Landscape as Urbanism: A General Theory

Charles Waldheim's book "Landscape as Urbanism" argues that landscape has recently emerged as a model and medium for the city, challenging the conventional opposition between urbanism and landscape. He traces the roots of landscape as a form of urbanism from the Renaissance to the present, highlighting its role in reconciling the design of the industrial city with its ecological and social conditions. The book examines works by designers worldwide and is considered the definitive account of an emerging field that will likely influence city design for decades to come.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 15 March 2022
Publisher: Princeton University Press

A comprehensive intellectual history of landscape urbanism has emerged, challenging the conventional perception of urbanism and landscape as opposing forces or merely a temporary respite from urban life. Driven by environmental concerns, landscape has recently emerged as a model and medium for the city, with some theorists even suggesting that landscape architects are the urbanists of our age. In "Landscape as Urbanism," one of the field's pioneers, Charles Waldheim, delves into the roots of landscape as a form of urbanism, tracing its origins from the Renaissance to the twentieth century.

Growing out of a progressive architectural culture and populist environmentalism, the concept of landscape urbanism was further shaped by the invention of landscape architecture in the nineteenth century. This new art aimed to reconcile the design of industrial cities with their ecological and social conditions.

In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, as urban planning shifted from design to social science and urban design embraced neotraditional models of town planning, landscape urbanism emerged as a response to the void at the heart of the contemporary urban project. This movement sought to integrate landscape elements into urban planning and design, creating more sustainable, livable, and aesthetically pleasing cities.

"Landscape as Urbanism" is a comprehensive and richly illustrated book that examines the works of designers from around the world, showcasing their contributions to this emerging field. The book explores a wide range of projects, from Ludwig Hilberseimer's visionary urban designs to Andrea Branzi's contemporary interventions. It also features the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, James Corner, Adriaan Geuze, and Michael Van Valkenburgh, among others.

Through its comprehensive analysis, "Landscape as Urbanism" provides a definitive account of landscape urbanism, its historical roots, its theoretical foundations, and its practical applications. The book is likely to influence the design of cities for decades to come, as it challenges traditional approaches to urban planning and design and promotes a more holistic and sustainable approach to urban development.

Weight: 442g
Dimension: 175 x 240 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691238302