How to Design Out Crime with Landscape Architecture

Is it possible to design out crime with landscape architecture? We take a closer look at what can be done. It is a well-known fact that the role of landscape architecture goes far beyond aesthetics. Creating functional and dynamic spaces, improving access to the outdoors, making streets and squares more friendly for the disabled, and inspiring sustainable measures in a city are but a few of the many opportunities this field has to offer. But did you know that landscape architecture helps in fighting crime, too? From “Eyes Upon the Streets” to Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Design has always been associated with security and safety in terms of natural conditions such as fire, flooding, and all kinds of unavoidable happenings. But the understanding of how the shaping of open s...Read More

A book review of “Designed for the Future: 80 Practical Ideas for a Sustainable World” by Jared Green. In Designed for the Future, Jared Green tackles the topic of contemporary design ideas that are creating a more sustainable world. The format of the book is a direct result of his approach to research for the publication. In asking eighty designers, landscape architects, planners, and engineers what they believed was moving the allied design professions to a more sustainable future, he compiled eighty ideas and project case studies which are featured in the book. Green starts the dialogue about the need for green and environmentally conscious design with professionals and then transfers that to a reader friendly format appealing to a wide audience. Not only is the book a useful tool for p...Read More

A look at 5 ways to increase biodiversity in urban landscapes and embrace nature into our designs. Biodiversity — the diversity of life in a habitat or ecosystem — is a sure sign of the health of that habitat or ecosystem. A diverse array of bacteria, insects, birds, mammals etc. makes a system more robust and able to withstand stress. Diversity, in this case, has a few layers; the number of varied species within an ecosystem, the number of individuals within a species and genetic diversity within the species (Rottle & Yocom). It means more than having lots of butterflies in the garden in spring; healthy biodiversity affects everything from the number of bees and pollinating birds, to compost-eating bacteria cycling nutrients, to having enough bats consuming metric tons of ...Read More

Community Common Park, by Janet Rosenberg & Studio, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. When we hear the word pyramid, we instinctively associate it with Ancient Egypt, the Great Sphinx of Giza, pharaohs, or even mummies. And although our leading lady in this article isn’t Cleopatra, it doesn’t mean that the content you are going to read will be any less exciting. Imagine that instead of in Egypt, our story is set in Canada. The main characters are not pharaohs, but landscape architects. And the pyramids on which we will focus are not enormous and made of stone, but are much more welcoming, grassy, and — above all – designed for the community. Our story begins with the studio behind Community Common Park, continuing on to explore in detail the philosophy of the design. If you are ea...Read More

LAN writer Velislava Valcheva, gets the chance to interview Ph.D. Landscape Architect and Lecturer Veselin Rangelov. Why do we want to be successful? Is it because we want to prove to the world that we are capable of achievements or is it because we want to prove it to ourselves? Unfortunately, most of the time, neither is the answer. One huge part of why people want to be successful is just because everybody wants that. We have gotten used to the idea of success as something thoroughly positive and unilateral. But the truth is that there are two sides to every coin. And one of the sides of success’ coin is its price. So before you go chasing waterfalls, ask yourself, what does success mean to you? And will it bring you satisfaction? If you are willing to find out what a young but very exp...Read More

Mathildeplein, by Buro Lubbers, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. In urban environments, there is a constant battle between the need for functional public space and the social desire for intimate, semi-private spaces. Living and working in the city sounds like the ideal economic and sustainable solution, but the reality often fails to provide spaces that connect with human scale and the natural environment. Buro Lubbers aimed to address this issue through his design of Mathildeplein by providing a square that connects to the public realm while creating a green and intimate semi-public space. Mathildeplein occurs at an important traffic junction in the heart of Eindhoven, beneath the iconic Light Tower. The Light Tower is a striking building that was formerly home to the Phillips factory; its dis...Read More

Does landscape architecture need to die so that we can see the birth of a complete profession? Now more than ever, landscape architecture is both highly visible and influential. Many circles now see the discipline as usurping architecture in terms of its ability to catalyze urban form. This cultural shift — fostered largely by a growing public awareness of the benefits of a quality urban realm, a reading of the city as landscape, and an admittance among design professions that landscape architects are today most appropriate to respond to this condition — brings forth questions about the future of the profession. But what if landscape architecture was to be no more? I speculate a different future — one that witnesses the marriage of landscape architect and architect into a...Read More

Etele Square, by Ujirany / New Directions, in Budapest, Hungary. Waiting for a train and it’s delayed again. Sitting in the waiting hall, counting the seconds, and suddenly finding yourself in awe of the market art on the seats. Or perhaps you’re just sitting there counting the tiles on the floor. The wait seems to be never-ending, and you’re feeling as if the boredom couldn’t get any worse. Sound familiar? Then you are probably a commuter and, just like me, you have seen plenty of waiting halls in your life. They are all pretty much the same: tall and noisy, with gray walls and chairs that are rather uninviting. As a commuter myself, waiting for buses, trains, or trams has become a monotonous and sometimes unbelievably boring routine, more or less due to the places where I have to wait. B...Read More

Baan San Ngam, a low-rise condominium project by Shma, in Hua Hin, Thailand. A subtle yet inspiring landscape design concept, Baan San Ngam appears as a fluent project that creates a vibrant natural environment, rich on experiences, harmonious, and respectful of Mother Nature. Situated in the Prachuabkirikhan province of Thailand and facing the seascape, the 20,753-square-meter site is known for its mangroves, which provide a natural wildlife habitat that frames the mountain scene in the background. The design of this mesmerizing project optimizes the interplay among six different ecological elements: Sea, dunes, swamp, swale, mound, and forest. It is a combination that gives visitors a variety of experiences as they step up or down into different levels, distinguished by various textures ...Read More

Dania Park, by Thorbjörn Andersson and Sweco Architects, in Malmö, Sweden. Water is an excellent source of inspiration for the field of landscape architecture and the present project does not make an exception from this rule. This waterfront park was opened in 2001, bearing the trademark signature of Thorbjörn Andersson and having quite the perfect location – the edge of the Öresund strait, dividing the countries of Sweden and Denmark. Whenever we read about a new landscape architecture project, it is practically impossible not to be impressed with the amazing transformation that has occurred along the way. This situation is even more valid when it comes to Dania Park, as the area chosen for this project was part of the former Western Harbour, an industrial sector located on the Malmö coas...Read More

The Art of Creating a Legend AutoCAD Tutorial from our resident AutoCAD expert UrbanLISP. Creating a design is a process. It is highly recommended that you create a backup of your AutoCAD drawings every time you make a significant change in the design. This will allow you to revert back to a previous version in case the latest changes don’t seem to work out that well. At the end of the process, you shouldn’t be surprised to have up to 30 backups of your file. Needless to say, you will have spent a lot of time and effort. If you drew it properly, you know the meaning of every layer, block, and line. But then it is time to present it. And guess what? The people to whom you present the plan don’t know it as well as you do. They need a legend! Drawing in any CAD program requires consistency, a...Read More