Running head: READING URBAN LANDSCAPE 1

Reading Urban Landscape

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Introduction

In developing countries, cities start to grow and expand exceeding their limits and

overflowing into wild and rural lands. The growth of the towns not only applies to the imposition

of artificial facets on geographical extensions but also increases the city dynamics and

complexity. Landscaping in urban areas helps in improving the sanitary and microclimate of these

regions. In modern urban areas landscaping is mainly done in residential areas, near schools and

commercial areas. This includes landscaping of recreation and culture, sports park, children`s

parks, transport networks, warehouse enterprises, etc. Landscaping in urban areas provides the

population with opportunities for mass recreation in a natural environment and help in improving

the city. Since urban areas mushroom in districts that recently showed their common

characteristics and ecological capacities, it is fundamental to read the normal structures, regard

their attributes and lucid urban spread dependent on their structure. In conducting urban landscape,

the study focuses on answering the following research question: what are the major elements and

steps involved in reading urban landscape? This paper hence provides a detailed discussion on the

important steps in reading urban landscape and shows how the steps bring about a changes in a

city.

Urban Landscape

Landscaping in urban areas is all about planning. Landscaping in urban areas is formed

from green and open spaces within the urban ecosystems. Nevertheless, the urban landscape is not

entirely independent of the surrounding structures and buildings (Aponte, 2017). Urban landscape

together with the surrounding environments for the identity and character of a city and the sense

of a place. Together they contribute to the cityscape through function and aesthetics. Additionally,

urban landscaping is dynamic and is continuously evolving hence supports the urban ecology.
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According to the study by Memlük, (2012), the urban landscape is not an add-on but rather forms

the basis for creating and developing places. The elements of urban landscape function as

connectors or separator agents between different uses of land. The components can establish a

buffer zone between contradicting methods while at the same time facilitating the movement of

people all over the city.

The urban landscape is essential to the city shape in terms of adding visual quality. It forms

a feature of openness and attraction to live within densely built environments. It plays a vital role

in balancing human-scale in urban regions where the vertical effect of structures and buildings

dictates.

Landscape design in the urban environment

Urban landscape forms part of an urban matrix when identified from a broader perspective;

hence urban landscape is an integral part of urban design. Since the two interrelate, factors

influencing urban design also affect the functioning and form of urban landscapes (Aponte, 2017).

“Design is a creative process influenced by designer’s experiences, values, beliefs, and vision.

Hence it is mostly subjective, so is landscape design. Landscape design is the art of creating and

designing aesthetic and functional outdoor environments. Because every landscape is unique, it is

hard to define a universal guideline for the design process. Nevertheless, designing sustainable and

liveable environments requires an understanding of some basic principles which will guide the

designer” (Memlük, 2012). In designing, the landscape spaces are viewed with concept plans

which are used in visualizing topography, placement, and borders.

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Principles of urban landscape design

1. Adaptability and sustainability

Modern urban settings grow and expand at a higher rate that there develops necessity

inefficient use of land. Therefore, any urban landscape design ought to adapt to changes through

space and time while maintaining distinctiveness. Flexibility and adaptability level of a plan item

decides its lifetime; thus a far-located methodology is required in structuring an urban scene. In

designing a city, versatility can be accomplished by picking fitting structure highlights that suit for

site conditions and creating adaptable open-air offices for various gatherings in the network.

Flexibility is a standout amongst the most basic highlights in achieving maintainability as it is

worried about life span.

The role of landscaping in urban areas should be comprehended and acknowledged as a

fundamental part of making maintainable urban situations. Over its robust association with life

quality, natural supportability is crucial for guaranteeing the survival of living life forms on earth.

Urban biology tries to comprehend and clarify natural instruments inside an urban setting. Taking

up urban nature in urban structure and the board is fundamental in making reasonable conditions.

2. Coherence and legibility

Landscape coherence means the organization of landscape elements. The geometrical

organization of components defines the integration of urban ecology and relationships at all scales

results to adherence. Legibility and coherence are solidly connected with a comprehension of a

place and a feeling of security. The degree of an ecological coherence has an impact on its neatness
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by its clients. Clearness and intelligence of a domain make individuals feel safe and understand

that urban nature.

3. Equity and accessibility

Urban settings are places that unite individuals from different moral, social, social,

financial foundations, ages, and sexual orientation. Urban people group's isolation results in both

socially and spatially isolated urban conditions. Accordingly, the value is a primary subject in

accomplishing reasonable network advancement. Urban environment configuration has a job in

making available environments for all individuals in the network regarding open space (Tardin,

2014).

4. Community Involvement

In urban structure, network association happens essentially amid the primary leadership

process in urban reestablishment ventures. An interest of network in the urban structure process

supports their duty and trust in the undertaking. Through learning and data trade both

neighborhood network and creators can be animated. The nearby network is, along these lines,

bound to help the venture and grasp the planned condition

A system of open spaces as a structuring element of urban occupation

As the first step in designing the urban landscape, the method of open spaces involves

determining the areas not advisable to occupy or those which must be filled under certain

conditions. Such area includes ensuring the protection of the collective resources for socio-

cultural, public and biophysical processes. “The strengths of open spaces can include any resources

and values that should be preserved or developed, while the weaknesses can include any resources

and values that must be changed or that have no great relevance to the organization of the system.
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This allows us to identify areas that should be preserved and areas that are more conducive to

urban occupation, which can be structured by the presence of open spaces and their attributes”

(Tardin, 2014).

In establishing a system of open spaces, it is necessary to incorporate the idea of optimizing

the common urban occupation based on settlements and road network infrastructure paying

attention to the benefits it has in the development of dynamics in the different levels of urban

landscape systems. Creation of new settlements could incorporate low construction costs,

increased control of urban expansion and definition of new settlement patterns. Either through

vegetation or water. The urban landscape could also help in the restructuring of the prevailing

settlements hence assisting in articulating settlement problems in urban environments.

Reading Urban Landscape Design

Urbanization has evolved to become a phenomenon experienced all over the world mainly

after the second half of the last century. In the modern day world, it is speculated that more than

half of the world’s population reside in urban settings. Urbanization is a complex as well as a

multidimensional aspect due to the function of space, ecology, economy, social interactions, and

culture. Urban settings are relatively a new phenomenon in the geography of the world and human

history. Due to the dynamic characteristics of urban landscapes, it is necessary for geographers to

read the progress of urban through time. Among the various ways of understanding urban

landscapes is scrutinizing boundaries, studying mundane landscape features, studying the

industrial landscape, comparing the past and the current scene, making and interpreting maps, and

particularizing with the environment.

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Scrutinizing boundaries is essential in the acquaintance of information necessary in reading

and interpreting urban landscape designs. Due to the complexity of landscape, identification of a

distinct and nameable unit of space is vital for the reading process of an urban landscape. One such

crucial separate group of space is a boundary. Physical and political boundaries are elements that

make it easy to study regions. A geographer may use perimeter to examine the changes an urban

landscape has gone through by checking how much the border has expanded or recessed. In case

of an extended borderline, the metropolitan area has increased in size while a recessed boundary

marks a decreased urban area. Scrutinizing borders introduces geographers to elements that either

link or separate different urban landscapes. In case of a reading session that defines terrain as

contemporary, boundaries help in identifying it. Accepting borders helps geographers look into

interesting geographic relationships and regard boundaries as historical artifacts.

While reading landscapes especially the urban landscape, it is essential to look at the

mundane features. The regular landscape features are those landscape features so common that

people tend to ignore them. Such features include bike paths, trees lining the streets, railroad tracks,

and many other similar characteristics. These mundane features are an essential and integral part

of urban landscape design. Studying common features help geographers connect the current

landscape to the history of infrastructure development. Therefore, mundane elements are essential

variables for the study of urban landscapes over time.

Another great way of reading the landscape through time is by studying industrial terrains.

Industrial topographies are one of the most common features of urban design. It includes features

such as urban skyscrapers, utility poles, bridges, roads among other similar infrastructures.

Reading urban landscape design by studying industrial landscapes emphasizes geographers to look

into features that tower over the land such as buildings and those that intrude into the surface such
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as stormwater grates. The roles which such features play on the design of the landscape are

analyzed. Reading urban landscape design through the study of industrial landscape results in the

broad question of “why?” and “how?” (Hayes, 2014). For example, questions such as “why are

sky skyscrapers built?” and “how does the building of a skyscraper impact urban landscape?” may

arise.

Comparison of the past and the current landscape is one of the easiest ways to read the

land. The availability of historical topographic maps facilitates the ease of applying this method.

For comparison of the past urban landscapes to the current ones, a geographer is supposed to

proceed to the field and collect bird’s eye photographs. Using these photos, geographers can derive

map outlines for comparing to the existing past maps. Apart from comparing different charts, the

landscape photos collected during field excavation can be compared to the landscape photos that

have been taken in the past. Through the comparison of such geographic data resources, changes

in the urban landscape can be spotted easily.

Having mentioned about maps, they are among the best ways to present geographic

information. Charts tell geographic stories, stories that can be mapped. Significant changes that

take place on the urban landscape which geographers may be familiar with are seen anew when

interpreted spatially (Knowles & Hillier, 2008). Questions about specific changes on the yield

substantial insights when geographers map and topography interpret maps of change events from

the past. Significant historical changes that occur in urban settings such as land use and population

can be represented in a spatial context. Cartographic archives are among the excellent resources

that give students and geographers an insight into spatial dynamics and temporal scales of

landscapes. Therefore, making and interpreting maps is one of the essential ways of reading

changes that occur in urban landscapes.

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Finally, geographers can read urban landscape design by particularizing with the

environment. The process of particularizing involves an individual reading a place they are already

familiar with (Conzen, 2014). The area can, for instance, be a place they grew in. The method of

particularizing is extensive and meaningful as it takes the researcher back to their past interaction

with the landscape. The process involves countless activities embedded within the assignment

whereby researchers get to study areas in which they have broad knowledge. In this activity, the

geographers get to read the landscape of the urban regions where they grew up. The researchers

interpret the symbols that characterized their hometowns when they were growing up and currently

common characteristics. Particularizing with the environment is an exciting and illuminating

process. After listing the changes, the researchers then analyze how the specific variations express

themselves in the landscapes that matter most to them, for example, the bike paths they rode along

on their way to school. Particularizing with the environment is a meaningful way of reading urban

landscape as it connects the researcher's past experiences to certain land features of a place.

Conclusion

Reading urban landscape helps people construct rich stories. It helps people understand

and explain elements that shape the geography of urban settings. Decoding the aspects related to

the dynamics of urban landscape help researchers recognize the patterns of economic, political,

and social significance to the people from the past and hypothesize the future design of urban

settings. For instance, reading urban landscapes may help geographers project how the current

urban areas that rely on rural areas for agricultural products and powered by conventional electric

grids will morph into landscapes that practice agriculture in skyscrapers and powered by localized

powers sources such as solar powered generators.

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References

Aponte, G. (2017, May 10). Urban Landscape: Reading Nature from Big to Small Scales –

TheNature of Cities. Retrieved from

https://www.thenatureofcities.com/2017/05/10/urban-landscape-reading-nature-big-

small-scales/

BULLEN, V. (2008, December 10). How Urban Landscape Design Works. Retrieved from

https://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/urban-landscape-

design1.htm

Conzen, M. P. (2014). The making of the American landscape. Routledge.

Hayes, B. (2014). Infrastructure: A guide to the industrial landscape. WW Norton.

Knowles, A. K., & Hillier, A. (Eds.). (2008). Placing history: how maps, spatial data, and GIS

are changing historical scholarship. ESRI, Inc.

Memlük, M. Z. (2012). Urban landscape design. In Landscape Planning. IntechOpen.

Tardin, R. (2014). ASYSTEMIC APPROACH. URBAN PLANNING, 33.