What's New?

What's New with the Landscape Ordinance Research Project?

We are pleased to let you know that a one year research effort funded by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture And Forestry has resulted in a new tool for anyone wishing detail information about landscape and tree laws.

A new compact disk educational program has been completed and is ready for public use. This is a first ever program on the subject of landscape codes and tree ordinances. A 'speakers program' and 'self study guide' has been prepared. The program has been researched, written, designed and illustrated for use by city administrators, city officials, non-profit tree and landscape organizations and interested students and citizens. The program can be modified for specific use in local communities with appropriate credit given to the School of Landscape Architecture, Landscape Ordinance Research Project, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The program with its many examples, appendices, and exhibits covers three broad themes. They include a section entitled 'how we build.' This part of the program illustrates problems that are created that can be solved by landscape and trees laws. Examples of poor community design are given to make it easy for people to see the many problems that can be solved with the use of vegetation for screening, shading, spatial articulation and visual control. A second theme, 'how to build' tells what landscape codes and tree laws are, how they are written and how these tools working with other city building codes and laws can create green communities. A final theme explores the 'visual structure of landscape law' as found in communities that have adopted landscape codes. Cities like Austin, Texas, Santa Monica, California, Collier County, Florida, Durham, North Carolina and Mandeville, Louisiana have all successfully put landscape codes to work. These use these specialized building codes to keep nature as an important element of city design.

Green Laws And Community Design is an educational compact disk you can use to inform people about the need to keep nature in our communities and why nature is an important element of community design. Copies of the disk can be ordered by writing to:

Attn: Bonnie Stine
Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry
P.O. Box 1628
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-1628
225.925.4500 bonnie_s@ldaf.state.la.us

You may e-mail within the text box of your mailer a "letter head document" with names, addresses and telephone numbers of the requesting parties. Be sure to put in your subject line "Green Laws & Community Design CD" to be sure that your
e-mail is received. No attachments please! Attachments will not be opened. Only letter heads with names, addresses and telephone numbers will receive a free copy of the CD. The quantity of the free CD's are limited. Order early.