Design-with-Nature for Multifunctional Landscapes: Environmental Benefits and Social Barriers in Community Development

作者：Yang Bo^*; Li Ming Han; Li Shujuan

来源：International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2013, 10(11): 5433-5458.

DOI：10.3390/ijerph10115433

• environmental planning
• stormwater management
• interdisciplinary design
• landscape performance
• landscape preference
• GIS

Since the early 1970s, Ian McHarg%26apos;s design-with-nature concept has been inspiring landscape architects, community and regional planners, and liked-minded professionals to create designs that take advantage of ecosystem services and promote environmental and public health. This study bridges the gap in the literature that has resulted from a lack of empirical examinations on the multiple performance benefits derived through design-with-nature and the under-investigated social aspect emanated from McHarg%26apos;s Ecological Determinism design approach. The Woodlands, TX, USA, an ecologically designed community development under McHarg%26apos;s approach, is compared with two adjacent communities that follow the conventional design approach. Using national environmental databases and multiple-year residents%26apos; survey information, this study assesses three landscape performance metrics of McHarg%26apos;s approach: stormwater runoff, urban heat island effect, and social acceptance. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was used to assess the development extent and land surface temperature distribution. Results show that McHarg%26apos;s approach demonstrates benefits in reducing runoff and urban heat island effect, whereas it confronts challenges with the general acceptance of manicured landscapes and thus results in a low safety perception level when residents interact with naturally designed landscapes. The authors argue that design-with-nature warrants multifunctionality because of its intrinsic interdisciplinary approach. Moreover, education and dissemination of successful examples can achieve a greater level of awareness among the public and further promote multifunctional design for landscape sustainability.

• 出版日期2013-11