The New York City Waterfalls: Sight for sore eyes or eyesore?

Many of us have heard of the New York City Waterfalls project; however, I was curious to see it for myself and observe those visiting the falls since I'd heard mixed reviews regarding the project. From some I heard fantastic things regarding the projects' ability to bring vitality and life to the New York City waterfront, which until recently, has been somewhat neglected and underutilized. However, from others I'd heard criticism regarding the falls' "unappealing structure" as each waterfall is built from a very basic construction material found all over New York City: scaffolding.

After visiting each of the falls myself and viewing them from opposite sides of the East River (which in actuality is a straight, not a river), I have to strongly disagree with the naysayers. A little bit of research and careful observation might help these individuals appreciate the waterfalls for what they are - interesting pieces of public art built to inspire and intrigue. In regards to the structure of the falls, the scaffolding represents the backbone of what has been used to build New York for the last one hundred years. They are a testament to the city itself and should be viewed as such. As a landscape architecture student (and naturally an advocate), I had the distinct pleasure of pointing out these details to some of the people who previously regarded the waterfalls as ugly. To my surprise, those that had made these claims had yet to visit the falls but had only heard about them! How rewarding it was to show them images from my visit and have them become suddenly excited to visit for themselves.

Whatever your personal opinion of the falls, one visit to any of the four quickly tells you a great deal. From teenage couples sitting on benches, observing the falls, to joggers running along the "river's" edge; for many the falls are an interesting addition to the city's landscape and they make the New York waterfront far more interesting than it has been in the past. It's my sincere hope that projects like these continue, bringing excitement and interest to a city that sometimes needs just a little help in showing its beauty.

The New York City Waterfalls by artist Olafur Eliasson are comprised of four man-made falls ranging in height from 90 - 120 feet tall and are situated along the shorelines of Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Governor's Island. The project is an example of temporary public art, commissioned by the non-profit organization Public Art Fund. For some information regarding Olafur Eliasson and the New York City Waterfalls, visit http://www.nycwaterfalls.org/.

-Olivia Alicea

Chicago's Lighter Notes: A Scourge of Urban Bunnies?

While previous notes from Chicago have been a bit more serious, I had to send along a lighter side about Chicago's urban bunny population. And no, I am not talking about Mr. Hefner's Playboy bunnies, I am talking about real life Sylvilagus floridanus, or as more commonly known - rabbits!

It is fascinating to live in a city and realize that I have seen more bunnies than rats in my two and half months here. Sure, you expect them in the suburbs, but I see probably one bunny a week in the mornings on my walk to the"el", and have seen them a couple of places in downtown. Below are photos from Lurie Garden and my neighborhood of my new urban wildlife friends, and some links to other people talking about the phenomenon.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/354629/the_rabbit_population_in_chicago_has.html

http://lachicago.blogspot.com/2006/03/bunnies.html

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-166984124.html

http://www.builtchicago.com/?p=160

Chicago: Urban Farming

Chicago is actively supporting urban agriculture initiatives, from farmer's markets throughout the city to actual urban growing operations. Farmer's markets take place in almost every neighborhood in the city, and there are independent markets such as Green City Market (of Top Chef fame) that also operate in the city. In addition, both public and privately supported initiatives are exploring food production in the city.

Here are some images of two different urban farm projects. One is "City Farm,"and the other is a rooftop organic garden at my office, Conservation Design Forum.
City Farm is an urban farming initiative by an environmental non-profit in Chicago known as The Resource Center. Its goal is to provide local jobs and affordable, healthy produce for disadvantaged residents. It currently straddles Cabrini Green (a notorious area for failed public housing initiatives, although a new, much improved project opened adjacent to City Farm)and the Gold Coast (one of Chicago's elite neighborhoods). Ongoing gentrification will likely push it out of the community to another vacant lot somewhere, but it is booming right now and receives volunteer labor from all over the city. People willingly give up sat. mornings to help grow food in the city. I bought a cucumber, garlic and some peppers during my visit, and they were delicious and cheap. More info can be learned at http://www.resourcecenterchicago.org/70thfarm.html and at http://www.ediblechicago.com/content/pages/articles/summer08/farmAndCity.pdf)
The other project is at the firm I am working for this summer. They installed green roofs on their offices in 2004 with the help of an EPA grant. After various vegetation initiatives, they decided to use the more intensive roof space to experiment with organic agriculture on rooftops. This summer we have harvested carrots, assorted tomato varieties, various greens, peppers, radishes and cucumbers. While not the same yield compared to traditional methods, it is amazing how well they have all done in only 8 - 12" of soil, and how good the produce has been.

-Brent Jacobsen

Urban Nature: Notes from Chicago

So, this is a bit of a long post, but I had to set the stage for subsequent posts from Chicago. Here is a first set of images from photos I have taken this summer exploring the City of Chicago, and pondering its attempts to become a "New" city. A lecture I saw by Dr. Sally Chappell from DePaul University brought to light an interesting lens for the City of Chicago. She spoke of Chicago as a city enriched by the interplay of architecture and landscape architecture throughout its history. What I found most interesting was an idea she introduced of Chicago as a city building off a progressive design history to create a new paradigm for urban existence in the 21st century. Through its public programming, municipal policies, and major design projects, Chicago is weaving art, architecture, and ecology into an urban fabric that not only addresses issues of sustainability, but fosters a greater sense of community,civic identity, and urban culture.

Here are four sets of images from one of Chicago's best examples of this new philosophy: Millennium Park. It blends world-class art, architecture, and landscape architecture into a diverse space that welcomes people from all over the city, and integrates these works of art into the daily fabric of their lives. People relax in the Lurie Garden, which introduces an image of native ecology into the heart of downtown. Tourists and residents alike flock to "the Bean", an iconic work of sculpture that also becomes a dramatic backdrop for artistic and theatrical performances. Families spend a summer evening together underneath Pritzker Pavilion during free, classic concerts, while people also rise early on Saturday mornings to participate in free yoga classes underneath canopy. (Of note about the pavilion is just how popular the concerts are.They are packed, with people sitting on steps and standing along walls just to be able to participate in a symphony performance. Not surprisingly, since starting the series in Millennium Park, the Chicago Symphony has seen a 25% increase in membership.) And Crown Fountain creates an interesting interactive display of Chicago's diversity that is also probably the best people space in the city. It is packed all summer long with joyous kids and smiling parents from all over Chicago, and the mood is infectious for anyone who walks by.









More images will follow of other parts of the city, but I definitely think these images ask us as landscape architects what we can do to involve other disciplines in our work to design spaces that are not only beautiful works of art, but backdrops to the daily lives of people. Not only can it create richer, layered public spaces, but it also holds a potential to revitalize urban areas into vibrant communities. Thoughts?

-Brent Jacobsen