Role of Landscape Architecture in Urbanization Essays

Role of Landscape Architecture in Urbanization Essays Role of Landscape Architecture in Urbanization Essay Role of Landscape Architecture in Urbanization Essay 1. INTRODUCTION Every day, the number of people in the world is rising. Because of that phenomenon the rapid development forced to do to accommodate the total population such as urbanization. However, the unwell planning development was done that made our environment in trouble. The major factor of this happening because less understanding of surrounding environment and ecological aspect while planning the urbanization. One profession that closely related with designing the sustainable urbanization is landscape architects. The development of landscape urbanism theory and its implementation into the field of practice is outlined with particular focus on its position of redefining the role of landscape architect. Global movements of urbanization, increasing awareness of urban ecology and analysis of modern planning lead to the important responses that landscape urbanism applies to modern projects. Landscape urbanism holds a promising future in determining sustainable urban form. Continued long-term investment in applying the theory to practice will lead to a balance relationship similar to the requirement between landscape and urbanism. 2. URBANIZATION 2. 1Definition of urbanization Urbanization as defined by Paul Jenkins (2007) normally refers to the demographic process of shifting the balance of national population from ‘rural’ to ‘urban’ areas; urbanization rate indicates the proportion of the population living in urban areas at a given time; and urban growth rate is a measurement of the expansion of the number of inhabitants living in urban settlements. Meanwhile, Basudeb Bhatta (2010) defined urbanization as non-spatial and social process which refers to the changes of behavior and social relationships that occur in social dimensions as a result of people living in town and cities. Urbanization is also defined by United Nation (2005) as ‘movement of people from rural areas with population growth equating to urban migration’. According to New World Encyclopedia (retrieve 19 October 2011), urbanization is the growing number of people in a society living in urban areas, or cities. Urbanization means increased spatial scale and density of settlement as well as business and other activities in the area. Urban areas tend to attract businesses because of their large and dense population. This in turn draws more people to the area, working in a kind of circular process. The classic and most applicable definition of urbanization has been advance by Hope Tisdale (1942), who argues that urbanization is the process by which a growing section of the country’s population comes to live in relatively densely populated, relatively large towns and urban-type communities. Since the appearance of the first major studies about urbanization in the second half of the nineteenth century, the most influential study is that of Adna F. Weber (1899) whom wrote that the term urbanization has primarily been associated with numbers of people which migrate from countryside to the towns, about the rise of metropolis, that is to say, towns with a large population, about the differences in the growth of population in the towns, and in the countryside, and so forth. As the result of above definition about the term urbanization, it can be conclude that urbanization is the migration of people from rural area to town area which increase the number of population. As a result of the migration, their behavior, social activities, cultures and relationships might changes. It is related to the surrounding of the town which offers people more working opportunities. 3. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE 3. 1Definition Landscape means an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action in interaction of natural and human factors (Council of Europe, 2000). Due to this interaction landscape change is an unavoidable fact. Usually habitats have the ability to adapt themselves to changes caused by natural forces, but with respect to man bring on changes such as urbanization, the transformation can be further than the limits of resiliency. Landscape, as defined by UNESCO (retrieve 19 October 2011) is the result of the interaction of the natural environment and human activities. Therefore it represents a holistic concept composed of ecological, social and economic components. Wikipedia (retrieve 19 October 2011) defined architecture as the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements. Landscape architecture as defined by Dan Sullivan (2010) is the comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation. The profession of landscape architecture has been built on the principles of dedication to the public safety, health and welfare; and recognition and protection of the land and its resources. The term landscape architecture first appeared in print in 1828, in the title of a book by Gilbert Laing Meason in Scotland. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, in presenting their Greensward Plan for Central Park in New York City in 1858, were the first to use landscape architect as a professional title. The first in Canada to advertise themselves as landscape architects were Frederick Gage TODD of Montreal and Charles Ernest Woolverton of Grimsby, Ont, who established private practices in 1900 and 1901 respectively. Other practitioners called themselves landscape designers, landscape gardeners, or landscape engineers the choice often reflecting their previous training in such fields as agricultural science, architecture, civil engineering, gardening and horticulture. Today’s landscape architects are usually dealing with land that was changed by the previous human intervention. In rural areas and less wilderness and increasing development pressures, many projects that require unique design skills and expertise in restoring damaged forest, fields, wetlands and contaminated and neglected industrial land, and they redesign and revitalize underutilized urban areas. With more people living in or near urban areas, landscape architects are increasingly concerned about the quality of urban life and the way that council develop and manage their open spaces. 4. ROLE OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE IN URBANIZATION In other develop country; landscape architect is a prime consultant in every single urban project and also the one who in charged putting the other consulting from different disciplines together, pointing everybody the direction to get the project done and put all the great minds together and come up with a great project with multi-disciplinary approaches. Landscape architects also design landscape environment which to be important and inner part of the planning of an urban area that will durable for decades. It is because landscape architect can handle and communicate with other different discipline and very sensitive with nature and surrounding environment. As stated before, urbanization is a population growth from rural area to urban area or town where the developments are also growth. Landscape architects play major role in urban development or urbanization. To this day landscape architecture and design are employed for both private and public pleasure, from the modest suburban home to a large estate, and from the town square to city parks and greenbelts. As it best, landscape architects join the natural environment with built environment, and create and define spaces which fulfill human and natural need. Dividing and defining the spaces of built and natural is an essential part in any development in order to stabilize the ecosystem and make it sustainable. Landscape architects frequently use concepts of spatial structures to express their ideas. When their spatial structure seldom refers to the real landscape pattern, the typical outcome is ill planned urban development resulting in loss of diversity, coherence and identity. Application of scientific knowledge from landscape ecology is crucial to overcome this problem. Because spatial pattern can influence a variety of ecological phenomena, our ability to quantify changes in landscape structure through time may be crucial to the understanding of the dynamic of the landscape. Some people may give their opinion that the urban areas are always filled with concrete elements and less green. This view did not actually accurate because to balance the ecological system of the city, landscape architects play a very important duty. Landscape architects are already involved in large-scale urban land restoration and rejuvenation, working with communities to convert â€Å"brown† and â€Å"grey† fields to â€Å"green† productive social and economic use. Such sites tend to be large, abandoned waterfronts, former, manufacturing sites, and primary industry locations. Here is a huge opportunity to provide necessary spaces for children to connect with the amazing, playful attributes of nature, to help them become the new front line of society who wills more expected to choose for the continuing health of our planet. In order to keep balancing the city with built and green environments, landscape architects take part in designing the city with the effective use of large trees and palms whose canopies and crowns, over time, join together to provide a physically powerful ‘green’ visual impact. Trees provide shade, color and fresh air and can provide a lasting visual impression in the memory of residents and visitors of the city. Therefore the visual benefits of a continuous green not only include calming, on both the eye and senses, but also a means of providing visual delight. In addition there are the microclimatic benefits of tree cover in the form of cooling the air by providing shade, reducing noise and improving air quality due to the effects of leaves. This concept was determined to be achievable for many disciplines such as planning, architecture and landscape with the creation of three-dimensional volumes, a viable active public realm and an extensive tree planting program. Some places are covered with natural forest and it is the true natural legacy of that place being the original home of its people. Looking to the future a young tree in the present sooner or later becomes the heritage for future generations. The forest can therefore be a metaphor for both past and future as well as providing a strong sense of identity. The application of the ‘Urban Forest’ draws on the variety and real meaning of the forest and weaves it into the fabric of the orderly and functional city. The role of the landscape architect when involved in designing both a new city or revitalizing an existing city, is very much in the realms of urban design. In fulfilling the objectives to provide a network of interlinked open spaces and to provide a large vegetative cover, the concept of the Urban Forest provides another layer in the design of the city. The concept of Urban Forest is expressed in an urban setting as an extensive tree cover utilizing mainly native trees. Public open spaces are the clear setting for large scale tree planting. However private grounds and gardens can also contribute. Also of primary importance are street trees which can be planned in advance to provide large quantities of trees. When talking about urbanization, there is such impact of the development to the natural environment, commonly urban heat island. Some points are relating towards the causes which change a high develop city to urban heat island; materials used have much different thermal volume properties, wind tunnel accessibility, geometric effects of tall building which multiple surfaces for the reflection and absorption of sunlight, and lack of evapotranspiration because of less vegetation planted. Yet this problem theorically can be solved by ecologists and environmentalists not the practical aspect. However, in term of designing the solution to find out the sustainable development that will last long for decades, landscape architect is the best consultant that any community should hire because of their sensitiveness towards surrounding environment. 5. CONCLUSIONS Urbanization is not simply a theory and not as simple planning and design. Many considerations should be taken while planning an urban area because it may give positive in fulfilling the human need but somehow it give more negative impact to the environment. Deeply understanding about urban ecology is the essential part in order to develop sustainable urban city. Furthermore, spatial organization also must be considerate for minimizing the environmental problems and issues caused by urbanization. Although there are many professional disciplinary in built environment such as architects, civil engineers, surveyor, ecologist and planner however the best consultant in planning and designing urbanization is landscape architect. Role of landscape architect is not focusing to planting and gardening but encompasses the analysis, planning, design, management, and stewardship of the natural and built environments. This profession is the one of the professional profession that really concerns about environmental effect. REFERENCES Bhatta, Basudeb. 2010. Analysis of Urban Growth and Sprawl from Remote Sensing Data. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. Esbah, H. , Maktav, D. , Atatanir, L. , Erbek, L. Atanir. 2005. Understanding Urban Growth Patterns: A Landscape Ecology Point of View. Adnan Menderes University. Jenkins, P. , Smith, H. and Wang, Y. P. 2007. Planning and Housing In The Rapidly Urbanizing World. Routledge. ) McHarg, Ian. 1991. Design with nature. John Wiley. Obara, Bryan. 2010. Design of Process: Leading Towards a Symbiosis of Landscape Urbanism Theory and Practice. Retrieve from http://umass. academia. edu/BryanObara/Papers/536401 Peters, Alison. and Scott, Ashley. The Role of Landscape Architects in Urban Design Projects. Retrieve from rudi. net/books/10556 Schmal, H. 1981. Patterns of European Urbanisation since 1500. Redwood Burn Limited. Other References Didona Associates: didonaassociates. com/why/la-overview. html Landscape Architecture Resource: http://landscapearchitectureresource. com/ Natural Learning Initiative: naturalearning. org/content/new-role-landscape-architecture New World Encyclopedia: newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Urbanization Whole Building Design Guide: http:// www. wbdg. org/design/dd landscapearch. php Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Architecture