The Walking Revolution

Take 30 minutes to watch Every Body Walk's new documentary on the benefits of walking - then take a 30 minute walk - it could change your life!

Ten Great Reasons to be a Landscape Architect

"Landscape Architecture is what you encounter once you walk out your front door. It is the rural environment, the urban environment and the profession acting as the interface between earth's natural ecosystem and its people."
Read more about Landscape Architecture here.

GreenTown Michiana

GreenTown Michiana is being held Thursday & Friday, October 10-11, 2013 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Downtown South Bend.

GreenTown: The Future of Community is designed to help create sustainable communities. Since 2007, mayors and other elected officials, city managers, public works directors, park district directors, planners, developers, builders, architects, landscape architects, engineers, school leaders, teachers, healthcare professionals, environmental advocates – and many others interested in sustainable development – have gathered to hear inspiring speakers, learn from been–there case studies and discuss actionable steps to make communities – and people and planet – healthier. At GreenTown, people learn. Network. Act.

Chuck Lehman will be one of the presenters of "Reinventing Neighborhoods Through Mixed Use and Transit Oriented Development" (Friday 10:25–11:25), and will be moderating a panel discussion on "Reinventing Downtown South Bend: How a Complete Streets Vision Will Revitalize Downtown" (Friday 11:30–12:30).

Chuck is also a Co-Chair of GreenTown Michiana, with Mike Keen, Director of IUSB Center for a Sustainable Future, and is excited by the attendance response to the conference, not only the Michiana area, but from many surrounding cities and states.

Besides the information exchange from the various presentations, Chuck feels the greater benefit will be realized in the networking of the participants beyond the GreenTown Michiana Conference. As Co-Chair, he felt this important enough to establish a 6–month followup meeting to regroup with conference participants to report progress, build on collaborations, etc., in an effort to enhance healthy and sustainable communities. The tentative date for this 6–month progress meeting is April 4, 2014. More information will be coming soon.

If you attend the GreenTown Michiana Conference we would like to hear your thoughts and feedback. If you are unable to attend please visit http://www.greentownconference.com/ in the coming weeks to view (and download) the presentations shared.

GreenTown is co–produced by a5, a Chicago–based marketing and communications firm, and Seven Generations Ahead, a non–profit organization whose mission is to build healthy, sustainable communities. Over the past five years, they have created experiences across the Midwest in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

For more information contact Chuck at chuck@lehmanandlehman.com

Bicentennial Park

 Bicentennial Park is a neighborhood park located on the north side of Valparaiso, Indiana. The established park contains facilities for softball and basketball, a playground and support facilities such as restrooms and parking.
Lehman & Lehman was originally commissioned in 2009 to assist the Valparaiso Parks Department in a feasibility study on how the current park infrastructure and facilities could be renovated into a new master plan vision. Neighborhood surveys and stakeholder meetings were conducted and data collected, with the result of the study producing five conceptual schemes for consideration.
Funding was secured in late 2012 for the implementation of the master plan and Lehman & Lehman was once again engaged by the City of Valparaiso to develop construction documents for the first two phases of construction.
The first phase of construction consisted of extending utility infrastructure for the future restroom and concession building, reducing the size of the existing softball field, installing new softball fencing and constructing compacted aggregate pathways. The second phase of construction began in the spring of 2013 with major earthwork to help with drainage and overall stormwater retention within the park and adjacent neighborhood in addition to establishing the base elevations for a future softball diamond.
Lehman & Lehman worked closely with the Valparaiso Park Department as well as the City's Engineering and Stormwater Departments. deBoer Egolf Corporation of Portage, Indiana was the contractor for the project workscope, which was completed in June, 2013.
Below are photos of the construction process showing most recent first and going to pre-construction.

6.28.13 New culvert under park entry drive.

6.28.13 New roadside swale.

6.28.13 New swale draining north side of the park to the main retention area.

6.28.13 Future softball field.

6.28.13 Intersection of drainage swales directing runoff to the main retention area.

6.28.13 Overflow structure allowing a controlled release of stormwater after a 3+ inch rain event in less than 24 hours.

6.28.13 Main retention area and berm shortly after large rain event. Seed just beginning to germinate.

6.6.13 New north retention area.

6.6.13 East end of new main retention area behind existing softball field.

6.6.13 New (buried) overflow pipe in drainage easement.

6.6.13 New overflow control structure in main retention area.

6.6.13 Construction of berm along the west property line of park.

6.6.13 Fill/grading of low area for future softball field.

5.15.13 Scraping of topsoil on future softball field area.

5.15.13 Early excavation of north retention area.

5.15.13 Clearing of overflow drainage easement.

5.15.13 Staking of main (southwest) retention area.

5.15.13 Staking of main (southwest) retention area.

10.12.12 Future location of swale to drain the roadside ditch to the new retention area.

10.12.12 Existing culvert under park entry drive to be replaced.

10.12.12 Existing road side swale/ditch to be reconstructed and routed through the park.

7.29.09 Existing low spot that will be filled and graded for future softball field.

7.29.09 Location of future small north retention area that will drain the adjacent residential properties.

7.29.09 Future intersection of drainage swales.

7.29.09 Location of new retention area as it wraps around the existing softball field.

7.29.09 Location of new main southwest retention area. Existing softball fence to be relocated and lights to be removed.

7.29.09 Existing drainage swale and willow tree. Runoff tends to flood this area.

7.29.09 Open lawn on northwest corner of park where new drainage swale is to be constructed.

Storm Strikes Lehman & Lehman Office Building

While the worst of the storm was south of us, on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 our office sustained a hit - by a large tree, causing damage to the clay tile roof. Fortunately, no one was hurt and power was not interrupted. The tenant in the apartment at the rear of the top floor actually slept through it!
Photos of the damage and clean-up operation are below.

 

The New Golden Age in Landscape Architecture

The past few years have brought changes to Landscape Architecture that promise to reinvent planned outdoor spaces over the next few decades - with developments like the QR code.
Recreation Management's article titled Set Your Sights on Sites explores the Golden Age in Landscape Architecture. Read about it here.

Green Cities

Economic Outlook, a program on WNIT Public Television recently aired a segment discussing "Green Initiatives and Sustainability" with Host, Phil D'Amico. The panel consisted of Mike Keen, Director of Center for a Sustainable Future - IUSB; Gary Gilot, City of South Bend Director of Public Works; J.J. Kanczuzewski, President of Inovateus Solar, LLC; and our own Chuck Lehman, President of Lehman & Lehman, Inc.
"Green Initiatives and Sustainability" can be viewed by following this link to Economic Outlook.