Places That Aren't

I was reading some old back issues of National Geographic recently and came across articles about some bizarre yet interesting places—Ski Dubai, an enormous indoor ski area, a beach in Paris that the City constructs along the Seine each year, and Disney’s beloved and reviled playground, Orlando. The stories of these places reminded me of Lyman Orton’s disgust upon hearing of a proposal to build a wildlife park on the side of a mountain in Weston, Vermont, which the local Planning Commission discovered was, in fact, permitted under the zoning bylaws at that time and which the Commission was powerless to prevent.

This is ultimately what prompted Lyman to start the Foundation; he saw a need for an organization that would develop tools and resources to help communities like Weston decide how they wanted to grow.

But as much as safari theme parks in Vermont and ski resorts in Dubai trigger a gut reaction of distaste, I found myself trying to explain and explore what it is about them that’s actually problematic, and what lessons we can learn.

So, the result is a new Gallery on Flickr, featuring “places” that seem to defy convention, climate, coherence and often common sense. Enjoy...and let us know what you think.