Living Systems

Living Systems
Author: Liat Margolis
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 189
Release: 2008-02-01
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 3764377003

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The use of innovative new materials is an important trend in landscape architecture today. These materials include biodegradable geotextiles, super-absorbent polymers, and plants that react to changing soil conditions. This book presents the available materials and technologies in the context of practical applications.

Ecological Planning

Ecological Planning
Author: Forster Ndubisi
Publisher: JHU Press
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2003-04-30
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 080187775X

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Chosen by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2003 Ecological planning is the process of understanding, evaluating, and providing options for the use of landscape to ensure a better fit with human habitation. In this ambitious analysis, Forster Ndubisi provides a succinct historical and comparative account of the various approaches to this process. He then reveals how each of these approaches offers different and uniquely useful perspectives for understanding the dialogue between human and environmental processes. Ndubisi begins by examining the philosophies behind and major contributors to ecological thinking during the past 150 years, as well as the paradigm shift in planning that occurred in recent decades as a result of a growing global ecological awareness. He then turns to landscape suitability analysis and discusses alternative approaches to ecological planning, such as applied human ecology, applied landscape ecology, and others. Finally, he offers a comparative synthesis of the approaches in order to reveal the theoretical and methodological assumptions inherent when planners choose one approach over the other. Ndubisi concludes that no one approach can by itself adequately address the whole spectrum of ecological planning issues. For this reason he offers guidance as to when it may be appropriate for landscape architects and planners to emphasize one approach rather than another.

Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change

Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change
Author: David B. Lindenmayer
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 349
Release: 2013-02-22
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 159726606X

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Habitat loss and degradation that comes as a result of human activity is the single biggest threat to biodiversity in the world today. Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change is a groundbreaking work that brings together a wealth of information from a wide range of sources to define the ecological problems caused by landscape change and to highlight the relationships among landscape change, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity conservation. The book: synthesizes a large body of information from the scientific literature considers key theoretical principles for examining and predicting effects examines the range of effects that can arise explores ways of mitigating impacts reviews approaches to studying the problem discusses knowledge gaps and future areas for research and management Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change offers a unique mix of theoretical and practical information, outlining general principles and approaches and illustrating those principles with case studies from around the world. It represents a definitive overview and synthesis on the full range of topics that fall under the widely used but often vaguely defined term "habitat fragmentation."

Writing the Landscape

Writing the Landscape
Author: Stephen Sims
Publisher:
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2000
Genre:
ISBN:

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The Artificial Landscape

The Artificial Landscape
Author: Anne Hoogewoning
Publisher: NAI Publishers
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2000
Genre: Architects
ISBN: 9789056621667

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The architecture and architectural culture of the Netherlands have been causing quite a stir in recent years: a great many remarkable new buildings and projects testify to the current flowering in Dutch architecture, urban planning, and landscaping that's so exciting to so many in and out of the field. Artificial Landscape illustrates the results of this late twentieth century surge of creativity and traces the background of its success, examining both the 'Dutch phenomenon' and its socio-historical context to find out what makes it work so well. What we find is that even in a period of globalization there is still such a thing as a Dutch 'climate, ' yet despite this culture's specific national character we have much to learn from it, particularly where its unique synthesis of architecture, urbanism, and landscaping is concerned. This exciting movement is represented by a selection of designs, built works, ideas, plans and manifestoes from such architects and firms as OMA/Rem Koolhaas, Neutelings Riedijk, MVRDV, Maunce Nio, and Max 1, to name only a few. Apart from recording the state of things in Dutch architecture, Artificial Landscape also serves as a survey of contemporary architectural criticism, collecting the most important critiques of Dutch architecture, urban planning, and landscape architecture to have appeared in recent years.

Landscape Architecture Theory

Landscape Architecture Theory
Author: Michael Murphy
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2016-12-13
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1610917510

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For decades, landscape architecture was driven solely by artistic sensibilities. But in these times of global change, the opportunity to reshape the world comes with a responsibility to consider how it can be resilient, fostering health and vitality for humans and nature. Landscape Architecture Theory re-examines the fundamentals of the field, offering a new approach to landscape design. Drawing on his extensive career in teaching and practice, Michael Murphy begins with an examination of influences on landscape architecture: social context, contemporary values, and the practicalities of working as a professional landscape architect. He then delves into systems and procedural theory, while making connections to ecosystem factors, human factors, utility, aesthetics, and the design process. He concludes by showing how a strong theoretical understanding can be applied to practical, every-day decision making and design work to create more holistic, sustainable, and creative landscapes. Students will take away a foundational understanding of the underpinnings of landscape architecture theory, as well as how it can be applied to real-world designs; working professionals will find stimulating insights to infuse their projects with a greater sense of purpose.

Urban Ecological Design

Urban Ecological Design
Author: Danilo Palazzo
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 325
Release: 2012-06-22
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1610912268

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This trailblazing book outlines an interdisciplinary "process model" for urban design that has been developed and tested over time. Its goal is not to explain how to design a specific city precinct or public space, but to describe useful steps to approach the transformation of urban spaces. Urban Ecological Design illustrates the different stages in which the process is organized, using theories, techniques, images, and case studies. In essence, it presents a "how-to" method to transform the urban landscape that is thoroughly informed by theory and practice. The authors note that urban design is viewed as an interface between different disciplines. They describe the field as "peacefully overrun, invaded, and occupied" by city planners, architects, engineers, and landscape architects (with developers and politicians frequently joining in). They suggest that environmental concerns demand the consideration of ecology and sustainability issues in urban design. It is, after all, the urban designer who helps to orchestrate human relationships with other living organisms in the built environment. The overall objective of the book is to reinforce the role of the urban designer as an honest broker and promoter of design processes and as an active agent of social creativity in the production of the public realm.

Nature, Place & People: Forging Connections Through Neighbourhood Landscape Design

Nature, Place & People: Forging Connections Through Neighbourhood Landscape Design
Author: Puay-yok Tan
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 216
Release: 2018-04-23
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 9813236043

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Neighbourhood landscapes are the quintessential forms of urban landscapes in most cities worldwide. They are pervasive, and hence experienced by the large majority of urban dwellers in their everyday life. More than parks, nature reserves or nature areas which are visited as destinations, neighbourhood landscapes provide the most immediate, frequent and convenient form of nature experienced by urban dwellers on a daily basis. They are also valuable as social spaces to bring residents together, foster social ties, and strengthen communities. Despite their importance, surprisingly little has been written to guide the planning and design of neighbourhood landscapes.This book is written for a specific purpose, to illustrate how the design of neighbourhood landscapes helps to deliver more benefits for urban dwellers and, at the same time, protect ecosystems that facilitate human well-being. This is in turn important as the synergistic relationships between human well-being, quality of biophysical urban environment, and health of human-environment interactions fundamentally underpin urban sustainability. The authors emphasize the role neighbourhood landscapes play in forging connections between people and nature, people and people, and people and place. Most of all, the book highlights the role of focusing on people in this endeavour, as it is only when landscapes are appropriately designed, and when people recognize these benefits, that they become valued and protected as a community resource.This book is organized into two parts. Part 1 focuses on the conceptual foundations that underpin the neighbourhood landscape design guidelines being developed. In this section, the authors describe the key concepts relating functions of neighbourhood landscapes to the key urban development goals of sustainability, liveability and reliance; how they can be represented in a framework; and how a synthesis of current knowledge of cities as socio-ecological systems helps to identify principles that can guide the designing of neighbourhood landscapes. Part 2 is more application focused, and is centred on neighbourhood landscape design guidelines inspired by the concept of ecosystem services. The guidelines consist of design approaches, practical strategies, design targets and performance monitoring indicators for tracking the performance of neighbourhood landscapes. The book is written for readers in academia and design practice, and anyone who has a role in shaping neighbourhood landscapes for the benefit of urban dwellers.