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CNU 19 Twitter Feed

Posted in Comprehensive Planning and Codes, Events, Town Planning, Urban Planning and Design, Urbanism with tags , , , , , on June 5, 2011 by John Olson

The following is an compilation of tweets from the CNU19 Congress in Madison, WI this past week that were either originally tweeted by me, or retweeted by me.  You can follow me on twitter at @JO_Urbanist (JO_Urbanist)

RT @mschartley: “you can’t have a townhouse without a town. Otherwise you just have a house with a really small yard”. Andres Duany 5 Jun

RT @helenshealth: RT @planetizen: Bikes can carry 3 times the population that cars can (on the same roads). Peter Calthorpe #CNU19 5 Jun

RT @newurbanmom: RT @NewUrbanism “We need a joint religion without too much burning at the stake.”- Duany, #cnu19. 5 Jun

#CNU19 was amazing this year in #Madison! So much energy from our inter-disciplinary group. Already excited for #cnu20 in Palm Beach, FL! 5 Jun

RT @stevemouzon: Your Photoshopped ghosted figures will be ghosts because you get the street frontages wrong. ~Duany #CNU19 4 Jun

RT @stevemouzon: Density and urbanism are not the same thing. ~Duany #CNU19 4 Jun

RT @NuevoUrbanista: “You (Waldheim) have more things in common with New Urbanism than your buddies in Harvard” – Duany #CNU19 4 Jun

Duany: The Landscape Urbanists took the determinants (ecology), celebrated it & used it. #cnu19 4 Jun

RT @KarjaCH: #cnu19 wait wait, i have a solution – can someone just give waldheim the definition of urbanism/urban? He seems confused. 4 Jun

RT @mjl_urbanist: #cnu19 waiting to see a landscape urbanism project, only landscape architecture so far 4 Jun

Lisa Taranto: “Permaculture is becoming… not such a radical idea” (Lisa) #cnu19 4 Jun

Todd_BDG Todd W. Bonnett: program is most overrated thing in #arch. If bldg is lovable & durable it will serve many uses through it’s lifetime. @Stevemouzon #cnu19 4 Jun

@stevemouzon: “Sustainability is not something that you get by going shopping” #cnu19 4 Jun

“We have to learn how to live sustainability on all places… Not just T-2 for growing our own food or T-6 where auto-independent.” #cnu19 4 Jun

Steve Mouzon: “don’t believe the promise of no maintenance.” #cnu19 4 Jun

Steve Mouzon: “if a piece of vinyl siding fails, you have to either deal with the mismatch or take the whole side down.” #cnu19 4 Jun

Steve Mouzon: “Lovability is a higher standard than beauty.” #cnu19 4 Jun

Steve Mouzon: “If a building cannot be loved, it will not last.” #cnu19 4 Jun

It seems that there are more wheels from bikes and strollers downtown right now than vehicles. #CNU19 #Madison 4 Jun

I love that #Madison has so many cyclists that ride to get somewhere, not just recreation. #CNU19 4 Jun

RT @reconnecting: RT @Infrastructor: #cnu19 Mayor Soglin: “Make no small plans, but try to keep your mistakes small and inexpensive.” 4 Jun

#Madison BCycle bike sharing program… Only couple weeks old #CNU19 http://lockerz.com/s/107384861 3 Jun

mjl_urbanist Matthew John Lambert: #cnu19 Rob Sharp on Sprawl Repair: because we’re fixing “corridors of crap”, it’s easy to have successes. 3 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: Not ok: Tower in the parking lot, tower on hi rise cake. ~Polyzoides #cnu19 3 Jun

Sprawl Retrofit #cnu19 suburbs will get developed regardless, better to have a walkable alternative than let the ‘burbs go conventional. 3 Jun

Conversation in Ballroom D #cnu19 about sprawl retrofit. Challenge from audience of new #urbanism in the suburbs. 3 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: China. 1/4 mile wide blocks are NOT ok. The urban DNA has been all messed up by the modernists. – Peter Calthorpe #cnu19 3 Jun

June Williamson: “The suburbs ain’t your grandmothers suburbs anymore.” #cnu19 3 Jun

hborys Hazel Borys: Create “life-span homes” out of places people live today. ~Henry Cisneros #cnu19 3 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: When I say hi-rise I don’t mean with highways. ~Glaeser #cnu19 3 Jun

SmartGrowthCCMC Collab. Communities: “@Halbur: A city full of sustainable buildings is not a sustainable city. Stephan Polyzoides #CNU19” 3 Jun

RT @clmarohn: Glaeser: How much better off would Detroit be if they had spent $300 million on their schools instead of a monorail? #CNU19 3 Jun

RT @myurbangen: What New Urbanists do best. Access history through study and access reality through observations ~Polyzoides #cnu19 3 Jun

CNU_Colorado CNU Colorado: Colorado #cnu19 attendees, come join us this evening at the Tipsy Cow at 102 King Street (Eastern corner of Capitol Square)! 7-8 pm. 3 Jun

Incorporating the Principles of the New #Urbanism in the T-3 Sector of the Urban-to-Rural Transect: http://t.co/LhWziJ9 3 Jun

Todd_BDG Todd W. Bonnett: Signed copies of @andres_duany new book ‘Agrarian Urbanism’ available tonight at #CNU19, #projectlodge, #ng8 2 Jun

HoustonTomorrow Houston Tomorrow: #cnu19 Andres Duany: “Growing food has become the one thing that if you want to sell real estate in the 21st century you have to do.” 2 Jun

HoustonTomorrow Houston Tomorrow: #cnu19 Andres Duany: First principle of agrarian urbanism is agricultural retention. Don’t lose the farms you have! 2 Jun

Victor Dover’s artwork has now arrived at the Silent Auction #cnu19. Auction is next to the great organization CNT (@CNT_tweets) 2 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: CNU is ten years behind on bicycle design -@MikeLydon #cnu19 2 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: “Bicycling is a very cheap date” quoted by Tim Blumenthal #cnu19 2 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: New Urbanists look for the root problem. Not just band aids. – DeWayne Carver #Cnu19 2 Jun

suhender Susan Henderson: @andres_duany ~ The relentless need of the plants’ need for sun creates a new architectural syntax responding to orientation. #CNU19 2 Jun

#LID debate about density as #Stormwater #bmp right now… Consider 1000 DUs/ 100 acres, same pollution on less land than 100 DUs/100 acres. 2 Jun

Larry Coffman: “It’s the ignorance of the professionals implementing #LID, not just LID itself that is the problem.” #cnu19 #stormwater 2 Jun

I really enjoyed the Open Source Plenary this morning at #cnu19 Build a Better Block group was tremendous. Great Tactical #urbanism thoughts 2 Jun

Tom Low: “Daylighting & celebrating, not paving and piping.” #cnu19 #stormwater 2 Jun

Tom Low: “New Urbanists don’t know anything about natural systems, landscape Urbanists don’t know anything about placemaking.” #cnu19 2 Jun

SprawledOut John Michlig: RT @bobdal: RT @NuevoUrbanista: “It’s not about how fast people move, it is about how long they linger” #CNU19 #LivableCommunities 2 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: We need to establish that architects can/should copy from each other -@andres_duany #NG8 #CNU19 1 Jun

Duany: “I do not use the word ‘style’ I use the word ‘syntax’.” #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

“The correctly done window detail is the one that best addresses the local climate.” #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

Jed Selby: Concept of no maintenance is not true. Earlier requirement for full replacement. #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

Jed Selby: “I think what is important is that buildings remain timeless & functional throughout generations.” #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

Edward_Erfurt Edward Erfurt: “we cannot afford to build things that aren’t meant to last” @south_main #cnu19 #NG8 1 Jun

Jed Selby: “fortunate to not have a modernist background in architecture.” #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

NYC’s Hudson Park designed a maze at the entrance to the park. Does this mean that Michael Van Valkenburgh thinks of people as rats? #ng8 1 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: Worst insult from an urbanist to an architect “that’s a very nice sculpture” #ng8 @ebkent #CNU19 1 Jun

“The Guggenheim is a beautiful piece of sculpture… But it degrades the public environment around it.” #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: Modern planning has successfully created many pedestrian free zones – @ebkent #ng8 #CNU19 1 Jun

clmarohn Charles Marohn: Ethan Kent: “You are not a good place unless you have a parking problem.” #CNU19 #NG8 1 Jun

myurbangen Eliza Harris: Great places are layered: 10 things to do in a place, 10 places in a district/destinations, 10 destinations in a metro #ng8 #CNU19 1 Jun

“We are moving people around more and more. We are getting less and less.” Ethan Kent #cnu19 #ng8 1 Jun

clmarohn Charles Marohn: Yes, it really is that simple: narrow the streets. #CNU19 #NG8 1 Jun

@DanBurden “Livability is all about how much we continually invest in places that we love” #cnu19 1 Jun

@DanBurden “‘happiness’ is lacking in the US. Peaked in the 60s, has since decreased & flat-lined.” #cnu19 1 Jun

@DanBurden “Streets that will make the most money are those that are best designed for social exchange” #cnu19 1 Jun

@DanBurden “those that will meet the needs of the community, will make the most money.” #cnu19 1 Jun

NewUrbanism NewUrbanism: Jeff Speck at New Urbanism 101: “the reason everyone is driving is because drivers aren’t paying the real cost of driving” 1 Jun

Arrived for #cnu19 last night… Looking forward to @DanBurden presentation followed up by #ng8! 1 Jun

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The Nexus of Smart Growth and Landscape Architecture

Posted in Comprehensive Planning and Codes, Landscape Architecture, Sustainability, Town Planning, Urban Planning and Design, Urbanism with tags , , , , , , , on March 7, 2011 by John Olson

Olson Planning & Urban Landscapes celebrated one year of business this past week. It has been a tremendous year and great strides have been made in building a foundation of business for several years to come.  I have been asked over this past year on a few occasions my ambitions for the business, with the misperception that ‘it is just a temporary option.’  I have assured each that this is not the case, and that business ownership has been an ambition of mine since I was halfway through college at Kansas State University. From the questions that I hear, it seems that I have been categorized with others who involuntarily started a business without an option.  For me, it was a calculated choice to leave a stable company in pursuit of a greater dream during what has been considered to be the Great Recession.  The long-term options seemed much greater in business ownership than to remain in a state of pay cuts as an employee.  It turned out that my calculations paid off as an entrepreneur.

In honor of the completion of the first year in business, I have adopted a new tagline for what the company has been built upon: The Nexus of Smart Growth and Landscape Architecture.

The following are the goals and ambitions that I have set for the company to continue to be a leader in the Pikes Peak Region:

1.       Organization Structure: At this time, the company is structured as a Sole Proprietorship.  The sole proprietorship structure has been the logical structure for year one; however there have been times where I have considered adding staff.  In 2011, I will continue to consider this and at which time that I feel it becomes a benefit to my clients, I will change the structure of the company to a Limited Liability Company (or LLC).  My long-term goal for the company is to remain as a boutique company with less than 10 employees.

2.       Sustainability:  I have continued to participate in regional efforts to push for holistic sustainability.  The most notable of these efforts was in participating with Sustainable Fort Carson, considered to be at the forefront of sustainability in the Pikes Peak Region.  At Fort Carson, I assist with the group in implementing its sustainability goals through awareness and design review.  I am also participating with the Installation’s Housing developer, Balfour Beatty, in low water-use landscape alternatives to the conventional high water/ high maintenance Kentucky Bluegrass.  In some instances, this is a retrofit which will save Fort Carson’s Housing money and improve the appearance of the otherwise neglected landscape.

3.       Advocacy: Advocacy for smart growth and continued awareness has been a passion of mine since moving to Colorado Springs.  The blog that I have developed in conjunction with my company is certainly a byproduct of this passion.  As a business owner, I have increased the amount of advocacy that I provide for the community in the first year of business through the multitude of non-profit organizations in which I participate.  I remain as a major advocate for the principles of Smart Growth and New Urbanism statewide as the Treasurer for CNU Colorado.  As a part of CNU Colorado, I will be giving a presentation on context-sensitive landscapes at the Smart Growth for Small Towns and Rural Communities Workshop in Downtown Salida on April 8.  In addition, I continued my service to the Downtown Review Board and also accepted a nomination to become the Vice Chair of the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority.  Over the upcoming years, I will continue to provide input regarding holistic sustainability to the region as a whole.

4.       Landscape Architecture: In year one, I had the honorable opportunity to provide landscape architectural services for an amazing Denver-based architectural & engineering company, EVstudio.  EVstudio, for those who are not aware, is an incredible full-service architectural and engineering company that has emerged and expanded in an economic climate when most companies have suffered tremendous losses.

5.       Smart Growth: Smart Growth is and always will remain a pivotal part of how my company will prevail.  As an introduction for my company, I was asked to participate with the Collaborative Design Group in a competition for the Catalytic Downtown Design Competition for Downtown Castle Rock.  The team was selected by the City of Castle Rock as one of four teams from an impressive list of national firms to compete.  We are currently in the process of finalizing our drawings and imagery for the competition with all intentions of winning the grand prize.  Another Smart Growth effort currently under way for my company is an infill project in Arvada, Colorado where a previously commercially-zoned property is being rezoned and developed as attached single-family residential.

 It has been a fantastic year for the company where I have achieved more than I had originally imagined.  I look forward to working with you in year two of Olson Planning & Urban Landscapes!

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Affordability in Colorado Springs Should Consider Transportation Expenses

Posted in Comprehensive Planning and Codes, Town Planning, Urban Planning and Design, Urbanism with tags , , , , , , on December 27, 2010 by John Olson
Affordability is currently measured in Colorado Springs without transportation included. In the top image (Housing Only), the yellow represents areas where the average residential housing expenses are less than 30% of total household income.  The blue represents areas where housing costs average more than 30% of total household income.  The grey areas are those that are either not applicable or information is not available.

Full Story: Affordability in Colorado Springs Should Consider Transportation Expenses

Map from htaindex.com showing housing affordability in Colorado Springs

Map from htaindex.com showing housing affordability with transportation expenses included.

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