Recent trends in East Peoria, Illinois have seen new commercial developments replacing former industrial and manufacturing properties as well as naturalized floodplains. New development pressures have consumed properties located more inland, creeping toward the historic town center. Meanwhile, a former manufacturing site adjacent to the historic downtown has been developed into a large-lot shopping center and declared East Peoria’s ‘new downtown,’ sucking many businesses out of the historic downtown, which, as a result, has been left compromised in the midst of the new developments. Following construction of major highway infrastructure in the 1950s, housing availability in and near downtown has continued to shrink, quality has plummeted, and the increased attention given to roadway infrastructure has eroded pedestrian connections near the city center. The lack of housing in the city center has contributed to increased numbers of personal vehicles on the roads, causing congestion, wider streets, larger parking lots, and fewer pedestrians and cyclists. Unfortunately, the recent increase in large-lot development has been compromising Farm Creek as well. Frequent flash flooding in the past led to damming, channelizing, and leveeing of the creek, causing the unwanted side-effects of increased sedimentation and water loads to the Illinois River, loss of floodplain habitats, and an eyesore that characterizes East Peoria as a whole. Despite this, Farm Creek is an under-utilized, under-recognized, and almost unknown asset in East Peoria. With its proximity to the historic and new downtowns, recent commercial developments, Illinois Riverfront, parks, schools, and neighborhoods, Farm Creek sits in a prime location to become an important artery that connects the community. Not only does the creek represent the geological and cultural history of East Peoria, but it has the potential to become a starting point that initiates sustainable development in the city’s future. Through green infrastructure and ecological urbanist principles, this project aims to restore Farm Creek to a naturalized floodplain as much as possible, and to preserve and rehabilitate the historic downtown while introducing a dense, walkable, well-connected, mixed-use development that includes housing, open space, and recreation in order to address issues with sprawl, congestion, inequality, and poor public transportation infrastructure.

A beautifully illustrated consideration of the life and career of modernist landscape architect Garrett Eckbo.

In Every Root an Anchor, writer and arborist R. Bruce Allison celebrates Wisconsin's most significant, unusual, and historic trees. More than one hundred tales introduce us to trees across the state, some remarkable for their size or age, others for their intriguing histories. From magnificent elms to beloved pines to Frank Lloyd Wright's oaks, these trees are woven into our history, contributing to our sense of place. They are anchors for time-honored customs, manifestations of our ideals, and reminders of our lives' most significant events. For this updated edition, Allison revisits the trees' histories and tells us which of these unique landmarks are still standing. He sets forth an environmental message as well, reminding us to recognize our connectedness to trees and to manage our tree resources wisely. As early Wisconsin conservationist Increase Lapham said, "Tree histories increase our love of home and improve our hearts. They deserve to be told and remembered."

Claude has an intuitive faith in something splendid and feels at odds with his contemporaries. The war offers him the opportunity to forget his farm and his marriage of compromise; he enlists and discovers that he has lacked. But while war demands altruism, its essence is destructive

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This book is developed from and includes the presentations of leading international experts and scholars in the 12-14 July, 2006 Wingspread Workshop. With urban waters as a focal point, this book will explore the links between urban water quality and hydrology, and the broader concepts of green cities and smart growth. It also addresses legal and social barriers to urban ecological sustainability and proposes practical ways to overcome those barriers. Cities of the Future features chapters containing visionary concepts on how to ensure that cities and their water resources become ecologically sustainable and are able to provide clean water for all beneficial uses. The book links North American and Worldwide experience and approaches. The book is primarily a professional reference aimed at a wide interdisciplinary audience, including universities, consultants, environmental advocacy groups and legal environmental professionals.