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"Exploring Alternative Futures"

Sample Weblog

  • Charles Landry is coming to Annapolis in September!

    Charles Landry, the world-renowned expert on how cities rise and fall in today's cultural landscape, is coming to discuss Annapolis and it's preparedness in facing the multitude of issues that the 21st Century American city is facing.  His many writings include "The Creative City: A Tool Kit for Urban Innovators" and "The Art of City Making."

    Check out his website to find out more about him and his interesting work around the globe: http://charleslandry.com 

    More to come soon.

  • Capital Gazette Story on Morrish's Visit - the whole truth?

    http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/10_24-25/TOP

    This article brings up many important points, but leaves out one or two key issues. 

     While Sartori did a great job of presenting the facts, he did not simply show the need for an additional 147,000 acres of new development in the state - he pointed out that that development can occur on-top of and within the already developed areas.  Rather than taking over the rapidly decreasing farmland with green field development, increase the density and capacity in areas that are currently developing as medium to low density!  Believe it or not, the Historic Core of Annapolis is already dense -many beautiful, small dwellings on narrow lots in a walkable, livable city.  This is density at its finest.

     Morrish, on the other hand, also made a point or two that could be elaborated further.  His example of a trailer park, redeveloped into medium-high density housing in a clever way - international design competition, ecological bio-swale landscaping, re-housing the current residents rather than displacing them - was what I would consider a shining example of an outside-of-the-box concept that ends in a win-win-win-win situation!

     True, it looks to be a daunting task, but those are the creative choices Annapolitans must make before the developers show up with their idea of where to drop their 'K Street Specials', as Morrish aptly called them!  Who wants to stay in a hotel that looks like a law office, much less live in one!?

     

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