MUNICIPAL LANDSCAPES REFLECT
COMMUNITY IDENTITY AND PRIDE

A quick glance at a Chicago area map reflects the current merging of individual community edges into a giant, modern metropolis. In spite of this patchwork of connected boundaries, each village, town or city seeks to maintain and enhance its own character and identity. Roadside markers, whether they be next to a cornfield or a commuter train, welcome you as you cross the border from one suburb to another, relaying the message, "We are separate and unique."

Residents, local businesses and city managers recognize the value and importance of community heritage, culture and image. But how can these sociological phenomena be translated into consistent visual elements? And how can communities set and maintain aesthetic goals while uniting new developments with established neighborhoods and expanding roadways with traditional sidewalks and paths?

One solution and a major trend in municipal planning is to hire landscape architects to analyze communities and work with village boards to develop comprehensive plans that use improved landscaping, consistent landscape treatment of municipal properties and appropriate signage to convey the image and character of the city.

Three Chicagoland communities, Lincolnshire, Hillside and Wilmette, are currently in the process of planning and creating municipal landscapes that not only enhance the surroundings, but through various design elements, establish a sense of community style. Each village is quite different in size, location and setting. The one thing they have in common is that they've hired the same landscape firm, James Martin Associates of Vernon Hills, to guide them in analyzing their sites and developing consistent, customized landscape treatments.

The Village of Lincolnshire set out to develop a cohesive, identifiable image by enhancing its existing intersections through the use of signage, lighting and plantings. Martin Associates worked with village manager, David Limardi, village planner. Mark Weir, and the village trustees to analyze the identity needs and image goals for Lincolnshire. Village entrances and intersections along Riverwoods Road and Highway 22, interior intersections within residential communities, roadsides, right-of-ways, parks, bike paths and existing corporate centers are all targeted for inclusion in the long range plan. The design theme for the village's signage and landscape program is rural, yet polished, and on a residential scale. A custom signage design incorporates the village lettering style and logo. The use of smooth finished cedar posts with a warm, grey stain and routed detailing reflect an attractive, high quality image and blend with the wooded nature of the community. Martin Associates' guidelines incorporate decorative and functional lighting into the design as well, by repeating the same colors and finishes.

A different scenario is underway in the Village of Hillside as Mayor Joseph Tamburino and village administrator, Russ Wajda, pursue a comprehensive landscape master plan. Dan Dalziel, director of design for Martin Associates, presented an overview of the planning process and opportunities for landscape enhancement at a June meeting with residents and the village board. Dalziel pointed out that tollway embankments, bus stops, median strips, parkways and even the prairie path are sites where Hillside could use landscaping and customized signage to enhance and identify the community. Perhaps brick, a common building material in Hillside, could be used as a thematic design element, uniting the landscapes with decorative signage and paving and reflecting the solid, hard-working nature of this established community. It may take years for Hillside to complete the many steps of this comprehensive project, including street tree planting and relocating overhead utilities. Mayor Tamburino summed up the village's approach with an enthusiastic, "Plan your work and work your plan . . . nobody's yard looks the way they want it to in one season. It takes time and money and that's where we're at."

In Wilmette, residents may find themselves stopping to smell the flowers, a new phenomenon along Green Bay Road from Ashland to Isabella. This village just completed the renovation of a major streetscape.

September 1989 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 15

What used to be a deteriorating combination of lawn and rocky overgrown embankments now supports flowering crabapple trees and beds of colorful annuals. Martin Associates worked closely with Heidi Voorhees, assistant village manager and other key staff to identify the most economical way for them to upgrade this important length of roadway and let motorists know when they were entering or leaving the village. The landscape plan highlights the entrances with stone walls carrying Wilmette's village sign. Matched plantings of shrubs, ground covers and annuals complete the entrance treatments. With the renovation and enhancement of the landscape surrounding the railroad station, Wilmette now welcomes both motorists and train riders with seasonally changing landscapes that reflect the gardenlike quality of this northern community.

James Martin Associates, Inc., located at 24380 N. Highway 45, Vernon Hills, Illinois, is one of only two firms in the country to win a national award of merit from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) during their 1988 professional awards competition. The landscape architecture and consulting firm is made up of horticulturists, foresters, landscape architects and maintenance specialists. Their combined talents uniquely address a wide range of projects including urban streetscapes, corporate and educational campuses, residential and commercial landscape renovations, planning for single family and multi-family housing, parks and recreational projects, and specialized projects such as prairie development and maintenance planning. •

Page 16 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1989