To heal the earth : the selected writings of Ian L. McHarg

Ian L. McHarg's landmark book Design with Nature changed the face of landscape architecture and planning by promoting the idea that the design of human settlements should be based on ecological principles. McHarg was one of the earliest and most influential proponents of the notion that an understanding of the processes that form landscapes should underlie design decisions. In To Heal the Earth, McHarg has joined with Frederick Steiner, a noted scholar of landscape architecture and planning, to bring forth a valuable cache of his writings produced between the 1950s and the 1990s. McHarg and Steiner have each provided original material that links the writings together, and places them within the historical context of planning design work and within the larger field of ecological planning as practiced today. The book moves from the theoretical-beginning with the 1962 essay'Man and Environment'which sets forth the themes of religion, science, and creativity that emerge and reappear throughout McHarg's work -- to the practical, including discussions of methods and techniques for ecological planning as well as case studies. Other sections address the link between ecology and design, and the issue of ecological planning at a regional scale, covering topics such as education and training necessary to develop the field of ecological planning, how to organize and arrange biophysical information to reveal landscape patterns, the importance of incorporating social factors into ecological planning, and more. To Heal the Earth provides a larger framework and a new perspective on McHarg's work that brings to light the growth and development of his key ideas over a forty year period. It is an important contribution to the literature, and will be essential reading for students and scholars of ecological planning, as well as for professional planners and landscape architects. Title Page......Page 6 Copyright Page......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Forward......Page 10 Preface......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 Part I. Changing the Nature of Design and Planning: Theoretical Writings......Page 20 Ch. 1: Man and Environment......Page 25 Ch. 2: The Place of Nature in the City of Man......Page 39 Ch. 3: Ecological Determinism......Page 54 Ch. 4: Values, Process and Form......Page 72 Ch. 5: Natural Factors in Planning......Page 87 Part II. Planning the Ecological Region......Page 100 Ch. 6: Regional Landscape Planning......Page 109 Ch. 7: Open Space from Natural Processes......Page 123 Ch. 8: Must We Sacrifice the West?......Page 147 Ch. 9: Ecological Planning: The Planner as Catalyst......Page 154 Ch. 10: Human Ecological Planning at Pennsylvania......Page 157 Part III. Form and Function are Indivisible......Page 172 Ch. 11: The Court House Concept......Page 178 Ch. 12: Architecture in an Ecological View of the World......Page 190 Ch. 13: Nature Is More Than a Garden......Page 201 Ch. 14: Landscape Architecture......Page 203 Ch. 15: Ecology and Design......Page 209 Part IV. Revealing the Genius of the Place: Methods and Techniques for Ecological Planning......Page 218 Ch. 16: An Ecological Method for Landscape Architecture......Page 227 Ch. 17: A Comprehensive Highway Route Selection Method......Page 234 Ch. 18: Biological Alternatives to Water Pollution......Page 249 Ch. 19: A Case Study in Ecological Planning: The Woodlands, Texas......Page 257 Part V. Linking Knowledge to Action......Page 280 Ch. 20: Plan for the Valleys vs. Spectre of Uncontrolled Growth......Page 286 Ch. 21: An Ecological Planning Study for Wilmington and Dover, Vermont......Page 293 Ch. 22: Ecological Plumbing for the Texas Coastal Plain......Page 340 Ch. 23: A Strategy for a National Ecological Inventory......Page 356 Prospectus......Page 372 Acknowledgment of Sources......Page 376 Index......Page 378 A Valuable Cache Of Mcharg's Writings Produced Between The 1950s And The 1990s, Providing A Larger Framework And A New Perspective On The Growth And Development Of His Key Ideas Promoting The Design Of Human Settlements Should Be Based On Ecological Principles.--nhbs Environment Bookstore. Foreword / Robert D. Yaro -- Introduction / Frederick R. Steiner -- Pt. I. Changing The Nature Of Design And Planning: Theoretical Writings. Ch. 1. Man And Environment. Ch. 2. The Place Of Nature In The City Of Man. Ch. 3. Ecological Determinism. Ch. 4. Values, Process And Form. Ch. 5. Natural Factors In Planning -- Pt. Ii. Planning The Ecological Region. Ch. 6. Regional Landscape Planning. Ch. 7. Open Space From Natural Processes. Ch. 8. Must We Sacrifice The West? Ch. 9. Ecological Planning: The Planner As Catalyst. Ch. 10. Human Ecological Planning At Pennsylvania -- Pt. Iii. Form And Function Are Indivisible. Ch. 11. The Court House Concept. Ch. 12. Architecture In An Ecological View Of The World. Edited By Ian L. Mcharg And Frederick R. Steiner ; Foreword By Robert D. Yaro. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.