Island Press Field Notes

As the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy overwhelmed his neighborhood of Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York City’s chief urban designer Alexandros Washburn took refuge on the upper floors of his house. For years he had played an integral role in creating the city that has become a model of vibrant urban design, and now he watched as flooding wreaked havoc. When the water receded, he saw devastation—but also dedication. The disaster revealed that what makes New York great is not only its physical setting, but also its citizens’ will to rebuild their communities better than before.

This bear is excited to learn about landscape architecture this weekend from its den outside the Colorado Convention Center.

An elegant sun catch at an outdoor café. Photo by Robert Brown.

This Friday, visionary architect Sim Van der Ryn takes you on a reflective journey of a more ecological and humane approach to design. With a focus on the strengths and weaknesses in our approach to the design of our communities, regions, and buildings he looks at promising trends and projects that demonstrate how we can help create a better world for others and ourselves. Enjoy this beautifully illustrated book drawing on a rich and revered career of a noted leader in the field.