Designed Landscapes: 37 Key Projects

Designed Landscapes is a case-by-case study of thirty-seven significant, existing works of landscape design worldwide, largely constructed since the Renaissance. An informative and easy-to-read reference volume for practitioners and students alike, it presents key precedents in landscape architecture using site plans and recent photographs to showcase each project. Organised and presented in twelve sections based on project type, each project is examined on the basis of date, previous site condition, designer(s), design intentions, current composition, unique features, ownership and management, and comparable projects. Each chapter offers an insightful critique of the featured projects. Written by the authors of Great City Parks, the book posits that these carefully-selected key projects have maintained their status throughout the ages because they express values and design intentions that continue to inform the practice of the landscape architecture in the present day. The book concludes with a ten-point summary of lessons for professional practice gleaned from the studies. Including a wide range of case studies from countries such as western Europe, USA, Canada, India, Japan and China, and lavishly illustrated with over 200 full-colour images, this book is a must-have volume for anyone interested in the history and current practice of landscape architecture.