Rockland named one of "12 Distinctive Destinations"
By the National Trust for Historic Preservation
ROCKLAND, Maine — “This place matters.”
We're in the running, though, for the top spot. So go to Rockland Main Street Click on the link for Distinctive Destination, and follow the instructions to cast your vote for Rockland. You can vote more than once! Voting Ends February 28, 2010.
We had 114 people attend the workshop on Smartcode!! Thank you!
Given by Robert Orr, FAIA, 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Rockland City Hall
Sponsored by the Rockland Comprehensive Panning Commission
As the failures of uncontrolled sprawl development are becoming more clear, more and more Americans are seeking a return to an in-town lifestyle, one designed for pedestrians and not automobiles. To safely walk to neighborhood businesses for goods and services is a key component in attracting these returning village dwellers, but allowing for such development is often at odds with current zoning practices.
Robert Orr will discuss ways in which communities can, by rethinking traditional approaches to zoning, provide a framework that encourages more mixed-use development oriented to foot traffic, which enhances a neighborhood's quality of life. His presentation will include examples of designs to be avoided as well as emulated, and also how New Urbanism can be adapted to existing cities and towns.
Robert Orr FAIA is an award-winning architect, Smart Growth , planner and one of the originators of New Urbanism, which aims to create walkable, mixed-use, neighborhoods. His collaboration with Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk at Seaside, Florida in 1982 was honored by Time Magazine as "...the most astonishing design achievement of its era and one might hope the most influential." A Founder of the Seaside Institute, a think-tank on community design, Robert also serves on the Board of the New Haven Town Green Special Services District, Liberty Community Services (providing housing for homeless with AIDS), 1000 Friends of Connecticut, the Vestry of Trinity Church on the Green and many other vision-based organizations in Florida, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut. He received his MArch from Yale and his BA from the University of Vermont. A practitioner, professor, lecturer, and writer, Robert lives with his wife and four children in New Haven, Connecticut. More info contactsmartgrowthrockland@hotmail.com
Rockland Supports Climate Awareness with a Resolve from the Mayor!
I was really proud to be a councilor on October 14.
My favorite part of being a councilor is regular meeting, because people come! I especially love it when I know that I am a part of what is going on: that my choice to be in public office is worthy, because people have called me, they are at the meetings with legislation in hand, ready to take part in our democratic process.
On October 14, my former gardening co-worker, friend, and friend to the environment, Annette Naegel, came and asked council to support a resolve declaring October 24 Climate Awareness Day. She was taking part in a worldwide Climate Awareness Action sponsored by 350.org Do go to the website to see all the creative ways that people made the number 350, all over the world.
Why 350? What's the significance? 350 is the most important number in the world--it's what scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Right now, mostly because we’ve burned so much fossil fuel, the atmospheric concentration of co2 is 390 ppm—that’s way too high, and it’s why ice is melting, drought is spreading, forests are dying. To bring that number down, the first task is to stop putting more carbon into the atmosphere. That means a very fast transition to sun and wind and other renewable forms of power. If we can stop pouring more carbon into the atmosphere, then forests and oceans will slowly suck some of it out of the air and return us to safe levels.
Two years ago, after leading climatologists observed rapid ice melt in the Arctic and other frightening signs of climate change, they issued a series of studies showing that the planet faced both human and natural disaster if atmospheric concentrations of CO2 remained above 350 parts per million.
Hopefully I can get some pictures soon from the local actions that were held at the Puffin Center downtown in Rockland, and at the Snow Bowl.