Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance
Creation of new ecosystems within urban contexts has undeniable benefits for city dwellers in terms of increased urban biodiversity and related provisioning of ecosystem services. However, designing new ecosystems in areas with a high population density or subject to intensive use may generate also...
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3914 |
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doaj-dde3bdb96d804f97af6c07be7eefa1182021-04-01T23:07:46ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502021-04-01133914391410.3390/su13073914Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social AcceptanceEmma Salizzoni0Interuniversity Department of Regional and Urban Studies and Planning, Politecnico di Torino, 10125 Torino, ItalyCreation of new ecosystems within urban contexts has undeniable benefits for city dwellers in terms of increased urban biodiversity and related provisioning of ecosystem services. However, designing new ecosystems in areas with a high population density or subject to intensive use may generate also negative impacts on the anthropic dimension and cause social conflicts that, in turn, can undermine the project’s effectiveness. This article focuses on the quite unexplored issue of anthropic “costs” that new urban ecosystems can generate, and on design and management challenges that they open up in terms of social acceptance. Landscape architecture, as a synthesis of ecological, aesthetic and ethical aspects, seems to be the most appropriate framework for adopting a holistic approach to the design of new urban ecosystems. The article analyses three Italian landscape architecture projects. All projects adopted spatial measures oriented at fostering perception, understanding and acceptance of the recreated ecosystems, while preserving them from anthropic impacts. However, these efforts are sometimes jeopardized by a lack of concomitant operational measures, such as stakeholder involvement and sites’ maintenance. Co-existence of delicate habitats and urban functions is thus not utopic, but asks that projects effectively integrate ecological sciences, landscape design and management, as well as social-oriented practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3914landscape architecturedesigned ecosystemsurban biodiversitysocial perception |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Emma Salizzoni |
spellingShingle |
Emma Salizzoni Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance Sustainability landscape architecture designed ecosystems urban biodiversity social perception |
author_facet |
Emma Salizzoni |
author_sort |
Emma Salizzoni |
title |
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance |
title_short |
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance |
title_full |
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance |
title_fullStr |
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance |
title_full_unstemmed |
Challenges for Landscape Architecture: Designed Urban Ecosystems and Social Acceptance |
title_sort |
challenges for landscape architecture: designed urban ecosystems and social acceptance |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Sustainability |
issn |
2071-1050 |
publishDate |
2021-04-01 |
description |
Creation of new ecosystems within urban contexts has undeniable benefits for city dwellers in terms of increased urban biodiversity and related provisioning of ecosystem services. However, designing new ecosystems in areas with a high population density or subject to intensive use may generate also negative impacts on the anthropic dimension and cause social conflicts that, in turn, can undermine the project’s effectiveness. This article focuses on the quite unexplored issue of anthropic “costs” that new urban ecosystems can generate, and on design and management challenges that they open up in terms of social acceptance. Landscape architecture, as a synthesis of ecological, aesthetic and ethical aspects, seems to be the most appropriate framework for adopting a holistic approach to the design of new urban ecosystems. The article analyses three Italian landscape architecture projects. All projects adopted spatial measures oriented at fostering perception, understanding and acceptance of the recreated ecosystems, while preserving them from anthropic impacts. However, these efforts are sometimes jeopardized by a lack of concomitant operational measures, such as stakeholder involvement and sites’ maintenance. Co-existence of delicate habitats and urban functions is thus not utopic, but asks that projects effectively integrate ecological sciences, landscape design and management, as well as social-oriented practices. |
topic |
landscape architecture designed ecosystems urban biodiversity social perception |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3914 |
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