Pragmatic Visions

What does it take to transform a 1,400-acre greenfield site into a fully functional community? A forward-thinking approach to infrastructure planning. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, LandDesign Partner Dale Stewart discusses the forward-thinking approach to land planning at The River District that ensured every planning and design decision supported the Crescent Communities vision for the community. Listen to learn more about our flexible approach to infrastructure planning at The River District.

The pandemic was a catalyst for the DowntownDC Business Improvement District to evaluate the function of its public parks and open spaces in strengthening its urban fabric. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sit down with LandDesign's Susan England to explore the intricacies of the planning process, the team's approach to inclusive community and stakeholder engagement, and their approach to envisioning a public realm that evolves alongside the district.

Since the 1980s, LandDesign has been a trusted partner to the City of Kannapolis as they transformed from a mill town to a thriving community-of-choice. Tune in to Pragmatic Visions as LandDesign Partners Ray Waugh and Nate Doolittle share the visionary partnerships, forward-thinking infrastructure solutions, and multi-generational approach to the project that resulted in a new standard for small town revitalization efforts. 

“We didn’t realize how much we needed a downtown park until we had one, and now we can’t imagine our city without Bell Tower Green.” – Mary Heather Steinman, Salisbury Community Member A vibrant open space, years in the making, Bell Tower Green has forever changed the fabric of Salisbury. From private businesses to long-time residents, the entire community came together to create Bell Tower Green, the heart of Salisbury’s downtown. On this episode of the Pragmatic Visions Podcast, Allison Merriman and Jeff Mis join us to take a deeper look into the community-wide effort that brought Bell Tower Green to life.

Fueling our culture of innovation, LandDesign’s MatterLab program empowers employees, regardless of their role, to explore ideas, discover new things, and learn throughout the process.  Tune into this month’s episode of Pragmatic Visions, where we sit down with Richard Petersheim, one of the pioneers behind LandDesign’s internal micro-grant program, to talk about the origin of this unique initiative and some of the creative ideas LandDesigners have explored as a result. 

National Harbor is a testament to LandDesign’s commitment to realizing our client’s vision. This two-decade long journey led to the transformation of the Potomac River Waterfront into a family-oriented destination in our nation’s capital. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sit down with LandDesign’s Peter Crowley and Gabriela Cañamar Clark to talk about the implementation of National Harbor and its profound legacy on the region and our firm.

LandDesign’s award-winning podcast, Pragmatic Visions, is returning for a second season! Join hosts Ashley Clark and Alyson Beacham as they speak with the firm’s designers and thought leaders to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiring places created through our unique process. Tune in as we share stories of uncommon collaboration, thoughtful solutions, and candid moments that make our projects matter.

When repositioning a suburban office park and expansive golf course into an urban mixed-use development, there are a few things you must consider. How will the infrastructure support the long-term growth of the community? How will the roadways and open spaces connect to commercial experiences? LandDesign’s multidisciplinary team is working with Northwood Office to answer these questions for Ballantyne Reimagined. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sat down with members of our design team, Adam McGuire, Lori Milam, and Matt Weschler, to understand how the inspiring vision for Ballantyne Reimagined will be implemented. Listen to Discovering Ballantyne Reimagined Part 1 to learn more about the bold vision for this project.

Ballantyne is a nationally recognized community that has catalyzed growth in South Charlotte. Today, Ballantyne is undergoing an exciting transformation to reposition its 535-acre corporate park and golf course into an urban, mixed-use destination. For the next two episodes of Pragmatic Visions, we will discuss the journey we have embarked on with Northwood Office to implement their bold vision for Ballantyne Reimagined. On this episode, we sat down with LandDesign’s Dale Stewart, who was part of the initial planning of the community in the 90s, and current members of the project team, Rhett Crocker and Nathan Doolittle, to discuss the early planning efforts that set the stage for the development occurring today and the long-term plans for Ballantyne Reimagined.

How do we measure the positive impact of the places we create? LandDesign’s Alison Peckett and Stephanie Roa were inspired to answer this very question and for the last several years have been digging into data and metrics as measurements for project performance. In 2020, the duo took their research to the next level by partnering with the Landscape Architecture Foundation for their Case Study Investigation Program that brings together leading design firms, academia, and funding to analyze landscape performance. Over the last year, Allison and Stephanie worked with George Mason University to quantify the social, environmental, and economic impact of the Potomac Science Center. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sat down with Allison and LAF’s Megan Barnes to discuss key findings from the study, valuable lessons learned, and the importance of performance metrics in guiding the future of design. Read the full Potomac Science Center Landscape Performance case study, here: https://www.landscapeperformance.org/case-study-briefs/potomac-science-center

The land planning phase of a project can often work like a jigsaw puzzle. The big picture vision is there, but the process of assembling the pieces, entitlements and rezoning, can be nuanced and complex. Pairing engineering with zoning and entitlements are two integral parts of the land planning puzzle, and for LandDesign that’s Director of Engineering, Jim Scanlon, and Land Use Attorney, Tony Calabrese. Together, they combine their jurisdictional knowledge and expertise in infrastructure planning and real estate development to bring a project vision to life. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we sit down with Jim and Tony to discuss the value of combining their unique perspectives to maximize a client’s assets, make informed decisions, and deliver some of the most ambitious and exciting real estate projects in the Northern Virginia region.

As designers and engineers, we see endless possibilities within every project we work on, however, there are limitations and constraints we must work with—one being the landscape. But what if there was a way to physically alter the landscape and incorporate movement, such as adjustable seating, moveable trees, and plazas that form to the users needs? LandDesign’s MatterLab grant recipient, and this year’s first-place award winner Rachael Shields, recognized the potential of kinetics in manipulating the landscape beyond plan drawings or 3D modeling. Incorporating movement and time into design, Rachel leveraged Arduino and C++ code to program a moveable and adjustable prototype of a kinetic topography that enables real-time modification. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we spoke with Rachael about the inspiration for her research, her experience learning to code, and aspirations for the application of this technology on projects she works on. Learn more about Rachael’s research, here!

The rapid growth of micro-modal transportation is challenging cities across the U.S. to integrate infrastructure, such as cycletracks, multi-use paths, and bicycle lanes, to make it easier for micro-modal users to travel within their community. These facilities are crucial to the success of multi-modal networks, however, they tend to be infrequent, inadequate, and rarely address the importance of protected micro-modal facilities through roadway intersections.After a successful first round of MatterLab, Jeromy Wegrzyn leveraged the program for a second time to continue his research into micro-modal systems, and examined existing protected intersections for micro-modal users to develop a guide for designing these facilities. On this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we spoke with Jeromy about his experience utilizing these facilities as an avid cyclist and the importance of protected intersections when planning for multi-modal systems.

Has the influence of technology on our everyday lives trickled into the way we experience the public realm? This very question spurred an academic partnership between LandDesign and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Master of Urban Design program. A group of designers and students banded together for a semester-long exploration, analyzing the impact of technology on the way we interact with the physical realm. During this episode of Pragmatic Visions, we are joined by LandDesign Partner, Richard Petersheim, PLA and UNCC Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, Deb Ryan, PLA who led our curious troupe through investigations of plazas and parks to virtual immersion at Walt Disney World. Listen in as they share the unexpected results from the study and the role of digital placemaking and technology on the future of public space.

In this time of constant change, we understand that the needs of our employees, clients, and collaborative partners are evolving. Heth Kendrick, PLA believes that in order to be the best leader we can be, we must first listen and then adapt. He is a champion for embracing change, regardless of how challenging it may seem at first, and that change will ultimately increase innovation in our practice, uncover forward-thinking solutions for our clients, and elevate the way we work together. Listen in as Heth shares his futuristic outlook on the positive impact the pandemic will have on our culture, practice, and client experience.

The impact of design reaches far beyond the built environment, deeply affecting the emotional and physical well-being of communities, especially those that have experienced discrimination and disinvestment. Stephanie Pankiewicz, PLA believes it is the responsibility of designers to educate themselves on policy and development patterns that have embedded inequality in our communities. Following that education is the ability to listen so that design may serve the ultimate purpose of unifying people and celebrating culture. Listen in as Stephanie shares her experience working on projects where she leads by listening and how designers can integrate this approach into every project they work on.

There’s immense value in understanding what has been done in the past to make better design decisions for the future. Jason Granado and Paula Narvaez are brainstorming a way to capture projects, from LandDesign’s portfolio and projects nationally, to create a database that would allow designers to search for precedent projects or get deep into the design details. Listen in as Jason and Paula share their MatterLab experience and how each of their projects create an easier, efficient way to find places that matter.

Increased demand for multi-family development in urban settings is challenging designers to push the envelope of amenity design. With resort-style pools and dog parks setting the standard, Nataliya Gurina believes there is a way to better connect residents with their natural environment and researched the value of community gardens in urban multi-family developments. Listen in as Nataliya shares her MatterLab experience and the value of communal gardens in creating community.