People live in cultural landscapes; they change their environments to suit economic requirements or through the way they manage their affairs. In the process, they often exhibit a strong urge to shape things, creating completely new landscapes by means of landfill islands or interventions in the existing vegetation. Landscape strategies encompass both urban and rural landscapes, the latter often being in a state of gradual or sudden transition to becoming urban.
Mega-urban open spaces
A joint German-Moroccan research project is exploring new forms of urban agriculture which could offer a solution for open space provision in the mega-cities of tomorrow. Author: Giseke, Undine, Kasper, Christoph, Martin-Han, Silvia
Metrobosco & Co.
Urban forests gain increasing importance from the point of view of sustainable urban development. Besides being sustainable they are also ecological, economical and above all media-effective. The Metrobosco project for Milan is exemplary. Author: Capatti, Tancredi
No Idea Where It Comes From
This is a study (by Seiwooo) of the potential changes of the world map and an analysis of its modification from now to the year 2048. It aims to develop critical views on the new trend of sustainability in urban planning and to stimulate those involved to be more conscious of the possible disastrous outcomes. Author: Mannisi, Alban
Wild Side: Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni
Salt flats, volcanoes and multi-coloured lakes meet tourism and mining in Bolivia’s southwest. Author: Wintle, Sarah
Detroit: Scale of Crisis = Scale of Intervention
The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, designed by Hamilton Anderson Associates, is a performative intervention equipped to help people navigate multi-scalar, multi-dimensional urban voids. The project considers the urban void as dynamic, contradictory, and the majority within a post-industrial urban fabric. Author: Dittmer, Melissa
Blue Isles Plan
A series of artificial dune islands off the coast of Belgium and the Netherlands will provide new homes embedded in a leisure-based environment. The plan by West 8 combines a need for new land with an agenda for safety. Author: Geuze, Adriaan
Landscape of Extremes
The regional plan by Gross.Max for a 75-kilometre stretch along the coastline of the Dead Sea in Jordan proposes sustainable development to harness the unique natural assets, tackle environmental and social issues and stimulate a sustainable economy. The revealing of elementary natural processes and hidden layers of the landscape has generated a comprehensive set of plans. Author: Hooftman, Eelco
Imaging Dubai’s Palm Islands
The Construction of Land and Representation through the Satellite View Author: Jazairy, El Hadi
Nansen Park, Oslo
In 1998, Oslo’s International Airport left the Fornebu Peninsula, and what remained was a depressing wasteland. Today, a new park and development area has been created by Bjørbekk & Lindheim, with visual references to ancient natural forms and the former runways. Author: Lindheim, Tone
Revealing the Landscape Qualities
The strategy by Strootman Landscape Architects for one of the most beautiful areas in the Netherlands, the Drentsche Aa River valley, brings the drama of the existing landscape to life and reveals its historical layers. Author: Strootman, Berno, Zaragoza, Anne
Shelby Farms Park
Parks enhance the competitiveness of cities while making a contribution to sustainable urban development. Unification, amplification, incubation, diversification and loosening are five approaches that help bring about the success of large-scale planning. Shelby Farms Park in Memphis by field operations is exemplary. Author: Corner, James
Design by Deletion: The Tockachi Mellennium Forest
On Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, a forest park for the next thousand years is taking shape. Through a steady and diligent process, designers are gradually revealing the wonders of the landscape. Author: Fumiaki , Takano
The Wolong Master Plan
In the Chinese province of Sichuan, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2008, a new approach to redevelopment is taking shape – one that puts the landscape first. Author: Bassett, Shannon
The Peasants and the Genesis of Mega-Urban Landscapes
The role of urban villages in the development of mega-urbanism in China Author: Ipsen, Detlev
