Ten Tenets and Six Questions for Landscape Urbanism

Abstract

This paper offers an interpretation of Landscape Urbanism, then initiates a critical analysis. It attempts to decode the sometimes prolix language in which Landscape Urbanism is presented and to identify a number of ‘tenets’ which most of its adherents would hold. The second part of the paper questions some of these tenets, asking whether Landscape Urbanism's attack on the urban–rural binary is well conceived and whether it is a helpful contribution to the problems raised by worldwide urbanisation. It also considers the implications of Landscape Urbanism for other discourses, including those of heritage, landscape conservation and participatory planning and design. It concludes that there are a number of inconsistencies and lacunae which landscape urbanists ought to urgently address.

Key Words:

• Landscape Urbanism
• landscape architecture theory
• ecological urbanism

Acknowledgement

The author would like to thank Dr Vera Vicenzotti, Professor Matthew Gandy and two anonymous referees for their comments on an earlier version of this paper.