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PORTLAND, OR
Landscape Architects at Belt Collins Hawaii have "learned by doing" in their 25 years of serving a vast area that holds half of the planet's population. Veteran Ray Cain, FASLA, showed various examples of the firm's substantial resort work-- along with a "joke" world map with Australia five times the size of the USA-- in a presentation on Pacific Rim Opportunities for Landscape Architects during the American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting in Portland, OR. His main concern is whether resort areas in the Rim can handle six million tourists a year. He has tried to create ecotourism destinations without destroying the pristine natural beauty tourists seek-- by using 15 development programs he innovated, funded by World Bank and the United Nations. Tony Leung of Urbis International in Hong Kong, and Chi Chung Wong HOK in Hong Kong know the Asian mentality, fearing upscale Western influence in design is often counter to the local culture. For example, big shopping centers that demand carparks in cities with poor roads. Leung planned an impressive Port of Hong Kong multi-use town waterfront served by efficient mass transit. Chi Ching warned that clients need hand-holding, often are slow to pay with fees that do not allow long-term in-depth services. HOK is sensitive to diverse ethnic groups and dealing with open versus corrupt plan reviewers. They both use strong local designers (as does Belt Collins) on the design teams. These veterans advise that caution and deep pockets are needed for Pacific Rim success.
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