Parks and Places for Socialization and Well-being

July 30, 2021 PLACE CREATION

Just when I thought that things were getting back to normal, this Delta Variant is cropping up its ugly head. Several friends are sick with it; two are hospitalized and facing serious challenges.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the course of the past year and a half, it’s the wonderfully restorative nature of being outdoors. There’s a marvelous re-set that comes from going outside to get a breath of fresh air. It clears your head. And, who doesn’t enjoy dinner or a glass of wine together with friends in a lovely outdoor garden setting?

Tag, You’re Free (when outdoors)

April 29, 2021 PLACE CREATION

Freeze Tag.jpg — Lifestyles of happiness and Well-being

*The Outdoor Antidote, Part 3*

Last week I volunteered at the school where my wife, Tara, serves as the Elementary Principal. The highlight was playing freeze-tag with the first graders! If you’ve ever played it, you know that the worst part is being frozen . . . stuck . . . isolated . . . alone . . . unable to interact with others. What a joy and relief to suddenly become “un-frozen”, and free to run, rejoin the play, and relate with others.

Also last week, I read what we all have intuitively known – that when outside, we can shed our masks, and enjoy being together safely.

Fostering Community Through Design

November 26, 2019 PLACE CREATION

Door to Community — FOSTERING COMMUNITY

*THROUGH DESIGN*

NEIGHBORLY CONNECTIONS

When we downsized our home and moved to Ocala, we moved into a rental home just outside of the Historic District while the 1938 bungalow we purchased was being renovated. Turns out our neighbor, Linda, moved into her newly renovated bungalow next door to our rental home on the same day we moved in. These older homes don’t have garages; our parking spaces were right next to Linda’s. . . .

Changes in the Wind for Hospice and Palliative Care

September 30, 2019 PLACE CREATION

SittingInGarden — CHANGES IN
THE WIND

*Rethinking Palliative and Hospice Care Settings*

BEING MORTAL

My daughter began her social work career in the world of hospice care. She described it to me as a profession similar to that "of a midwife, but on the other end of the life spectrum – assisting with a natural process. I’ve seen her working first-hand in a number of family situations operating in this role, and it’s been nothing short of amazing. . .

Access for All: Universal Design and PLACE Creation

August 28, 2019 PLACE CREATION

If landscapes are like books , what story are they telling? Whose story? Diverse groups in our society are striving for equality and for their stories to be heard. The landscapes we inhabit as humans lack an audible voice and are dependent upon designers to create settings for stories. Every landscape does have its own story, but examining landscapes as the settings for human stories provides a unique vantage point for critical discussion.

Place Creation MATTERS

NEIGHBORLY CONNECTIONS

BEING MORTAL