5,633 research outputs found
Re-naturing our Future Cities
No full textCities need nature. They thrive on riparian corridors, urban forestry and public spaces. Without urban nature, our cities would overheat, flood and become quickly unpleasant to live in. Therefore, a basic principle of urban planning is nature, and an understanding of the capacity and functionality of the natural environment is critical to our creation and management of sustainable cities. How we achieve this is, however, more variable and subject to a range of political, socio-economic and ecological factors, many of which have been explored within this book
Understanding Landscape: Cultural Perceptions of Environment in the UK and China
Get PDFDifferent philosophical traditions in China and the UK have contributed to the establishment of a multi-dimensional discussion of perceptions of nature. This has influenced the approach of landscape architects and planners to the design and planning of the built environment, and continues to affect the treatment of private and public space design. With rapid urbanisation in the twentieth century there has been a growing discussion (emanating from North America but also permeating discussions in the UK, Europe and more recently East Asia) of how we create places that satisfy the need and desire from the public for contact with 'nature'. This chapter presents a comparative discussion of historical perceptions of landscape within urban development located within the UK and China. We reflect on how urban ecology has been integrated into development practices, debate the interaction of people with urban landscape and consider responses to demands for nature in cities. The chapter concludes with a review the current practice surrounding the development and management of urban public space in China and the UK, reflecting the cultural context of nature in cities and the work of urban planning and design authorities
Understanding Landscape: Cultural Perceptions of Environment in the UK and China
No full textDifferent philosophical traditions in China and the UK have contributed to the establishment of a multi-dimensional discussion of perceptions of nature. This has influenced the approach of landscape architects and planners to the design and planning of the built environment, and continues to affect the treatment of private and public space design. With rapid urbanisation in the twentieth century there has been a growing discussion (emanating from North America but also permeating discussions in the UK, Europe and more recently East Asia) of how we create places that satisfy the need and desire from the public for contact with 'nature'. This chapter presents a comparative discussion of historical perceptions of landscape within urban development located within the UK and China. We reflect on how urban ecology has been integrated into development practices, debate the interaction of people with urban landscape and consider responses to demands for nature in cities. The chapter concludes with a review the current practice surrounding the development and management of urban public space in China and the UK, reflecting the cultural context of nature in cities and the work of urban planning and design authorities
Understanding Landscape: Cultural Perceptions of Environment in the UK and China
No full textDifferent philosophical traditions in China and the UK have contributed to the establishment of a multi-dimensional discussion of perceptions of nature. This has influenced the approach of landscape architects and planners to the design and planning of the built environment, and continues to affect the treatment of private and public space design. With rapid urbanisation in the twentieth century there has been a growing discussion (emanating from North America but also permeating discussions in the UK, Europe and more recently East Asia) of how we create places that satisfy the need and desire from the public for contact with 'nature'. This chapter presents a comparative discussion of historical perceptions of landscape within urban development located within the UK and China. We reflect on how urban ecology has been integrated into development practices, debate the interaction of people with urban landscape and consider responses to demands for nature in cities. The chapter concludes with a review the current practice surrounding the development and management of urban public space in China and the UK, reflecting the cultural context of nature in cities and the work of urban planning and design authorities
After All, What Is GI?
Get PDFGreen Infrastructure is discussed to mean different things in alternative geographical, ecological and socio-economic contexts. However, the growing literature focussing on what Green Infrastructure is, what it does and how it should be delivered provides a baseline set of principles that help to situate the concept in academic and practice-based debates. The promotion of connected landscapes that are multi-functional that provide access to nature at the local, city and regional scale is central to Green Infrastructure thinking. Moreover, the need to integrate socio-economic and ecological perspectives into political decision-making has been repeatedly outlined as a key variable to successful policy creation and subsequent implementation. It is also important to align current Green Infrastructure thinking with the historical antecedents of greenspace planning to examine where complementarities can be identified between the past and the present. Overall, this introductory chapter sets out the principles and history of Green Infrastructure planning illustrating the nexus of people, policy and practice that permeates through the following chapters. It also outlines the broader parameters of the debates to come and grounds them in accepted principles of existing Green Infrastructure thinking. Since the introduction of Green Infrastructure as a concept, many things have changed in how territories and city organisations use it within the context of planning. One of the remaining unresolved issues is its relationship with the landscape. To some extent, ‘landscape’ was the instrument that spatial planning used to introduce ecological elements that may otherwise have been difficult to embed within planning. When additional instruments emerged, such as Green Infrastructure, which was considered to be focussed on ecological issues, greater difficulties in implementation began. Through this paper, we will always capitalise both – ‘Green Infrastructure’ and ‘landscape’ – in order to use them as terms of reference, both to complement each other and to juxtapose them. It is understood that the expression Green Infrastructure also covers Blue Infrastructure, i.e. aquatic ecosystems
After All, What Is GI?
Get PDFGreen Infrastructure is discussed to mean different things in alternative geographical, ecological and socio-economic contexts. However, the growing literature focussing on what Green Infrastructure is, what it does and how it should be delivered provides a baseline set of principles that help to situate the concept in academic and practice-based debates. The promotion of connected landscapes that are multi-functional that provide access to nature at the local, city and regional scale is central to Green Infrastructure thinking. Moreover, the need to integrate socio-economic and ecological perspectives into political decision-making has been repeatedly outlined as a key variable to successful policy creation and subsequent implementation. It is also important to align current Green Infrastructure thinking with the historical antecedents of greenspace planning to examine where complementarities can be identified between the past and the present. Overall, this introductory chapter sets out the principles and history of Green Infrastructure planning illustrating the nexus of people, policy and practice that permeates through the following chapters. It also outlines the broader parameters of the debates to come and grounds them in accepted principles of existing Green Infrastructure thinking. Since the introduction of Green Infrastructure as a concept, many things have changed in how territories and city organisations use it within the context of planning. One of the remaining unresolved issues is its relationship with the landscape. To some extent, ‘landscape’ was the instrument that spatial planning used to introduce ecological elements that may otherwise have been difficult to embed within planning. When additional instruments emerged, such as Green Infrastructure, which was considered to be focussed on ecological issues, greater difficulties in implementation began. Through this paper, we will always capitalise both – ‘Green Infrastructure’ and ‘landscape’ – in order to use them as terms of reference, both to complement each other and to juxtapose them. It is understood that the expression Green Infrastructure also covers Blue Infrastructure, i.e. aquatic ecosystems
After All, What Is GI?
Get PDFGreen Infrastructure is discussed to mean different things in alternative geographical, ecological and socio-economic contexts. However, the growing literature focussing on what Green Infrastructure is, what it does and how it should be delivered provides a baseline set of principles that help to situate the concept in academic and practice-based debates. The promotion of connected landscapes that are multi-functional that provide access to nature at the local, city and regional scale is central to Green Infrastructure thinking. Moreover, the need to integrate socio-economic and ecological perspectives into political decision-making has been repeatedly outlined as a key variable to successful policy creation and subsequent implementation. It is also important to align current Green Infrastructure thinking with the historical antecedents of greenspace planning to examine where complementarities can be identified between the past and the present. Overall, this introductory chapter sets out the principles and history of Green Infrastructure planning illustrating the nexus of people, policy and practice that permeates through the following chapters. It also outlines the broader parameters of the debates to come and grounds them in accepted principles of existing Green Infrastructure thinking. Since the introduction of Green Infrastructure as a concept, many things have changed in how territories and city organisations use it within the context of planning. One of the remaining unresolved issues is its relationship with the landscape. To some extent, ‘landscape’ was the instrument that spatial planning used to introduce ecological elements that may otherwise have been difficult to embed within planning. When additional instruments emerged, such as Green Infrastructure, which was considered to be focussed on ecological issues, greater difficulties in implementation began. Through this paper, we will always capitalise both – ‘Green Infrastructure’ and ‘landscape’ – in order to use them as terms of reference, both to complement each other and to juxtapose them. It is understood that the expression Green Infrastructure also covers Blue Infrastructure, i.e. aquatic ecosystems
Green Infrastructure as Urban Melody:The Integration of Landscape Principles into Green Infrastructure Planning and Design in China and the UK
Get PDFThe concept of green infrastructure has gained political momentum globally and, therefore, has been rapidly introduced into planning theory, policy, and practice in the USA and Europe. Yet, it does not have a single widely recognised or accepted definition and has been adopted fluidly by various disciplines. In this chapter, discussions of green infrastructure focus on landscape architecture interpretations in both planning and design at various scales in China and the UK. The aim of this chapter is to further understand the social, economic, and ecological values of urban green infrastructure within diverse development contexts and use China as a key focus of this discussion. However, an understanding of the legacy of ‘green infrastructure’ planning based on UK and North American conceptualisations is critical to appreciating the nuance of application in China. The process of urbanisation has escalated rapidly in China since it opened up economically from the late 1970s onward. A significant part of this was the adoption of Western approaches to the design, building, and management of green infrastructure in the urban areas. Consequently, there has been an increase in public space, parks, riverside walks, and squares built within Chinese cities that reflect a global understanding of landscape rather than classical Chinese interpretations. The clash of styles provides an interesting lens through which to review the spatial development of green infrastructure examining how the application of Western ideas is applied in a Chinese context. This reflects on the plan-making and design of green infrastructure as well as its contribution to people’s daily life, health, and well-being and the harmony between nature, the city, and people. The chapter concludes that green infrastructure plays a central role in promoting an urban melody through the design and provision of connected and high-quality green space. By creating a multi-scaled and multifunctional set of landscape resources, green infrastructure can be considered to orchestrate the symphony between nature and city
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