In class on Tuesday we watched the following video and were asked to write about what inspired us, or repelled us, etc. As I watched the video again and thought about the amazing things they have been able to accomplish in Singapore, it added that much more hope for similar results here.
In the US we have a long way to go, but I can see and feel the momentum building. (Watch the video below)
I mentioned momentum, because these ideas are shared by thousands of individuals across the country, and pin pricks of urban acupuncture are cropping up all over the country. A few weeks ago I didn't know what a green wall was, and actually saw one in real life being utilized in California.
It is awesome to see the changes happening everywhere, and as the evidence builds that these changes are improvements and cost effective they will get routed deeply into our culture, where as now they are only seeds and chutes cropping up here and there.
Again while in California I saw everything from green roofs to green walls to organic greens, bike paths, walkable communities and so much more. And the hardest part to participate in this movement is the start. So as I often quote, Just Do It. Start biking, start recycling, start eating better by growing your own garden, walk to the store, plan a hike, or have an outdoor party with the neighbor. Reconnect with nature!
At the end of the Signapore Prime Minister's life they looked back on his legacy, a legacy of reconnecting people with nature. What will your legacy be? What things will you leave behind, or make better for those to follow? The changes we make today can affect us, and will affect our posterity. I hear all the time "work today for a better tomorrow," but I say work today for a better today and tomorrow will be brighter as well!
All of the things we see in this video are possible, after all the video and the city of Singapore is proof. Let us catch that spirit and cultivate it here in our communities by adding more pin pricks of urban acupuncture to our neighborhoods, and streets. The road to our future starts with a single step!
I just wanted to take a moment to send a personal message out to all those in the fields of Landscape Architecture, Gardening, Horticulture, and Urban Planning/Urban Ecology. I created Landscape Connections for the purpose to share my love and passion for Landscape Architecture and Design, and Urban Ecology.
I was a Landscape Architecture Major at Utah State University and currently study Urban Ecology at the University of Utah. I am working to compile as much information in the four previously mentioned fields as possible. If you have any further information, or would like to either add information or see information posted to landscape connections please let me know.
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