A dazzling wildflower season spells trouble for master-planned communities across the West.
How are the wildflower wars being waged, and why is it important to have natural yards in cities, anyway?
"In Civano, it's common to see yards bursting with the golds, whites, and brilliant pinks of desert wildflowers like brittlebush, chicory, and penstemon. It's common, too, for residents to let the annuals fade and go to seed, hoping for another showy display the following year (pending our undependable rains). As the author Joseph Wood Krutch has said, wildflowers of the arid West "riot briefly and then lie low." Ah, but what a riot it can be."
"There has been another kind of flash this season, too - the mailing of nearly 200 "weed cards," postcards noting that a troupe of CC&R committee members found the homeowner's yard to be in violation. The general culprit: weeds. Another possibility: a shabby yard. The bottom line: though Civano's landscape guidelines provide for a wide variety of native flowers, the legally-binding covenants, codes, and restrictions reign in the less manicured yards."
FULL STORY: The Wildflower Wars
How to ID Urban Wildflowers
Ever wonder what those flowers growing through a crack in the sidewalk are? This guide from Streetsblog has you covered.
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A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service