LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT PORTFOLIO John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP PORTFOLIO John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP Landscape Architect Education: Master of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley Registration: Licensed Landscape Architect, State of California LEED accredited professional American Society of Landscape Architects Professional Summary: Experience working in the field of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design for over 20 years of which over 14 years has been dedicated to public projects in San Francisco. Experience working at many of the finest Landscape Architecture firms in the Bay Area including Peter Walker and Partners, EDAW and the SWA Group. Prior to becoming a Landscape Architect, owned and managed private landscape design and construction company. Fourteen years ago, joined the San Francisco Department of Public Works’ Landscape Architecture Section as a designer and project lead for many large-scale, multi-disciplinary projects.
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LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
PORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Landscape Architect
Education:
Master of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
Registration:
Licensed Landscape Architect, State of California
LEED accredited professional
American Society of Landscape Architects
Professional Summary:
Experience working in the field of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design for over 20 years of
which over 14 years has been dedicated to public projects in San Francisco. Experience working at
many of the finest Landscape Architecture firms in the Bay Area including Peter Walker and
Partners, EDAW and the SWA Group. Prior to becoming a Landscape Architect, owned and
managed private landscape design and construction company. Fourteen years ago, joined the San
Francisco Department of Public Works’ Landscape Architecture Section as a designer and project
lead for many large-scale, multi-disciplinary projects.
PARK PROJECTS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Golden Gate Park Carrousel Project | San Francisco Recreation & ParkSan Francisco, CA
Cesar Chavez Streetscape Improvement Project | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Project lead, schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
The Cesar Chavez Streetscape improvement project was designed to ensure that a safe, gracious, inviting, and ecologically
sustainable Cesar Chavez Street emerges as a focal point for one of San Francisco’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Building off the
sewer replacement work being conducted by the SFPUC, Cesar Chavez Street will be reconstructed to align with the community
developed vision for the entire corridor. The goals were to improve both pedestrian and bicyclist safety, enhance greening, promote
natural ecology, and to make the street work better for all users. The project included widening of the existing median to allow for
many more street trees and landscaping, provide left turn pockets for turning vehicles, widen the sidewalk at the corners, install
stormwater planters that will add green landscaping pockets and provide for stormwater management, and upgrade the street
lighting along the corridor to LED, which will provide a brighter, whiter light while reducing energy consumption. LID features such as
pervious concrete paving and bioretention planters integrated into bulbouts will also be part of the street design. This design strategy
fuses infrastructure with urban design, allowing the streetscape to become part of the solution to drainage problems while also
contributing to the quality of the public realm.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Divisadero Streetscape Improvement Project |
Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
Divisadero Streetscape Improvements Project is located on Divisadero Street from
Haight Street to Geary Boulevard. Divisadero is a highly traveled roadway that
connects people to neighborhoods. The improvements include new bus bulb-outs,
widened median with trees, landscaping and irrigation, lighting fixture upgrades,
new street trees, site furnishings, and street resurfacing. These new elements will
help promote economic vitality by making the neighborhood more attractive for
people that visit and frequent the restaurants and retail establishments along this
corridor. With these improvements, community members are more likely to stay
and enjoy sites and destinations Divisadero Street has to offer.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Church & Duboce Trackway Replacement Project | Municipal Transportation AgencySan Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
Church and Duboce is the first intersection north of Market Street and Church Street. The intersection holds a confluence of
transportation modes: traffic coming from Market Street, a Muni transit hub, and a vital segment of the city’s bicycle network;
and once experienced delays in transit service, traffic congestion, and danger to cyclists and pedestrians. The Streetscape
Improvement project seeks to alleviate these issues and provide a safe and beautiful community transit hub.
This multimodal transit renovation required the collaborative efforts of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission,
Department of Public Works, City Planning Department, San Francisco Arts Commission and the San Francisco Municipal
Transportation Agency, in addition to local community organizations. This effort helped to set the precedence of future
department collaboration processes and coordination in implementing the City’s Better Streets plan.
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John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
22 ft. Two-Way Roadway
(Bikes, Autos, & Other Vehicles)
15 ft. South Sidewalk
15 ft. North Sidewalk
15 ft. (varies) Extension Zone
(Cafe Seating, Business Access, Public Seating, etc.)
The Port of San Francisco | Jefferson Street San Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design, design development, construction drawings
Project Information:
The Jefferson Streetscape improvement project aims to improve the vibrancy and travel within Fisherman’s Wharf, one of the
city’s major tourist destinations. Jefferson Street has been converted from a one-way to a two-way route, promoting multimodal
sharing of the street and creates a safer street that adds to the aesthetic qualities and history of this landmark neighborhood.
The project includes the installation of a narrowed geometrically patterned street along the two-block esplanade, widened
sidewalks, pedestrian scale street lights, bike parking, and the conversion of a one-way-street to two-way. New landscaping,
street trees, and public seating further energize the public realm. The project helps to solidify the San Francisco Bays, one of the
world’s most beautiful ports. Most importantly, given its location as a core destination for San Francisco’s tourist industry and
being central to the 2013 America’s Cup Events, the project met its ambitious goal of project completion before the opening
series of races for the America’s Cup in the summer of 2013.
Leland Streetscape Improvement Project | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Project lead, schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
Leland Avenue is the civic and commercial heart of the Visitacion Valley neighborhood. The Leland Avenue Streetscape Improve-
ments Project includes: pedestrian lighting, new street trees and other plantings, corner bulb-outs at intersections, sidewalk paving,
crosswalk improvements, street furniture, stormwater management facilities and public art. These improvements have improved
the district’s identity and appearance, increased economic vitality, and enhanced pedestrian safety. The redesign of Leland Avenue,
the commercial center of the Visitacion Valley neighborhood, is an important link in the overall neighborhood revitalization.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Lower Polk Streetscape Improvement Project | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
The Lower Polk Streetscape Improvements Project improved streetscape conditions on Polk Street from Sacramento Street
to O’Farrell Street. The original condition of the streetscape included sub-sidewalk basements, mixture of existing lighting
types, and various existing tree species. Through the collaborative community planning process, the Polk Street neighbors
and residents agreed that a greener, cleaner, and well-lit Polk Street would greatly contribute to overall quality of life and
aesthetic of the street.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Second Street Improvements |
Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design
Project Information:
The planning phase for the Second Street Improvement Project in
March 2012. The key elements of the project are pedestrian safety
improvements, a dedicated bicycle facility, streetscape and repaving.
Additionally, the project will improve Muni travel time making it
easier to get from one destination to the next. The improvements
are guided by several of San Francisco’s existing plans and policies
including the Better Streets Plan, Complete Streets Policy and the
Bicycle Plan. Second Street currently attracts many users because
it is composed of a variety of businesses and restaurants. When the
project is complete, the improved street will make it even more
enjoyable for all users traveling along Second Street.
Masonic Streetscape Improvement Project | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Project management, schematic design as Landscape Architect
Project Information:
The Masonic Avenue Streetscape Improvements Project between Geary Boulevard to the north and Fell Street to the south will provide
improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders. The goal of this project is to safely and efficiently accommodate
the needs of all roadway users. The improvements that are proposed are the result a planning process that involved DPW, the Planning
Department, MTA, and Masonic Avenue residents and businesses.
Project improvements include a new landscaped median, new cycle tracks, widening portions of sidewalk, repaving the street,
installing bus bulb-outs, planting new street trees and sidewalk planters, installing new lighting in medians and new pedestrian scale
lighting on sidewalks, and converting a triangular space and road on the southwest corner of Geary Blvd. and Masonic Ave. into a small
park and resident traffic only road, including a public art element.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Valencia Street Corridor | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Project lead, schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
A Renewed Valencia Streetscape between 15th and 19th Streets provides sidewalk improvements on both the east and west
sides of Valencia Street. Improvements include: removal of the striped center median, better spaced and more accommodating
curbside loading zones for trucks, improved traffic/parking and bicycle lane alignment, sidewalk widening, bulb-outs,
pedestrian scale lighting, and art.
Third Street Rail Project | Municipal Transportation AgencySan Francisco, CA
Role: Design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
During the last half of the 19th century, streetcars traveled up and down “Tree Street”, shuttling riders between downtown and points
along the Bayshore corridor, which helped spur development of the Bayshore Boulevard communities that exist today. Decades later,
Muni, the City and County of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Transportation Authority launched the Third Street Light Rail Project
to reestablish rail service along this corridor.
The project scope consisted of the design and construction of 28 high level boarding platforms and four substations, canopies,
track ways, paving, sidewalk treatment, trees, street lighting, and other elements of urban design and art work enhancement. This
completion of this project provides a safe and environment for public transit passengers.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Van Ness Avenue Streetscape Improvement Project | Department of Public WorksSan Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design, design development, construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
Van Ness Avenue improvements have brought the Civic Center area to life, from Market to McAllister Streets. Together with raised
planters of blooming shrubs and new street trees, accented by decorative paving and ornamental metal rails—Van Ness Avenue
Enhancement Project has enhanced the grand historic character of this important district.
DPW worked with a multitude of City arts organizations along Van Ness to minimize the impact of construction on their activities—
from the War Memorial and Veterans Building, to the San Francisco Ballet, Opera, Symphony and Conservatory of Music, as well as City
Arts and Lectures. Coordinating with other DPW Bureaus, the Bureau of Street Use and Mapping installed consolidated newspaper
racks in two new locations along Van Ness in the Summer of 2007, reducing the amount of sidewalk clutter and adding to the aesthetic
improvements.
Embarcadero Boulevard Project | The Port of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
Role: Construction drawings, construction support
Project Information:
Cut off from the City by the Embarcadero Freeway, the Embarcadero was long perceived as a derelict waterfront with unused
warehouses, abandoned freight rail lines, and few pedestrians. The waterfront has been transformed into a multi-modal transit
corridor invigorated by people and public amenities. DPW landscape architects were responsible for the urban design elements
along the Embarcadero corridor, including the historic type light fixtures, cobblestone and concrete paving, special ADA
crosswalks, and the majestic Canary Island Date Palms that now define the waterfront’s streetscape.
OTHER PROJECTS
San Francisco Better Streets Plan | SF Planning DepartmentSan Francisco, CA
Project Information:
In December 2010, Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Board of Supervisors adopted the Better Streets Plan, including streetscape policies
and guidelines to guide the design of new street improvement projects and streetscape requirements for new development. The
Better Streets Plan creates a unified set of standards, guidelines, and implementation strategies to govern how the City designs,
builds, and maintains its pedestrian environment. The Better Streets Plan process brings together staff of multiple City agencies to
comprehensively plan for streets. The Plan seeks to balance the needs of all street users, with a particular focus on the pedestrian
environment and how streets can be used as public space. The Plan reflects the understanding that the pedestrian environment is
about much more than just transportation – that streets serve a multitude of social, recreational and ecological needs that must be
considered when deciding on the most appropriate design. The Better Streets Plan carries out the intent of San Francisco’s Better
Streets Policy, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on February 6, 2006.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Blue Greenway Design Guidelines| The Port of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
Project Information:
In September 2010, the San Francisco Port, in collaboration with the Department of Public Works published a first draft of the Blue
Greenway Planning and Design Guidelines. That report proposed site furnishing concepts for the Blue Greenway system. It also
presented open space program uses for Port Blue Greenway sites. The Blue Greenway Planning and Design Guidelines were updated
in May 2011 incorporating refinements in response to public comments received, and presents the following elements: Open Space
Program Uses for Port Blue Greenway sites, Blue Greenway Linking and Connector Streets Design Criteria for the Blue Greenway
Signage and Identity System, Site Furnishing Concepts for the Blue Greenway System and Funding Priorities for Port Blue Greenway
Projects. The Blue Greenway Planning and Design Guidelines present the full program of proposed improvements and implementation
strategies to improve the look, feel and coherence of the Blue Greenway open space system.
Griffith Yard Improvments | San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC)San Francisco, CA
Role: Schematic design
Project Information:
The architectural components of the project are organized in response to physical characteristics of the site, functional and
programmatic relationships, adjacencies of programs and operations, traffic flow, and the inherent industrial urban context of
the site. The programmed architectural functions can be grouped into: processing and disposal of sewage waste material, secure
storage for materials, operational vehicles, and maintenance, and crew facilities and office space.
Three different massing concepts were evaluated for their benefits and the chosen concept is included herein. The processing of
waste material and the secure storage functions are grouped together on the north of the site with the office and crew facilities
on the south. The articulated office building and patio are situated on the corner of the lot facing the Public Art planned for the
Yosemite Slough development. A series of tilted planes and land forms fill the undeveloped area next to the office building and
adjacent to the Yosemite Slough park entrance, providing an opportunity for public art and native landscaping to complement
Yosemite Slough. This arrangement places the project’s industrial functions adjacent to the neighborhood’s denser industrial
zoning and the human scale building and land form elements next to the Yosemite Slough planned development on the east,
south, and west of the site. It also serves to conceal the industrial uses on the site from the Yosemite Slough.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Ohlone Natural and Cultural History Greenway Project | Pro-bonoBerkeley, CA
Project Information:
Created by volunteers in 1999 as one of the 100 Parks for 100 years anniversary celebration for the American Society of Landscape
Architects, the Ohlone Greenway Natural and Cultural History Interpretative Exhibit begins near the intersection of Hopkins and Peralta
Streets in Berkeley. Close to this intersection are three City of Berkeley Community Gardens – the Karl Linn, Peralta, and Northside. The
public is welcome to enjoy the gardens when they are open, usually on weekends. Just outside the Peralta Garden is the beginning of
the history exhibits, an adobe gateway posted with the Spanish history of the area. Walking north, you will see the efforts of California
Habitat Indigenous Activists to transform the borders of the path into the original native Coastal Prairie. These volunteers collect and
plant seeds to create a beautiful native landscape. A bit further on, notice the cow sculptures together with tractor seats, a testament
to the area’s agricultural era. Some of the artwork, done here by contemporary artists, was inspired by the Ohlone Tribe, who were
believed to be Berkeley’s first inhabitants. Note the long mural, from Elk Tracks to BART Tracks, a colorful display of the area’s modes of
transport from pre-history onwards. This one-block section of the Ohlone Greenway, together with the adjacent community gardens, is
a beautiful public space created by many volunteers over the last six years, with funding from the City of Berkeley and BART.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
The Falls National AIDS Memorial Grove | Pro-bonoSan Francisco, CA
Project Information:
In the early 20th century, the De Laveaga Dell was a vibrant part of the still very young Golden Gate Park, replete with three
waterfalls cascading into the creek at its western boundary. In an effort to conserve during California’s cyclical droughts,
unsustainable water features throughout San Francisco’s parks were eliminated. In 2011, the National AIDS Memorial Grove set
the goal for restoring the last remaining waterfall and the adjoining Dry Creek. The reintroduction of water, utilizing state-of-the-
art recycling and conservation technology, will improve the natural landscape, restore wildlife habitat and promote a sense of
peace and healing in the Memorial. A new community effort, led by the family, friends and colleagues of Frances McCormick, in
collaboration with the Grove, is seeking to realize this goal.
For nearly 18 years, Frances McCormick served as a mechanical engineer with the City and County of San Francisco, specializing
in the improvement of public water systems. Her tenure with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and the Department
of Public Works was devoted to designing water treatment, distribution, conservation and restoration projects. On April 25,
2010, Frances passed away while scuba diving in the waters of Monterey Bay, one of her many passions. In their grieving,
Frances’ wife and daughter, Lisa and Isabel Cohn, visited the Grove in search of a place to remember Frances and to heal. The
desired restoration of the waterfall was recognized as a perfect tribute to Frances – reflecting the spirit of her life’s work and her
dedication to giving back to the community.
Lecturer - LA 112, Horticulture, Plant Identification, and Planting Design |
University of California, Berkeley - College of Environmental Design Berkeley, CA
Background: In the Spring of 2008 I was invited to teach a course at UC Berkeley in horticulture, plant
identification and planting design. Over the course of the 12 week semester, I led field trips with co-instructor
Andreas Stravropoulos to over 20 sites in Bay Area to look at species in botanical gardens, museums, and other
areas of cultural significance. We also invited guest lecturers, like renowned plant pathologist John Rabbe to
come and speak to the class. Many students report that the Plant ID class is one of their favorite classes in the
Landscape Architecture program, and that is tremendously satisfying.
Scope: Landscape Plants: Identification and Use Course Format: Two hours of lecture and six hours of fieldwork
per week. This course is an introduction to the identification and recognition, as well as design applications
and uses, of plants in the landscape. Through lectures, assignments, and fieldwork, the course provides class
participants with an appreciation of the importance of vertical vegetation as a design element. The course
introduces students to a broad range of plant materials for use in the designed landscape. Emphasis is on plant
identification, culture and design applications, backed by instruction in basic horticultural topics. Students learn
to recognize and identify well over 200 plant species common to the Bay Area, focusing on woody plant materials,
including trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. LA112 is essentially a field study course, so most class and lab
time will take place outdoors. Field trips will include walks throughout the Berkeley and Clark Kerr campuses,
Blake Garden, UC Botanical Garden, Tilden Regional Park’s Botanic Garden, as well as various other local sites.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTPORTFOLIO
John Dennis ASLA, LEED AP
Streetmix Street Design Game | Department of Public Works San Francisco, CA
Background: In 2006, the Department of Public Work’s Landscape Architecture Section was asked to work with community
stakeholders on a streetscape redesign for Valencia Street in San Francisco. The project had, up until then, been led by
the Department of Parking and Traffic who had run into a stalemate regarding the streetscape design. After meeting with
stakeholders to assess the problem, it became clear that the stakeholder’s desires simply did not fit within the confines of the
street, but they were having a difficult time understanding that. I devised a game that would allow community participants to
design their own ideal street section using scaled ‘game pieces’ showing features such as travel lanes, street trees, bike facilities,
parking, street lights and transit facilities. The game was very successful and we quickly came to consensus on a street design that
fit within the streets right of way. This design game was so successful that we used it on other streetscape projects on Masonic
Avenue and on Second Street where stakeholders identified a list of wants that would be difficult to fit within existing rights-of-
way
Streetmix: In the Fall of 2012, Lou Huang attended our community meeting for the initiative to redesign Second Street in San
Francisco. Huang, an urban designer, thought the exercise would make for a great website. And began working on the project
at a ‘hackathon’ with colleagues at Code for America, culminating with a website: Streetmix.com. The principle behind Streetmix
is simple: it brings drag-and-drop functionality to a basic street design template. Users select a road width and add or remove
everything from light rail to wayfinding signs, adjusting the size of each feature meet their specifications. The latest version of
Streetmix, which has new features and a slicker design, launched in 2013. In that short time, advocates have used the website to illustrate possibilities for Dexter Avenue in Seattle and
Route 35 on the Jersey Shore. Streetmix has profiled how
people from Vancouver to Cleveland use the website.
Residents of Sioux Center, Iowa, even used Streetmix
illustrations in their campaign to stop the state DOT’s road