 vBUG
rather than walls to divide us." "
Morrish's research and case studies have stressed the impor- " --- P 1k!
tance of capital-infrastructure projects as support systems and
form givers for landscape design.In a series of Twin Cities-area .
case studies,Morrish examined ways to create ecological sys-
tems for stormwater purification and flood control that func- /
tion as the armature for civic design,recreational corridors,and n.,
urban wildlife habitat.The Design Center's demonstration de- ,\;• `
velopment plan for Minneapolis's Chain of Lakes rebuilt a sys- %Q` _ "T
tem of waterways to provide recreational green space while �In c %/
enhancing habitats for herons and waterfowl that use the ` /tll �
area as a flyway.Working on the principle that infrastruc- 1 ''a �• t /
mre adds value,including economic value,in the late, :r
�z /
1980s he and Brown helped the Phoenix Arcs Commission
" r�i! •1
plan public works in ways that would improve the city. a��` � • �, PuhuG
tl Among the results are new highways that incorporate artistic '°ails , '%ooii�•� �
cl design and indigenous plantings while reducing construction � ms`s► �a ls a
LI costs,and a 1993 waste management facility(designed by
moo'
artists Michael Singer and Linnea Glatt with Black&Veatch
A muss 2003 1 93 I Landscano Arrhiterture
Shared wisdom • and replenish natural systems,aggressively recycle products,
h and reclaim places.
�-• -
�' (/,,," But civic leaders usually don't even consider hiring landscape
''777'� architects or architects for infrastructure projects,Morrish says.
qi . °' / ' / //, 7 "We always lose to engineering firms,which have created the
/
I'Ni / myth chat they can produce what's really important: ila 41s2 caln -
dons."To overcome that perception,Morrish says,landscape
� J architects,while rejecting the engineers'design approach,must
s .lo a �((r learn their skills.That means,for ex-
Phoenix, as shown in
alit am ample,learning how to create roads
®, the Morrish diagrams
=y� _ that cost less over the long term be-
- at left, is defined by
k ■1., cause they're relatively maintenance-
ti heat,water flows, free and drain well.It means teaming
N�j�__/ I and infrastructure—
more about the technology that is now
,l � •'��� I / not by its buildings. turned over to subcontractors. "Subs
\ - Below, Morrish dia-
1 - MMI. are becoming big drivers in architec-
/ -`7 grams depict how
�'° tore and engineering firms,which are
s // three public realms folding them into their organizations,"
! �� i! / / create the layers of y fir
1 . ` I-v he says.Morrish believes schools of
\- ; – iI our metropolitan
landscape architecture are beginning
landscapes. to incorporate some technology
•
�i • MC Of n into their curricula,but
_ pvel% 14We-
�ga
F coo slowly.Ac N
t
Weneli en?"' Mil) the Uni-
�', 1 —
• ® �
m, Is
+ . eMMM w � / : 1,"I �' A 6
y E / ----- ra .
'
row. Ry "----/ ~
design framework for renovating first-ring suburbs built in the Fad o` " "/ 4,---•
.i 1pp➢Kl rh"
j 1950s through the 1970s. "As long as we deny infrastructure's syst�M �, — —
11 fundamental role in the making of the commonwealth,"he a?3�
II says,"both city and suburban residents will continue to lose v,..., '_- , et' s se
community cohesion and quality of life,because utility systems .A Far, ` ' ±�Y'1+i; ,i1' `\ lI.?
I will continue to expand and bisect the community." rovenewr" c9 ' I /,w for- f/
What ingredients would a good infrastructure project exhib- �"� --""��
Iit? "Reject most engineers'definition of infrastructure,"Mor- • • Jo T, _ 4' ti +�°��J� ...-. -'
rish begins. 'Their approach denies the richness of natural 1a6-^„ ;. �j/
N.I.
systems and creates simple networks for moving goods,ser- �% \
vices,and people over the land through capital-intensive con- Weir, ° r -
crete and steel conduits."He favors complex,multiuse systems °^r m°
that mimic ecological function and are seamlessly assimilated „j �
into their natural surroundings.The Phoenix dump project,for it c±
instance,occupies more land than was needed to manage `-,i 1 ',\,,1 S
garbage,"but the additional land has been used for ecological •,.`, ',X. -^� `‘a.- '' '.-
and environmental demonstration projects," he says,"which .::.7 •-
;i ..0,+..�i"'r :'�- i
r �y .a
has helped bring financial and business incubator firms to the %_ rte="+'!! �,_ - �yS
area."Complex systems,he concludes,may use more land, but ��� •• ,.- �'~�`
the costs pale next to those of maintaining concrete and steel; Zoe--�j-- alt
and greenswards increase adjacent land values.In the best of r • ""* ,� /
� `.
I
worlds,a project should enrich and connect existing communi- srrnu v� ► `°.�a
ties of plants and animals,should use native plants,and should -y tea.lei r hip
rc ,
protect against invasive foreign species that undermine indige- MOWN. . W4� �. '
nous plant and animal habitats.Benevolent projects protect Sly
Landscape Architecture 1 941 AUGUST 2003
•
.
Morrish examined ways to create ecological systems for stormwater purification and flood control
that function as the armature for civic design, recreational corridors, and urban wildlife habitat.
•
`s technical skills,they can become the lead designer of infrastruc-
cure projects,making engineers and other specialists their sub-
„ � contractors. How to convince the client?First,show that the
� ,, ��
work of landscape architects embraces far more than gar-
' U ' \ dens(though gardens,too,are encompassed in Morrish's j
r'''
�� / I concept of infrastructure).Second,show the client built
40 .2 _ work that has enhanced a neighborhood;show how
•A 'l �� A • property values rose as a result."Morrish says that a
Il_._ �.ri..som u� sit tk!i4 client's response to a design depends largely on
t ��. ' t� j ( - ii how much it costs,saves,and earns.Architects, •
i ti's JAI' he says,use value engineering to show how a
\�� • .- 7 project adds economic and social value,and
\., 7 \\, \\\ ;j landscape architects should follow their lead.
\\�\\ �Ilt _-- 1 If you show a client photographs of a project
1 that has no graffiti and low maintenance costs,
/ R\ �t he says, "the response will be,`You can do chat?'
e \ '�• \ \ t /®':-® The landscape architect should answer,'Yes,but
,�'� \\f. _ -i 0 ®a' you 11 have to pay me proportionate to the value of
, `\ b���;Y, �� my project'This may sound like crass self-promotion,
s \ -5- <'=.\ 4 but it's very important,"Morrish says.
\ `. - !=- There is a tradition of shyness among landscape archi- 1.
\\ f�a:_: dR h_ y g P
'is' �+ \.�` � .. s!t .,1. tects,he notes, "which has a lot to do with being involved
ill 1
• ��' �'I�I��+ y`' with nature;we're not pushy. Well,we've got to get over it," f,
/pa/ • �� _ 1 10Uf s he says,pointing out that the late Garrett Eckbo and John
4 h/ i I 114400 ' Simonds,FASLA,promoted their work with powerful books.
�� GL If you're dealing with ecology,he says, ,
�� / According to Morrish, landscape is not "you've got to be pushy. It's too big a sub-
/ separate from infrastructure. But how we jeer to equivocate about."
` layer and network the systems defines His final advice is to get involved in }
t' ' the quality of our urban landscape. chambers of commerce and other civic orga-
!lIJJJ nizations where landscape architects can
versity of Virginia,he says,"we've fused the ecology and tech- make their ideas and abilities known to civic decision makers. 'I
nology course.I'd say blending these things puts you into a dif- Take Olmsted for your model,Morrish counsels:"He spent a ma-
ferent ballgame for getting work." jority of his time in political meetings, [convincing)the mayor
Most important,perhaps,being technologically literate [that] sanitation was a great idea, that it added social and eco-
means knowing how to use information technology.Morrish nomic value,and he helped the mayor get reelected." LA
•
contends that landscape architects haven't kept up.Architects, ----------
on the other hand,and Frank Gehry is one among thousands, Andrea Oppenheimer Dean,formerly executive editor of Architecture •
use computers not only to create previously unbuildable forms magazine, is a contributing editor of Architectural Record.She is the ri
but also to streamline the production process.They create proj- author of Rural Studio:Samuel Mockbee and an Architecture of
ect web sites,enabling them to provide a single,accurate vet- Decency(Princeton.2002),Centerbrook Volume 2(Rockport,
sion of every document relating to a project.And project web 1997),and Bruno Zevi:On Modern Architecture(Rizzoli, 1983).
sites permit all authorized users to have instantaneous access to —------- `'.
information and to track communications. Information tech- Resources
nology both compresses the design process and narrows the • Congress for New Urbanism."Reframing die Suburbs,"task force
gap between design and production because it allows a design- newsletter.San Francisco,fall 2001. h
•
er to work at a detailed level from early design phases. "You're • Hudnut,William.Halfway to Everywhere:A Portrait of America's
always producing as you're designing.Thar's how landscape First Tier Suburbs. Urban land Institute, spring 2003. (Describes
architects should be working,"says Morrish. "When you digi- Morrish's work.) •
tize your production,you see cost savings and improvements • Morrish, William Rees. Civilizing Terrains:Mountains, Mounds,
in quality" and Mesas, 2nd edition.William Stout Publishers, 1996.
Morrish is convinced that if landscape architects can acquire •Morrish,William R.,and Catherine R.Brown.Planning to Stay.
needed information,convey it clearly to clients,and boost their Milkweed Editions,reissued 2000.
AUGUST 2003 195 1 Landscape Architecture
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