"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Policy
How the US Clean Water Act Fines Direct Wastewater Discharges
04/01/25
“How does the US Clean Water Act fine people who direct discharge into waters and wetlands?”
The US Clean Water Act governs water sanitation in the US. If someone direct discharges wastewater into US waters and wetlands, they can get between 1 – 6 years of convictions and have to pay between $2,500 and upwards of $100,000 per day depending on the severity of the crime committed.
Rewilding Landscapes
03/18/25
“How can we return landscapes to nature?”
Humans cultivate landscapes through all sorts of methods, whether it’s by building physical infrastructure or cultivating specific plant species. But sometimes, we may want to return landscapes to nature. This Rewilding Landscapes process can happen in a number of different ways, from dechanellizing rivers to reintroducing native tree species. Rewilding is a fantastic way to build climate resilience and biodiversity in a region.
Centralized Water Treatment
03/16/25
“How can we treat water for a city in a centralized location?”
Water has to be treated before it reaches a city. Dense urban areas often use Centralized Water Treatment. This involves coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, and disinfection.
Why Landscape Architects Should Implement Carbon Skins Into Their Work
02/22/25
“Why should landscape architects implement carbon sinks into their work?”
Landscape Architects are tasked with creating landscapes to serve functional purposes. One of the most important tasks in the new climate paradigm is to decrease carbon emissions and carbon from the atmosphere. An important step is to create carbon sinks when appropriate. This can range from planting small trees to massive wetland restoration works. This is Why Landscape Architects Should Implement Carbon Skins Into Their Work.
Overlay Zoning
02/16/25
“How can we superimpose new regulations over an existing zoning district?”
Zoning in municipal plans defines what city portions can and cannot do. Sometimes, a city desires to add additional regulations without going through a complex rezoning process. This can be accomplished through Overlay Zoning, where new roles are imposed over an already existing city district. Overlay zoning can be used to designate a minimum amount of affordable housing, label a neighborhood portion as safe for transit-oriented development, and more.
Double Loaded Corridors
02/10/25
“What is the most common apartment floor plan in the US and Canada?”
Apartments in the US and Canada typically require at least two different staircases. The most common arrangement to accommodate this is the Double Loaded Corridor. Double-loaded corridors have a long hallway with two different staircases on both ends and units on each side. This layout forces apartment units to have unequal amounts of sunlight. Large family-friendly units are only available to be built on corners.
Point Access Blocks
02/08/25
“How can we improve American and Canadian apartments with one simple design rule?”
Most places in Canada and the US require two staircases per 3+ or 4+ story apartment (respectively) to meet fire safety regulations. This forces the floor layout into a double-loaded corridor with small apartments on each side of the central hallway. However, if we were to allow apartments to carry only one staircase, we would have much more flexibility with floor geometries. This small action enables the creation of Point Access Blocks. Point access blocks maximize the usable floor area, allow daylight to hit multiple sides of a building, increase ventilation, and lower cost. The US and Canada can greatly expand affordable multifamily housing by making point access blocks easier to build.
Waste Management
02/05/25
“How do we classify the processes for managing waste?”
People produce waste every day. Methods for collecting, transporting, treating, and disposing of waste must be developed. These actions are grouped under the umbrella of Waste Management. If proper waste management is not undertaken, major public health issues can ensue.
Parametric Insurance
02/04/25
“Can we have insurance that only pays out when a certain threshold is reached?”
Insurance usually pays out when a loss is incurred. But a special type of insurance, Parametric Insurance, pays out after reaching a certain threshold. Example parameters for disaster parametric insurance include earthquake magnitude size, wind speed, or flood level.
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