Landscape Architecture and Environmental Sustainability: Creating Positive Change Through Design

The medium of landscape architecture and design can positively influence the environment through strategic design interventions. This book focuses on how landscape architecture can propagate, adapt, heal, advocate and provoke environmental improvements and solutions at a range of scales, from the private garden through to public spaces. It uses professional projects to illustrate key themes.The author, Joshua Zeunert, begins his book with a brief overview of the history of landscape architecture, which examines the key theories and movements that have influenced landscape theory and practice.Ecological science has been important for the development of landscape environmental design and this is explored by showing how projects can cleanse pollutants and reverse toxic legacies, particularly in soil and water. The discussion continues by looking at how green infrastructure seeks to implement connected and resilient landscape systems to evolve from grey and human-centric frameworks.Food production and urban agriculture are becoming an integral part of landscape design.We consider how they can help to change an environmentally-destructive global food business to create a more sustainable, local and healthy food system.Environmental planning and design is fundamentally a social process and this is presented showing examples of where community and cultural groups have been mobilised for positive action through landscape practice.How projects are rated is an emerging aspect of landscape practice.The author analyzes how specifications of construction materials should consider issues such as sourcing and extraction, embodied energy, durability and life cycles.Through projects and case studies from around the world and interviews with leading landscape architects, this book invites discussion about possible future scenarios, relevant theories and project responses in landscape environmental design today.