con’text

How are ecological designers addressing the many challenges communities face and incorporating climate change resilience into their work? Robbin Peach ’78, founding resiliency program manager at Massachusetts Port Authority, illustrates the importance of asking the right questions and bringing key players together to understand the implications of climate change. Bird Fellow Gioia Kuss ’99 describes the fragile tropical ecology of Costa Rica, and documents the landscape with stunning photographs, and scholar and artist Dr. Claudia J. Ford demonstrates the power of stories to address complex and intractable problems.  As always, you will also find highlights from recent student projects, the latest school news, and our annual report. We hope you enjoy this issue!

The 2016 issue of con’text discussed the relationship between people and place in design and planning.

• 2016 con’text
• 2015 con’text
• 2014 con’text
• 2013 con’text
• 40th Anniversary Report
• 2011 con’text
• 2010 con’text
• 2009 con’text
• 2008 con’text
• 2007 con’text

“I always look forward to reading con’text magazine not only to keep abreast of new happenings at the School, but also to learn about how various planning techniques are continually being applied in creative and interesting ways. I look at the magazine as providing a very agreeable form of continuing education.” – Randall Arendt, Planner, Author of Envisioning Better Communities

“If you could create a magazine that was a combination of a landscape version of Fine Homebuilding, the New Yorker with dirt under its fingernails and a kind of Facebook college magazine you would end up with con’text.  The magazine is a rich compost of practical knowledge, decent roll your sleeves up philosophy, with old and new minds working together.” – Andrew Coates, Principal, Cresolus, SA: Africa + Americas  

“I find Conway’s mission and projects so inspiring. In these times when whole system approaches are critical, here [in con’text] are stories that blend realism with bold vision, attention to local detail with landscape scale, and beauty with practicality.  Out of this living laboratory in the New England woods, come models to guide us into an uplifted future.  Our hearts, hands and heads will thank Conway for inviting us along on the journey. ” – Gailmarie Kimmel, Co-Director, Be Local Northern Colorado

“Con’text is a great read, full of interesting and intriguing information, and a testimony to the quality of your students.” – Edwina von Gal, Landscape Designer, Co-founder and President, Azuero Earth Project Panama

What do you think of con’text? Are there topics or authors you would like to see published? Let us know.