First World Landscape Architecture Month

Landscape architecture sine qua non for sustainable development:

by Ranga Chandrarathne

For the first time in Sri Lanka, the vital role of Landscape Architecture in sustainable development was explored in a most scientific manner at a seminar held at Waters Edge recently.

The Seminar held under the theme 'Landscape Architecture for Sustainable Development' was organised by the Committee for Establishment of Sri Lanka Institute of Landscape Architects to mark the first World Landscape Architecture Month.

In the key note address delivered by Hester Basnayake, Director, Environment Landscape UDA dealt extensively on the manifold aspects of Landscape Architecture in sustainable development.

Among other things, Basnayake pointed out that Landscape Planning is a macro-level task encompassing changing, conserving or preserving landscape in a continent, country, in its different region and in its towns and villages.

Throughout the planning, Landscape Architect has to work with other professionals ranging from land use, urban, regional planners to economists, ecologists, geologists and architects and other professionals to ensure that aesthetic and ecological aspects are integrated into the master plan at different scales and levels. Landscape Planning also involves in formulating and establishing focused policies and strategies at national and local level and laying down general guide lines.

Referring to the international examples, Basnayake emphasized that Landscape and Visual Character Classification and Assessment have become an essential component in land use planning in many countries such as UK and USA.

Although Sri Lanka's past Landscape Planning excelled in ancient irrigation tanks, during the last decades much of Sri Lanka's natural and man-made landscape heritage have been spoiled or destroyed despite legal safeguards. He was of the view that Sri Lanka had failed in implementing policies and plans and enforcing regulations.

It has been emphasized that some of the vital aspects in Landscape Classification and Evaluation including geomorphologic and visual character evaluation have either been under-rated or totally neglected and that skilled and trained personnel were needed at various levels.

Although some attention is paid to visual environment impacts in environment impact assessment, no systematic visual character classification assessment was made.

Basnayake suggested that a holistic approach to landscape classification and evaluation should be adapted , perhaps, based on six topographical regions as described in Arjuna's Atlas; The Central Highlands, the Southwest Country, the East and the South East country, the uplifted belt of low lands, uplands and high lands along the Axis of Maximum uplift (South Mountain Wall), the Northern Lowlands including Jaffna peninsula and islands and the coastal fringe consisting of lagoons, marshes, sad bars, peninsulas, dunes and islands.

He further suggested that subdivision into definable, representative categories can be done considering visual (both natural and man-made) character variation as well as climatic, edaphic and biotic variations. Such a categorization would facilitate land use suitability recommendations for application in land use planning and environmental designed at all levels. He said that this will complete and enrich existing national physical planning, rural planning, protected area planning and urban development plan preparation.

It has been highlighted the need for careful integration of infrastructures such as roads, more sensitive locating/routing and site planning for large-scale development projects and that the Landscape Architect should involve at the inception of such major development initiatives and there should be Landscape Master plans for all local authorities incorporating townscape evaluation and public open space networks including public outdoor recreation space system.

As the out door environment plays a vital role in physical and mental well-being of the population, Basnayake suggested that in order to produce skilled and trained Landscape Architects and enlist their service in country's development, intensive training courses at both undergraduate and post graduate level should be introduced.

Measures such as reviewing existing legal instruments and improving the standards of hard and soft landscape material should be taken to infuse professionalism into the field.

In a paper titled 'Energy, synergy and Landscape Architecture', Shereen Amendra explored ecological approach to landscaping where elements of nature are in total harmony that energies humans. Shareen pointed out that ecological approach as per the definition of ecology by Eugene Odum (1963), takes a holistic view encompassing totality of its components and their interaction.

According to Eugene, Eco-systems consist of a defined boundary, biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components, interaction and equilibrium (stable or unstable). She states that human imprints on built environment and man-made landscape are growing at an alarming rate that surpassed the global population rise.

However, the present trend is for 'green cities' and 'sustainable' cities rather than unpleasant 'concrete jungles' and 'green architecture' and 'sustainable' architecture is designed to maintain an ecological balance. She points out ecological foot print though smaller in such 'green cities' than low-density villages, those cities are more sustainable.

She further states that though Sri Lankan landscaping is influenced by the Victorian English gardens, the Renaissance gardens of Europe, these landscapes over the years have evolved with Sri Lankan flavour.

Features such as parks and gardens in urban areas contribute not only to 'greening' but also modify the heat of the city. 'Greening' has many attributes including Storm Water moderation, climatic moderation for thermal comfort (insolation, wind, humidity), pollution filtration (particulate, gas absorption), trees as pollution indicators, visual greening.

According to the Gestalt Theory which describes the human psychology in the area of design, environment and landscape, refers to a configuration, pattern or organized field with specific properties which effect can not be obtained by the summation of its components.

She further emphasized that laws of organization of perception in space, which is derived from the Gestalt Theory, such as proximity (the tendency to group thing together that are close together in space), Similarity (tendency to group things that are similar), Good continuation (the tendency to perceive things in good form), Closure (the tendency to make an experience as complete as possible), Figure and Ground (tendency to organize perception between a figure and background) should be considered in the choices of placement and selection of material and objectives when designing a given location.

In addition, a qualitative total phenomenon, a resultant of he use and arrangement of material and objects of form, shape and texture, colour should be applied to a given space, offering it an 'environmental character', 'ambiance' or 'spirit of place'.

Landscape Architect Chandana Kalupahana's presentation on 'Landscape Design in Wetland Conservation' was insightful which described how wetland can be protected and make use for sustainable development.

Among other things Kalupahana pointed out that Wetland which acts as 'green lungs' and provides flood storages can be protected and developed through landscape designing.

Some of the objectives of Landscape design in Wetland conservations are to develop wetlands as 'green lungs' and open space, eco-tourism destination and educational and research localities where Wetland vegetation and eco-systems can be studies and to use Wetland as 'sustainable drainage systems'.

According to Kalupahana, Wetlands can be developed as nature parks, perhaps, with eco-friendly restaurants on stills. Other areas of development within Wetlands include grassed dry-weather play grounds, sports pitches with small pavilions on stills, cycle ways, pedestrian ways, wheel chair paths, nature trails, hides, viewing decks/towers especially for bird watching, board walks and decks on stills and water fronts snack bars.

The seminar not only was informative but also broadens the spectrum of understanding on the Landscape Architecture and the vital role it plays in sustainable development and environment protection.

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