Landscape Architecture Puts a New Spin On Natural Systems
There are some things nature does spectacularly well on its own, such as creating the great vistas of the Grand Canyon and many picturesque lakes and streams. There are some things nature does that don’t quite measure up, even though they are in areas where people wish there were more natural beauty. And then there are man-made activities that can make everything worse through development, neglect and poor planning.
Engineers traditionally have taken the lead in creating systems that replace natural functions on a grand scale to support sprawling populations. These drainage, wastewater and drinking-water systems are costly and sometimes unsightly and often don’t work as well as nature. And strict interpretation of Euclidean zoning tends to segregate land uses, creating an auto-centric culture that relies heavily on such systems.