The Living Landscape

496 Pages·2011·10.11 MB·English

by  Steiner, Frederick R.

ARCHITECTURE / URBAN DESIGN / LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE STEINER
The Living
Praise for the second edition
Landscape S E C O N D E D I T I O N
of The Living Landscape
“The Living Landscape offers a thoughtful and excellent examination of how we can
understand, analyze, and interpret the landscape as interacting physical, biological, and An Ecological Approach to Landscape Planning
cultural systems. This book is unique because of the emphasis the author places on
understanding the landscape in terms of relationships among these systems. The Living
Landscape is a useful and timely contribution to the growing body of knowledge on eco-
logical planning.”
—Forster Ndubisi, professor and department head, Department of Landscape
Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A & M University
“Frederick Steiner demonstrates how an organized and clear model of ecological plan-
ning can be a useful tool for planners to deal with projects at different scales and with
different natural and human components.”
—Danilo Palazzo, associate professor of urban design, Politecnico di Milano
The Living Landscape is a manifesto, resource, and textbook for architects, landscape
architects, environmental planners, students, and others involved in creating human
communities. Since its first edition, published in 1990, it has taught its readers how to
develop new-built environments while conserving natural resources. No other book pre-
sents such a comprehensive approach to planning that is rooted in ecology and design.
And no other book offers a similar step-by-step method for planning with an emphasis
on sustainable development. This second edition of The Living Landscape offers
Frederick Steiner’s design-oriented ecological methods to a new generation of students
and professionals.
FREDERICK STEINER is dean and Henry M. Rockwell Chair, School of Architecture,
University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of several books, including Human
Ecology: Following Nature’s Lead (Island Press, 2002) and The Essential Ian McHarg
(Island Press, 2006).
S E C O N D
E D I T I O N
Cover design by Ed Atkeson/Berg Design
Cover photo by AVTG, iStockphoto.com
Washington • Covelo • London F R E DER ICK STE INER
www.islandpress.org
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With a new preface by the author
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The Living Landscape
ABOUT ISLAND PRESS
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dation, Oak Foundation, The Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Wallace
Global Fund, The Winslow Foundation, and other generous donors.
The opinions expressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of
these foundations.
THE LIVING
LANDSCAPE
THE LIVING
LANDSCAPE
An Ecological Approach to Landscape Planning
Second Edition
Frederick Steiner
University of Texas at Austin
Washington • Covelo • London
The Living Landscape, Second Edition
© 2008 Frederick Steiner
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced in
any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher: Island Press, Suite 300, 1718 Connecticut Ave.,
NW, Washington, DC 20009
ISLAND PRESS is a trademark of the Center for Resource Economics.
Steiner, Frederick R.
The living landscape : an ecological approach to landscape planning / Frederick Steiner. — 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Originally published: New York : McGraw Hill, c2000.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-59726-396-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-59726-396-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Land use—Planning. 2. Land use—Environmental aspects. 3. Landscape architecture. 4. Landscape protection. I. Title.
HD108.6.S74 2008
333.73′17—dc22 2007049541
Printed on recycled, acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Keywords: biodiversity conservation, charrettes, ecological planning, farmland protection, geographic information systems,
growth management, human communities, land conservation, land use planning, landscape architecture, neighborhood plan-
ning, participatory planning, regional planning, site design, suitability analysis, urbanization, watershed planning, wildlife
planning
To Anna
Copyright notices: Planning Association, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL
60603-6107.
Page 9: Excerpt from “Think Little” in A Continuous Harmony, copyright
Page 229: Excerpt from Paul Davidoff and Thomas Reiner, “A Choice
© 1972, 1970 by Wendell Berry, reprinted by permission of Harcourt
Theory of Planning.” Reprinted by permission of the Journal of the Amer-
Brace Jovanovich.
ican Institute of Planners 28(May): 102–115, 1962.
Page 14: Excerpt from Thomas Dunne and Luna B. Leopold, Water in En- Page 243: Excerpt from Morris Hill, “A Goals-Achievement Matrix for
vironmental Planning, copyright © 1978 by W. H. Freeman and Com- Evaluating Alternative Plans.” Reprinted by permission of the Journal of
pany. Used with permission. the American Institute of Planners 34(1): 19–28, 1968.
Pages 23–24: Excerpt from Charles F. Wilkinson and H. Michael Ander- Page 243: Excerpt from Donald Miller, “Project Location Analysis Using
son, “Land and Resource Planning in National Forests,” Oregon Law Re- the Goals-Achievement Methods of Evaluation.” Reprinted by permis-
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sity of Oregon. 1980.
Page 30: Excerpt from Richard S. Bolan, “Social Planning and Policy Devel- Pages 243–244: Excerpts from Larry Hirschhorn, “Scenerio to Writing: A
opment,” in Frank S. So, Israel Stollman, Frank Beal, and David S. Arnold Developmental Approach.” Reprinted by permission of the Journal of the
(eds.) The Practice of Local Government Planning, 1979. Reprinted with per- American Planning Association 46(2): 172–183, 1980.
mission of the International City Management Association, 777 N. Capitol
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Environments, copyright 1977 by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Reprinted with
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Loe, p. 58, copyright 1995, with permission from Elsevier Science. Pages 325–327: Figures 9.34, 9.35, 9.36, 9.37, 9.38, 9.39 granted with per-
Pages 35 and 168: Excerpts from Don A. Dillman, Mail and Telephone mission from A Region at Risk, Robert D. Yaro and Tony Hiss, © Regional
Surveys: The Total Design Method, copyright © 1978 by John Wiley & Plan Association, 1996. Published by Island Press, Washington, DC, and
Sons, New York. Covelo, CA.
Pages 332 and 353: Excerpts from Philip P. Greene, Jr., “Land Subdivi-
Pages 39 and 353: Excerpts from John Reps, Town Planning in Frontier
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America. Copyright © 1969 by Princeton University Press.
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with permission of the International City Management Association, 777
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N. Capitol St. N.E., #500, Washington, DC 20002-4201.
S. Arnold (eds.) The Practice of Local Government Planning, 1979.
Page 339: Excerpt from John A. Humphreys, “Breckenridge, Point Sys-
Reprinted with permission of the International City Management Asso-
tems: Keeping Score” (vol. 55, no. 10, pp. 23–25). Reprinted with permis-
ciation, 777 N. Capitol St. N.E., #500, Washington, DC 20002-4201.
sion from Planning magazine, copyright 1985 by the American Planning
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Association, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60603-6107.
Odum, copyright © 1971 by Saunders College Publishing, a division of
Pages 342–343: Reproduced by permission of the Smithsonian Institu-
Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc., reprinted by permission of the publisher.
tion Press from Planning Conservation for Statewide Inventories of Critical
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Areas: A Reference Guide (Report Three). Center for National Areas,
J. Skinner, copyright © 1974, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Reprinted by per-
Smithsonian Institution. © Smithsonian Institution, Center for Natural
mission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Areas, 1974.
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by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Planning magazine, copyright 1981 by the American Planning Associa-
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United States and Northwestern Mexico, David E. Brown, ed. Courtesy
Page 373: Excerpt from William Toner, “Saving Farms and Farmlands: A
The University of Utah Press.
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Pages 110 and 170: Excerpts reprinted by permission of the publishers 333: “Saving Farms and Farmlands: A Community Guide,” copyright
from Looking at Cities by Allan B. Jacobs, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard 1978 by the American Planning Association, 122 S. Michigan Ave., Suite
University Press, copyright © 1985 by the President and Fellows of Har- 1600, Chicago, IL 60603-6107.
vard College.
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William I. Goodman and Eric C. Freund (eds.) Principles and Practice of Local Government Planning, 1979. Reprinted with permission of the In-
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City Management Association, 777 N. Capitol St., N.E., #500, Washing- Washington, DC 20002-4201.
ton, DC 20002-4201.
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tion 47(3): 301–312, 1981. newed 1989 by Louis Mumford, reprinted by permission of Harcourt
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Suitability Maps: A Comparative Evaluation.” Reprinted by permission of Page 412: Excerpt from Fremont E. Kast and James E. Rosenzweig, Orga-
the Journal of the American Institute of Planners 43: 386–400, 1977. nization and Management: A Systems and Contingency Approach, copy-
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Norman Axler, “The Carrying Capacity Concept as a Planning Tool.” Page 416: Excerpt use granted with permission from A Region at Risk,
Reprinted with permission from PAS Report No. 338: “The Carrying Ca- Robert D. Yaro and Tony Hiss, © Regional Plan Association, 1996. Pub-
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CONTENTS
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION xiii Citizens’ Advisory Committees and Technical
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION xvii Advisory Committees 29
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix Neighborhood Planning Councils 29
Group Dynamics 30
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 3 Nominal-G roup Workshops 31
Focus Groups 31
BASIC CONCEPTS 4 Delphi 33
THE TRADITIONAL FRAMEWORK OF PLANNING IN Policy Delphi 34
THE UNITED STATES 5 Public Opinion Polls 35
Town Meetings and Public Hearings 38
A NEW APPROACH 9
GOAL SETTING 40
ECOLOGICAL PLANNING METHOD 9
Step 1: Identification of Planning Problems and TWO EXAMPLES OF GOAL-O RIENTED
Opportunities 12 PLANNING 41
Step 2: Establishment of Planning Goals 12 The Oregon Comprehensive Planning Law 41
Step 3: Landscape Analysis, Regional Level 13 The New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive
Step 4: Landscape Analysis, Local Level 14 Management Plan 45
Step 5: Detailed Studies 16
Step 6: Planning Area Concepts, Options, CHAPTER 3 INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
and Choices 18 OF THE BIOPHYSICAL
Step 7: Landscape Plan 20 ENVIRONMENT 51
Step 8: Continued Citizen Involvement and
Community Education 20 MAKING A BASE MAP AND A REGIONAL CONTEXT
Step 9: Design Explorations 21 MAP 53
Step 10: Plan and Design Implementation 21 Major sources of information 55
Step 11: Administration 23 INVENTORY ELEMENTS 55
WORKING PLANS 23 Regional Climate 56
Summary of regional climate inventory elements 62
Major sources of information 62
CHAPTER 2 IDENTIFYING ISSUES AND E
arth 62
ESTABLISHING PLANNING Summary of geologic inventory elements 65
GOALS 27 Major sources of information 67
Terrain 67
TECHNIQUES FOR INVOLVING PEOPLE IN THE Summary of physiography inventory elements 71
IDENTIFICATION OF ISSUES AND THE Major sources of information 71
ESTABLISHMENT OF GOALS 28 Water 71
Task Forces 28 Summary of hydrologic inventory elements 85
ix