www.yardstickglobal.org U.S.A.
www.nycgovparks.org South Africa
www.nelsonmandelabay.gov.za
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CanadaNew water management initiative for River Authority |
www.grandriver.ca
The Grand River Conservation Authority, Ontario has started work on a new water monitoring gauge to provide better information on water flows and quality in the Southern Grand. A new, automated station is being built on the riverbank just downstream from the York Bridge, midway between Caledonia and Cayuga. It will replace a smaller, less sophisticated station on the side of the bridge. Construction and installation of equipment is expected to be complete in about a month. Total cost of the project is about $160,000, which is divided between the GRCA and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
The station will look like a small garden shed. It will house equipment that will automatically measure water levels and water quality information around the clock, every day of the year. The information will be relayed back to the GRCA head office in Cambridge every minute. Flow information will be used to monitor water levels and issue flood warnings to riverside communities stretching from Six Nations to Port Maitland. The equipment in the station will also measure several elements of water quality including temperature, oxygen content, pH levels and conductivity. That information can be used to spot rapid changes in water quality, such as those that might follow a spill. The data is also used to develop understanding of long-term changes in water quality in the river, which helps the GRCA, municipalities and other agencies develop programs to protect water quality and aquatic life. It will also provide information on the impact of the Grand River on Lake Erie. The GRCA has seven other similar stations throughout the watershed. Data from the stations is automatically posted to the GRCA website in the River Data section. The location of the old station on the bridge posed safety issues for GRCA staff who found it difficult to access it for repairs during
the winter when snow was piled along the sides of the bridge deck.
Australia
Residents oppose Council plans for community gardens |
www.melbourne-leader.whereilive.com.au www.yarracity.vic.gov.au
The Melbourne Leader claims to have seen a preliminary plan to section off a portion of Hardy Gallagher Reserve for 60 community gardens. A high, timber-paling fence to restrict public access would surround an area that is currently open parkland. Friends of Hardy Gallagher Reserve fear the council has earmarked the area for one of five community gardens promised as part of a 2008 environmental strategy. This has stirred up local residents and a large number of cyclists and walkers have posted comments. Many supported the concept of community gardens, but feel that an area of well-used public space should not be taken over by the Council for the benefit of a small number of people. There were also concerns by residents in adjacent properties that the gardens could attract weeds, vermin and vandalism. It was considered that the council should be acquiring new sites to meet its community gardens commitment, rather than taking over existing parkland.
Yarra Mayor Jane Garrett has released a statement assuring the group that no decision will be made until the council’s April meeting. Three possible sites for the community garden are being considered. “I don’t want to pre-empt council’s decision but we are aware of the concerns raised by residents who live around the proposed site at Hardy Gallagher Reserve. We are also aware of a number of residents who support this site,” she said. “Community gardens live or die by the level of community support they inspire, so we will be guided by the community on where the garden will ultimately be located.”
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U.S.A.
An innovative use of an ancient design |
www.chicagotribune.com www.oregon.gov
An article in the Chicago Tribune draws attention to an interesting solution reached by Oregon State Parks to allow people to enjoy the outdoor life despite the impressive storms that are prevalent along the coast. There are now fourteen coastal campgrounds offering modern versions of the traditional round Mongolian yurt, used by pastoral nomads on the steppes of central Asia for centuries.
Visitors have the opportunity to observe the abundant wildlife and stay dry whatever the weather. The parks offer a full programme of events including eagle watching, guided wildlife walks, fishing, festivals and workshops.
The yurts are weather-proof and heated. They sleep five and are equipped with futons and bunk beds. Visitors bring their own bedding and normal camping equipment. There is outdoor fire pit for cooking and a picnic table.
U.K.
Walking on air in the park |
www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk
Derbyshire Dales District Council, which owns and maintains Bakewell Recreation Ground, has provided a new attraction there called an air walker. Designed to keep adults active and healthy, the air walker is free to use and is already attracting attention. Its installation comes less than a year after the District Council secured £200,000 from the Big Lottery Fund to create new play areas both in Bakewell and Ashbourne, and invested a further £170,000 into the projects.
Bakewell district councillor Carol Walker, who already keeps fit as a walk leader for Derbyshire Dales’ successful free health walks, gave the air walker the thumbs up after giving it a try. “There’s no excuse now for adults not to indulge in a little exercise along with their children and grandchildren when visiting the play area,” she said. “I think the new equipment is great.”
Chairman of the District Council’s Community and Environment Committee, Councillor Mrs Janet Goodison said: “I think the air walkers are a tremendous idea. We listened to what residents and especially young people said was needed in our towns and this new equipment enhances an already exciting and challenging play area. Leisure continues to be one of Derbyshire Dales District Council’s top priorities, and we are proud of the Dales’ reputation as one of the healthiest places to live in the UK.”
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South Africa
First annual Climate Change Leadership awards |
www.ccla.co.za www.trees.co.za
Climate change is now an international issue and warnings of the impacts are headline news almost daily. In acknowledgement of the need to respond and to motivate more actions in South Africa, the first annual Climate Change Leadership Awards will take place in Johannesburg in March 2010. An impressive 54 nominations have been received in the business category and 20 in the community category. Community entries include urban projects in the heart of Johannesburg that teach sustainability and offer craft workshops on using recycled materials. Rural community projects include food gardens, tree nurseries that focus on teaching vulnerable children survival skills, and projects that focus purely on recycling to reduce environmental and climate change impact. The 2010 Climate Change Leadership Awards recognise, reward and celebrate South African businesses, community-based organisations and individuals who are taking the lead through positive voluntary action by implementing a range of activities related to combating global warming.
One of the key sponsors of the awards is the SA Post Office. “We believe that work to combat climate change at grassroots level should be encouraged,” says Post Office CEO Motshoanetsi Lefoka. “We are aware of the effect that business activities can have on the environment, which is why the South African Post Office itself is investing in technology and processes that limit environmental impact.” Other partners include The Carbon Protocol of South Africa (the regulatory body), Talk Radio 702 and 567 Cape Talk (primary media partners) and Food & Trees for Africa.
The low carbon awards event will take place at the Sandton Sun Hotel on March 11 where those responsible for making a difference will be honoured. Tables at the event are being sold at R20 000 each (for a table of 10). Part of the proceeds will go to Food & Trees for Africa to offset 37 tonnes of carbon dioxide per table through the planting of trees for disadvantaged communities.
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U.S.A.
Farm in the park – good or bad? |
www.tennessean.com www.localharvest.org www.nashville.gov/parks
In the Tennessean, Nancy DeVille reports on a proposal to build a teaching garden in an empty swimming pool at Richland Park, Nashville. The proposal comes from a local group, “Good Food for Good People,” that hosts a weekly market in Richland Park for local producers of fresh fruit and vegetables. The proposal is for an outdoor learning centre that would also offer employment to teenagers of twenty-five hours a week under the supervision of a trained farmer. To convert the vacant pool into an outdoor garden, a drainage system would have to be installed and a gravel base placed inside the swimming pool along with about 10 inches of mulch on the top. It is estimated that the construction work would cost about $6,000 and the group are hoping to obtain grants and public donations to supplement funding already secured.
Councilman Jason Holleman pointed out that while the project had received some support, some neighbours questioned whether agricultural activity is consistent with the feel of an urban park. The Metro Parks and Recreation Board deferred the outdoor garden proposal until its February meeting to allow for public input.
Europe
Alpine and World Heritage Convention’s meet |
www.whc.unesco.org
On 18 January 2010 a meeting took place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France between the Secretariats of the Convention on the Protection of the Alps and the World Heritage Convention. The eight Alpine countries signed the ‘Alpine Convention’ on 7th November 1991. It recognises the Alps as a unique, common area, which needs a common development and preservation policy.
A presentation about the working group on UNESCO World Heritage, mandated by a Ministerial Conference held in Evian, France, in March 2009 was followed by an exchange of views on World Heritage properties in the region, serial trans-national and trans-boundary nominations, tentative lists and methodological approaches to a coherent framework. The forthcoming Experts Workshop on Serial World Heritage Properties and Nominations, to be held in Switzerland, will address some of these issues. The documents can be downloaded from the website: http://lnk.nu/alpconv.org/15f3.htm
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Norway
A perfect place to live, but public services could be improved |
www.norwaypost.no
The Norway Post reports on a nationwide citizen survey that shows 86 per cent of Norwegians think their country is close to being the perfect country to live in. However, public services have room for improvement, the survey shows. The highest level of satisfaction is enjoyed by, among others, the public library, the state owned vine and liquor store operator Vinmonopolet and the colleges of higher learning. At the lower end of the satisfaction scale are institutions like the municipal planning and building office, the Norwegian Railway (NSB) and the Norwegian Welfare and Labour Administration NAV.
These are conclusions from the nationwide Citizen Survey which measures how satisfied Norwegian citizens are with municipal, regional and government services. The survey shows that 94 per cent of the citizens are satisfied or very satisfied with living in Norway. Close to that number, 89 per cent, are satisfied with the municipality in which they live. Around seven out of ten citizens are satisfied with municipal and government services. Less than ten percent express dissatisfaction.
Norwegian citizens think that public services on the whole are abiding by laws and regulations and are treating people respectfully. At the same time, many are finding it difficult to reach the right person in the administration, and more than 50 per cent think that the public sector is treating its resources wastefully. “It is a serious problem that our citizens have this impression of the use of public resources. One of our most important tasks in the coming years is to see to it that the public sector is getting the utmost out of the money invested. Together with the minister of finance and the other cabinet ministers I am going to give this my priority in the time to come,” says the Minister for Reform.
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Hong Kong
World Expo events announced as countdown clock unveiled |
www.lcsd.gov.hk
Hong Kong's events programme was announced on 2 February following the unveiling of a countdown clock at Tsim Sha Tsui to mark the 88-day countdown to the start of Expo on May 1. The unveiling of the clock was jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. Officiating at the unveiling were the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Stephen Lam, and Mr Wang Jinzhen, a Member of the Organizing Committee for World Expo 2010 Shanghai.
At a press conference after the unveiling ceremony, Mr Lam provided an overview of events and activities planned by Hong Kong for Shanghai Expo. Different themes will be adopted for each month during the six-month Expo period to promote Hong Kong as a "Green City", a "Destination City", a "Cultural City", a "Creative City" and a city upholding the "One Country, Two Systems" principle. Over 50 events and activities are planned to promote Hong Kong's connectivity, creativity and attractions to audiences in the Mainland and around the world. The event calendar features a rich variety of activities including ceremonial events, seminars, forums, exhibitions and a strong cultural and performing arts programme. The government attaches great importance to the programme mix.
An inter-departmental Task Group on Expo Promotion and Events has been formed to co-ordinate planning and implementation, including community participation and the involvement of key stakeholders such as the creative industry and performing arts sectors.
From May, the government will work with public organisations, professional groups, academic institutions and business associations to roll out a series of exhibitions and thematic programmes at Expo venues and high–traffic areas in Shanghai to showcase Hong Kong's strengths and advantages in areas such as green living, tourism, financial services, legal services and creative industries. The highlight of Hong Kong's participation will be the five-day "Hong Kong Week" from October 18 to 22. Hong Kong's Expo involvement covers four aspects: constructing and operating a stand-alone pavilion under the theme of "Hong Kong - A City with Unlimited Potential" to showcase the infinite imagination and creativity of Hong Kong and its people; an Urban Best Practices Area Exhibition (UBPA) with "Smart Card¡ESmart City¡ESmart Life" as the theme; a series of activities and performances inside and outside the Expo site; a "virtual pavilion" as well as a "virtual UBPA exhibition" for the Expo Shanghai Online project to provide netizens with a realistic, virtual experience of Hong Kong's participation.
Shanghai Expo will be held from May 1 to October 31. More than 240 countries, cities and international organisations including Hong Kong will participate in the mega event, which is expected to attract 70 million visitors from the Mainland and worldwide.
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Spain
Valencia prepares to host a unique regatta |
www.swissworld.org/en/leisure/
The Spanish Mediterranean port of Valencia is bracing itself to once again host the legendary America's Cup sailing race, but the 33rd edition is likely to bear little relation to the previous event in 2007. Three years ago, 12 teams from five continents sailing monohull boats took part in what was considered to be one of the most successful regattas in the race’s 159-year history. In all, more than 6.4 million visitors travelled to Valencia to watch Alinghi beat Team New Zealand in a thrilling final race under the summer sun and retaining the “Auld Mug”, sailing's most prestigious prize. This time, after almost three years of courtroom wrangling over its format, the race will be decided in winter in a best-of-three head-to-head races between Alinghi and BMW Oracle’s giant multi-hull boats. The contest will take three days or less, depending on the weather.
Local hotel and tourist businesses are expecting much lower visitor numbers than in 2007. Whilst peaks were expected on race days, no one believes they can fill their establishments for a week in winter. The 33rd edition of the Cup is being managed by the Valencia 2007 Consortium, which comprises the Spanish government, the local government and city council. The event will have a special dimension due to the size of the boats. The official inauguration takes place on 7 February. This will be followed by a charity lunch with the proceeds going to Haiti earthquake victims. A noisy, traditional 'mascletà' firework display, popular in the Valencia region, will also mark the start of the regatta.
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PR of China
Invasive species employed to clean up lake |
www.gokunming.com
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan and the name translates to Spring City. GoKunming reports on a pilot project in Kunming using a type of invasive water hyacinth species to reverse the process of eutrophication that has led to large-scale algae outbreaks in Dianchi Lake. The project will experiment with controlled growing of the prolific aquatic plant to filter nitrogen and phosphorus out of the lake and create a source of biomass that can be used as fertilizer or to produce methane gas for generating electricity.
Dianchi's water quality is currently ranked class V, meaning it is unfit for human consumption or even agricultural or industrial use. So far 6.7 hectares of water hyacinth have been planted and a processing factory constructed near the southern end of Dianchi in Jinning County. The hyacinth growing area is slated to eventually spread to 67 hectares.
The water hyacinth is native to South America but has choked lakes around the world including, famously, Lake Victoria in Africa. Water hyacinth was originally considered a threat to Dianchi because it could compete with other species and choke the lake. But now that agricultural and residential runoff have created an over-abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus in the lake, scientists are hoping the plant can absorb large amounts of those substances from the water. The pilot project aims to develop better methods of mechanized harvesting and converting the plant into fertilizer or methane gas.
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U.K.
Exciting cultural makeover for popular retirement destination |
www.worthingregeneration.com www.worthing.gov.uk www.cabe.org.uk
Worthing, a seaside town on the south coast, long popular as a place to retire, is about to receive a prestigious cultural makeover. The Landscape Institute launched a competition on the 18 May to find a designer for Splash Point. The four firms short-listed were given a budget of £4,000 to help them prepare their design. Artist impressions, concept ideas and information about each design were displayed at Worthing Town Hall where the public could leave their comments, which were then used to help the final judging panel make their decision in December 2009. The contract for Worthing’s Splash Point has been awarded to landscape architects, craft:pegg. It is hoped that the work will start in May/June 2010 and be completed by September.
The four short-listed entries represented a diverse range of approaches to the Splash Point site. The panel concluded that the craft:pegg proposals were the most appropriate solution for Worthing both in respect of the quality of the design thinking and the deliverability of the scheme. The panel felt that this scheme demonstrated a sensitive response to the site with a careful balance of ingredients, which would have the potential to create an attractive new destination for the town. It gave a strong sense of place and local distinction, whilst retaining the sense of light and space that are the site’s greatest assets. In particular, the panel commended the careful selection of materials reflecting the existing qualities of the foreshore and felt that the rainbow mist fountains, lighting and grove of trees would enrich the experience of the space. The panel also liked the way in which the tradition of a ‘speakers corner’ had been subtly integrated with other opportunities for public expression.
The investment in Splash Point is a result of the Regeneration Programme Team’s successful bid for funding from the second wave of the Government’s Sea Change programme and is part of the plan to create a buzzing active seafront. Worthing was one of just nine councils chosen to receive the grant managed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE). "We are delighted that Worthing has chosen craft:pegg for Splash Point and that this Sea Change funded project will progress in such an innovative way," said Claire Pollock, Sea Change Coordinator for CABE.
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2010, March 19-28
Hong Kong Flower Show: Fairy Tales of Flowers
Victoria Park, Hong Kong
www.lcsd.gov.hk
2010, April 11-16
Healthy Parks Health People – Inaugural International Conference
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia
www.healthyparkshealthypeoplecongress.org
2010, April 13-15
Trees and Forests in British Society
Edinburgh Conference Centre
www.forestryresearch.gov.uk/treesandsociety or contact Evelyn Hall at evelyn.hall@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
2010, April 17-25
Floralies of Ghent, 34th Edition
Flanders Expo, Maaltekouter 1, 9051 Gent, Belgium
www.floralien.be
2010, April 18-22
Conference of the European Plant Science Organisation (EPSO): Plants for Life
Olos (Lapland) Finland
http://www.epsoweb.org/catalog/conf2010.htm.
2010, April 19-21
IERM Convention 2010: Creating liveable communities in Africa and beyond
Idaba Hotel, Johannesburg
Website: www.ierm.org.za E-mail: ierm@vdw.co.za Tel: (011) 789 1384
2010, May 3-7
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Centre de Congrès, Lyon, France
www.conference-biomass.com
2010, May 31
International Awards for Liveable Communities
Closing date for registrations in the 2010 awards
www.livcomawards.com Tel: +44 (0) 118 946 1680 Email: info@livcomawards.com
2010, May 28-30
47th International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress
Suzhou, P.R. China
Contact Prof. Xiaoming Liu at chsla@sohu.com or Chistine Bavassa at efla.exsec@gmail.com
2010, June 15-17
Improving Parks and Green Spaces: IFPRA Europe Event
Hosted by the London Borough of Hillingdon, Uxbridge, London, U.K.
Tuesday 15 June Commissioners' meetings
Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 June - site visits to West London parks and green spaces
2010, June 18
Joint open meeting (indoors) with the London Parks and Green Spaces Forum
on increasing access to parks and green spaces for people of all abilities, ages and backgrounds.
2010, July 6-8
International Trials Conference: Assessment of Ornamental Plants
www.rhs.org.uk/plants/ornamentals2010.asp2010 August 22-27
28th International Horticultural Congress - IHC2010, Lisbon (Portugal)
Theme: Science and Horticulture for People
Info: Prof. Dr. António A. Monteiro, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Technical University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal. Phone: (351)213653451, Fax: (351)213623262, E-mail: amonteiro@isa.utl.pt or Dr. Víctor Galán Saúco, Inst. Canario de Inv. Agrar., I.C.I.A., Apartado 60, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Phone: (34)922476321, Fax: (34)922476303, E-mail: vgalan@icia.es E-mail symposium: info@ihc2010.org Web: www.ihc2010.org
2010, November
Ifpra World Congress: Quality Services – ‘Parks, Recreation and Tourism'
Hong Kong www.ifpraasiapacific.org/ifpra_world_congress_2010.htm
2011
International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress
Switzerland
Contact Chistine Bavassa on efla.exsec@gmail.com
2011 July 24-30
XVIII International Botanical Congress
Melbourne Australia
www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/ibc-2011/
2011, September 18-21
Ifpra Asia Pacific Congress
Fremantle, Western Australia
2012
International Federation of Landscape Architects World Congress
South Africa
Contact Chistine Bavassa on efla.exsec@gmail.com
2012, Apr-Oct
Floriade: Be part of the theatre in nature – get closer to the quality of life
GreenPark Venlo, Netherlands
www.floriade.com/
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