Design combined with nature

Author: Ian Lennox McHarg (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: This book is the representative work of the renowned British environmental designer Ian McHarg, which won the American Book Award in 1971 and is a landmark monograph. With abundant materials and incisive arguments, the author elaborates on the inseparable dependence between humans and the natural environment, the laws of natural evolution, and the deepening of human understanding. The author proposes a method for planning, operation, and analysis based on ecological principles, closely integrating theory with practice. Through numerous examples, the book details the specific application of this method, studying issues such as cities, rural areas, oceans, land, vegetation, and climate from an ecological perspective, and points out the correct utilization approaches.
Professor Ian Lennox McHarg (1920-2001) was a renowned British environmental designer, planner, and educator. He was the founder and head of the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania. Due to his exceptional contributions in applying ecological principles to human living environments, he received numerous honors, including the American Institute of Architects' Joint Professional Medal in 1972, the National Medal of Arts awarded by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and the Japanese Urban Design Award. Design with Nature is McHarg's masterpiece, which won the American Book Award in 1971 and is a landmark monograph. In many ways, this book expands the traditional research scope of "planning" and "design" and elevates it to the level of ecological science, guiding it toward a truly interdisciplinary direction. With abundant materials and incisive arguments, the author elaborates on the inseparable dependence between humans and the natural environment, the laws of natural evolution, and the deepening of human understanding. The author proposes a method for planning, operation, and analysis based on ecological principles, closely integrating theory with practice. Through numerous examples, the book details the specific application of this method, studying issues such as cities, rural areas, oceans, land, vegetation, and climate from an ecological perspective, and points out the correct utilization approaches.
In the era of China's all-out effort to build a harmonious society, when the guiding ideology of urban construction has shifted from "spatial theory" to "environmental theory" and further developed into "ecological theory," many of the theoretical viewpoints presented in the book remain vibrant and relevant. The environmental planning and design methods introduced in the book continue to provide clear reference value for the practical exploration of "sustainable development." This book is an invaluable and timeless reference for those engaged in the study and work of geography, biology, ecology, environmental science, architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, and related disciplines. At the same time, it closely aligns with the overall dynamic of current academic research and practical exploration, providing the necessary intellectual foundation for China to implement harmonious, ecological, and diverse urban environmental design and planning.