Fall Forum 2023

Netherland Plaza Hotel

Timeless Exemplar:
Why John Nolen’s Mariemont Plan Still Informs Sustainability

John Nolen (1869 – 1937) was an American landscape architect, planning consultant, founding member of the American City Planning Institute and a writer. A pioneer in the development of professional city planning, Nolen’s comprehensive approach blended social, economic and physical aspects of urban life with the preservation of natural beauty. Among many projects, Nolen was the city planner of Mariemont.

John Nolen’s path-breaking practice helped set the foundation for sustainability. Viewing town planning as an art that meshed nature and the city, he created the human scaled “sense of place” that is essential to sustainability. Examining the Sustainability Plans for Cincinnati, Orlando, and Portland through this lens will unveil why Nolen’s timeless vision remains a defining hope for the future.