Nature-Mimicking Infrastructure: 21st Century Technology?

Andy Lipkis, the founder and president of TreePeople, an organization in Los Angeles that brings natural concepts into the "urban forest", details his 40 years of work proving the feasibility of projects such as the Elmer Avenue Project.

2 minute read

December 3, 2010, 9:00 AM PST

By Anonymous (not verified)


The article features exclusive, in depth Q&A with Andy Lipkis, founder and president of TreePeople.

"My body of work up until now has been about proving feasibility where there have been significant barriers in the way of policy and funds. TreePeople has decided that it's time to step it up and catalyze a plan to retrofit all of Southern California on those principles-to make our region a functioning community forest."

"Most of our contributions rely on other people's innovations from other areas that were pulled together by us to do what's appropriate for Southern California. The street swale, for example, has been executed well in Seattle and Portland. In Seattle, it's called the SEA Streets (Street Edge Alternatives) Project. What's neat about this is that there's an ongoing, cross-pollination collaboration, because Seattle was forced to take this approach to restore salmon habitat throughout the city."

"We keep coming up against this. There are conceptual blocks. One is the belief that people won't change. Tim Brick, the outgoing head of MWD, worked very hard in his last couple of years. He brought in the Australians; he brought in stories of success. I don't understand why, even when the president of the board champions this approach, it hasn't stuck at the agencies. I can tell you my guess as to why: they're stuck in a command-and-control mode, where they might not appreciate that they can still have the same quality assurance and supply assurance through a distributed smart system."

Thanks to James Brasuell

Thursday, December 2, 2010 in The Planning Report

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

15 minutes ago - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

1 hour ago - Newsweek

Close-up on woman in white and blue striped knee-length dress standing next to mint green cruiser bike resting against low wrought iron fence in front of green lawn.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

2 hours ago - domus

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.