Landscape Urbanism

Some wisdom about development in our current situation, from an interview with landscape architect Chris Reed:

In fact, I think the current strain on resources actually spurs innovation. Public agencies can no longer afford projects that respond to only a discrete set of goals. Projects must now do multiple things; they've got to meet many goals simultaneously. In this sense it's actually easier for us to hybridize agendas — to mix infrastructure, landscape, urbanism, ecology — because in this way we can create efficiencies and cost savings in both the short and long term. Landscapes that perform utilitarian or ecological functions — that process stormwater, produce energy, grow food, and so on — and that also create new types of civic space and generate revenues, or at least set up robust frameworks for economic development, are likely to gain both popular and political support.

I am convinced that Landscape Urbanism is the antidote for that sinking, theme park cum ghost town feeling you get when you visit a New Urbanist development. Read the complete interview here:

http://places.designobserver.com/feature/landscape-optimism-chris-reed-on-landscape-urbanism/29558/