San Francisco is a fantastic place to be a dad, a cyclist, and a designer and an advocate for landscapes. Our vibrant and tightly-packed North Beach neighborhood is offset by the not-too-far-away wide open spaces of the Golden Gate National Parks (GGNP) that hint at the what the city was like generations ago and what the landscape was like before there was a city.
It is no accident that these spaces are still here. The GGNP of today is the collective result of generations of activists, environmentalists, lawyers, stewards, and designers. We owe these individuals a great deal. These landscapes have been more than shielded from private development; they have been designed and maintained in ways that respect the history of the place, the ecosystems, and the present and future uses by Bay Area residents and visitors from across the globe. The GGNP have become icons of our region and are engrained into the culture our community. This short video is a preview of the bigger tribute to come.
I’m also a member of the board of directors for The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF). This organization and I have a shared interest in drawing attention to the design of our landscapes. I’m proud to be involved in TCLF’s work to recognize and protect at-risk modernist landscapes across the nation, and I couldn’t be happier that my SWA office will host the TCLF event that will pay tribute to these individuals when the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the Presidio Trust, and the National Parks Service will be presented with the TCLF Steward Excellence Award on April 4.
The Legacy of the Golden Gate National Parks
A Model for Stewardship Innovation and Design Excellence
RECEPTION
Thursday, April 4. 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Bently Reserve – Old Federal Reserve Building -
I invite you to join us in honoring them by attending the event and the What’s Out There tour of the national parks. I hope to see you there.
Download Parks Booklet
Please help us pay tribute to the GGNP stewards and designers by sharing your story of an experience in the GGNP along with this link to the event webpage, http://tclf.org/event/GGNP-reception and using the hashtag #goldengateparks when appropriate.
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Posted by ReneBihan in Landscape is the Answer, Restoration on