Issue #39

by Marisa Morby

design

Who doesn't love a good before and after highlight? The Salesforce Transit Center Park is a rooftop park that's replaced a parking lot with a habitable area for birds, a green space for people to enjoy, and stormwater filtration. According to the Landscape Architecture Foundation, the park reports 47 observed bird species, 4 of which were endangered or a species of concern.

nature

I just spent the last nine weeks in a native plants class, where we learned to identify native plants by their flowers, cultural requirements, growing habit, and of course, leaf structure. So I was delighted with this article and beautiful art by Leslie Shapiro that asks why do trees have differently shaped leaves?

Seeds from the same tree grown in different climates create differently shaped leaves. Illustration by Leslie Shapiro

reimagine

I'm always looking for new and imaginative ways that people are finding connection with nature, and I want to highlight the artist Philipp Frank and his Rock Lights project. He says that for a moment "Nature and technology melt into a new layer of reality." His light projection mapping is simultaneously captivating and relaxing.