Re: James Bourne's Query into LandArch/Planning

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Dear Mr. Bourne (and whomever else cares):

 

I am delighted to see interest in the fields Landscape Architecture and Planning popping up on this list serve.  I think community gardening deserves greater attention from professionals in these fields, and vice versa.   I am the Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellow in Garden History and Design and a graduate student almost finished with my Master's in Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly Pomona.  I am currently writing my thesis on community gardening. I think some great resources for you to start perusing are the works of John Lyle, Ian McHarg, Carl Steinitz, and Phil Lewis. Classic books such as Design With Nature, Tomorrow By Design, Design for Human Ecosystems and Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development are great places to start, and hopefully can be found at either your library or used on the Internet. I will say that they can be somewhat dense and not the most invigorating reading (even for the MLA student!) but they are full of interesting graphics and are a wonderful introduction to the fields of sustainable/regenerative landscape planning and design - if thats what you are interested in.  Other wonderful sources that are classics in the LA curriculum, but have a little less "green" focus are: John Simonds' Landscape Architecture, The Jellicoe's Landscape of Man, Kevin Lynch's Image of the City, Christopher Alexander's Pattern Language, and Clare Cooper Marcus' People Places. 

 

One other book that I recommend to all gardeners, and which is a wonderful read, is Russell Page's Education of a Gardener. Page designed some magnificently lovely gardens in the US and Europe, but never called himself a Landscape Architect  - humbly insisting on being called a gardener. His book changed my life.  I stumbled on it in the library my senior year of undergrad at Cornell, and after reading it I've never been the same. It is what brought the artist out in me and is what inspired me to seek a graduate degree in Landscape Architecture. I would love to share it with everyone. 

I hope this helps. All my best to you.

Sincerely, Megan Fairleigh

 

megan fairleigh

m*@earthlink.net

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