Eldridge Lovelace
Encyclopedia
Eldridge Hirst Lovelace (March 16, 1913 – November 7, 2008) was a city planner and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 who prepared comprehensive plans for many large US cities.

Early life

Mr. Lovelace was born in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...

, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

, on March 16, 1913.

He was married to Marjorie Van Evera Lovelace ( http://astro.cornell.edu/~lovelace/MarjorieRemembers.pdf ) in 1937 until
her death in 2005.

Education

He attended the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...

 and the University of Illinois, and in 1935 he received the degree Bachelor of Fine Arts in Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois(now ). He studied under Harland Bartholomew
Harland Bartholomew
Harland Bartholomew was an American urban planner. Although a civil engineer by training and disposition, Harland's career started just as the automobile production was about to take off, industrial development was booming and urban populations grew...

, who was Professor of Civic Design at Illinois, and upon graduation he joined the firm Harland Bartholomew and Associates in St. Louis.

City planner

Lovelace's professional career was entirely with Harland Bartholomew and Associates. He became partner in 1943, senior partner in 1961, and chairman of the board upon the firm's incorporation in 1978. He retired in 1981.

During the 46 years that Lovelace was with Harland Bartholomew and Associates, he prepared comprehensive plans for such cities as:
  • Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C.
    Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

  • Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Dallas, Texas
    Dallas, Texas
    Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

  • Waco, Texas
    Waco, Texas
    Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....

  • Corpus Christi, Texas
    Corpus Christi, Texas
    Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...

  • Lincoln, Nebraska
    Lincoln, Nebraska
    The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....

  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
    Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...

  • Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    Baton Rouge, Louisiana
    Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

  • Hamilton County, Ohio
    Hamilton County, Ohio
    As of 2000, there were 845,303 people, 346,790 households, and 212,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,075 people per square mile . There were 373,393 housing units at an average density of 917 per square mile...

  • Kansas City, Kansas
    Kansas City, Kansas
    Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...

  • St. Louis County, Missouri
    St. Louis County, Missouri
    St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...

  • Racine, Wisconsin
    Racine, Wisconsin
    Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...

  • Kenosha, Wisconsin
    Kenosha, Wisconsin
    Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...


He also prepared comprehensive plans for numerous smaller cities and suburbs, particularly those of St. Louis, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

, and Cincinnati.

Lovelace was recognized as an authority in long-range planning, including plans for military installations. During his career, he prepared plans for naval facilities in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...

 and the Philippine Islands as well as numerous Army and Air Force installations across the country.

In his long career Mr. Lovelace also prepared land-use control programs and site planning projects in the United States and Canada. His site-planning projects included Kaanapali, Maui, in Hawaii, and the grounds at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial is in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was designated as a National Memorial by Executive Order 7523, on December 21, 1935, and is maintained by the National Park Service .The park was established to...

, St. Louis, Missouri.

He offered expert testimony in numerous land use control litigation cases.

Mr. Lovelace devised methodologies for relating urban park and recreational plans to the needs and interests of a population. Notable works in this field include the master plan for Balboa Park in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, and for the park system of Charlotte and Mecklenberg counties in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. He also prepared plans for recreation areas, including Cannon Reservoir, Missouri, and Babler State Park
Babler State Park
Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park is located in Wildwood, Missouri. It was established on June 23, 1937 by Governor Lloyd Stark. The park offers many activities including hiking, picnicking, bicycling, horseback riding and camping.- History :Edmund A. Babler was born on october 11, 1874 in...

, also in Missouri.

In another facet of his career, Lovelace prepared campus master plans for universities and secondary schools in Wisconsin, Alabama, New York, and Hawaii. He also prepared plans for private residences and neighborhoods. One of Mr. Lovelace's last design interests was a courtyard for the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

 Biological Station at Joker's Hill.

Lovelace investigated the problems of the extension of cities. Along with Herbert Hare, he developed the concept of planning for flooding during urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....

. Lovelace and William Weismantel developed concept of the Density Zoning. Lovelace also worked on land protection.

Organizational membership

Lovelace was a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects
American Society of Landscape Architects
The American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association representing landscape architects, with more than 17,000 members in 48 chapters, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories, and 42 countries around the world, plus 68 student chapters...

. He served as National Secretary and as the first chairman of Council of Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects. He was also the ASLA delegate to the International Federation of Landscape Architects
International Federation of Landscape Architects
The International Federation of Landscape Architects is an organisation which represents the landscape architectural profession globally...

 for six years, after which he served as Secretary General and as Vice President (1975–77).

Lovelace was a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...

 and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners
American Institute of Certified Planners
The American Institute of Certified Planners is the American Planning Association's professional institute. AICP certifies professionals in the United States in the field of Urban and Regional planning and assists planners in the areas of ethics, professional development, planning education, and...

. He was a member of the American Institute of Consulting Engineers and the National Society of Professional Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers
The National Society of Professional Engineers is a professional engineering organization in the United States. From their press releases:...

. In addition to his professional memberships, Mr. Lovelace participated in and supported numerous civic and environmental organizations, from The Nature Conservancy to the Missouri Prairie Foundation.

Lovelace was active in the Open Space Council of Metropolitan Saint Louis and served as its secretary and president. He was a member of the American Planning Association St. Louis
Metropolitan Section.

In 1971 Lovelace was appointed a Commissioner of Tower Grove Park
Tower Grove Park
Tower Grove Park is a municipal park in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. Most of its land was donated to the city by Henry Shaw in 1868. It is on 289 acres adjacent to the Missouri Botanical Garden, another of Shaw’s legacies. It extends 1.6 miles from west to east, between Kingshighway...

, and he later served as board president, from 1988-1995. The master plan that he had prepared for the park in 1985 was adopted by the board and provided the basis for critical rehabilitation and reforestation within the park. He remained deeply interested in the park as a commissioner emeritus.

Awards

In December 2006, the St. Louis chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects selected Eldridge Lovelace to receive the Robert Goetz Award for a Distinguished Career in Landscape Architecture. This award recognizes a landscape architect who has practiced the profession with integrity, distinction, and excellence.

Works

Eldridge Lovelace contributed numerous articles to professional journals and to newspapers and authored one book:
  • Lovelace, Eldridge, 1992, Harland Bartholomew: His Contributions to American Urban Planning, Published by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Urban and Regional Planning.

  • Lovelace, E.H., Papers, Vol. I, 1943-1965 ( http://astro.cornell.edu/~lovelace/pdfs/>http://astro.cornell.edu/~lovelace/pdfs/)

See also

  • Harland Bartholomew
    Harland Bartholomew
    Harland Bartholomew was an American urban planner. Although a civil engineer by training and disposition, Harland's career started just as the automobile production was about to take off, industrial development was booming and urban populations grew...

  • American Planning Association
    American Planning Association
    The American Planning Association is a professional organization representing the field of city and regional planning in the United States. The APA was formed in 1978 when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Planners and the American Society of Planning...

  • City planning
  • Urbanization
    Urbanization
    Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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