URBAN
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
“The
hydrologic cycle, the nutrient cycle, and the food chain are essential to
human life; they sustain
us, and they link us to the environment in which we live and to the other
organisms…that share
our habitat. Yet to most people, these cycles are abstractions, something read
about in textbooks…The urban
landscape affords
abundant opportunities to celebrate these cycles, to make legible and tangible the connections they
forge.” (Spirn 1988b)
-Ecological Urbanism: A framework for the design of
resilient cities , Anne Whiston Spirn
The Emergence
of Urban Landscape Ecology
COMBINATION
BETWEEN URBAN ECOLOGY AND LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
URBAN ECOLOGY
Scientific study of the relation of living organisms
with each other and their surroundings in the context of an urban environment.
LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
Science of studying and improving the relationship
between spatial pattern and ecological (and socioeconomic) processes on
multiple scales.
URBAN LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
Science of studying and improving the relationship
between urban landscape pattern and ecological processes for achieving urban
sustainability
The Different
Perspectives
How to Achieve
Sustainability Through Urban Landscape Ecology?
DIVERSITY
Promote social and plant diversity
DEMOCRACY
Taking into consideration the community’s needs,
values and priorities (Collective/participatory design)
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Responsible land use planning
BALANCE
Ecologically, aesthetically (include the arts) and
functionally balanced
URBAN
HORTICULTURE
DEFINITION
It is the science and art of growing fruits,
vegetables and ornamental plants to maintain and improve the surrounding
urban area.
•
HISTORY
Urban horticulture progressed with the birth of cities
and the increase in experimentation and exchange of ideas.
Industrial Revolution: The
increasing population rapidly changed the landscape and replaced green spaces
with brick and asphalt.
19th century: Horticulture
used in urban areas as response to growing unhealthy conditions.
21st century: Turning Point
in history; importance of horticulture as a functional aspect of urban areas:
Markets, small farms, edible gardens etc..
BENEFITS OF URBAN HORTICULTURE
•Scenic
•Positive
Psychological impact ( Frederick
Law Olmsted, the
designer of New York City's Central Park )
•Health
awareness
•Social
activity enhanced
•Active
learners at school
•Food security
•Economic
growth
URBAN
HORTICULTURE IN BEIRUT
•About 35% of
Lebanon’s inhabitants live in Beirut and its suburbs.
•This dense
city that raises several concerns one of which is food security.
•Reevaluating
the potential of urban agriculture.
“The walled city was structured with a main coastal axis with promenade
reaching different quarters,…private gardens were cultivated and boarded with lemons and orange trees planted in alleys with profusion of flowers in the middle.” (Lenoble 1996, Kassir 2003)
CASE STUDIES
Wonder Forest
By Wassim Melki Beirut,
Lebanon
•Aim to plant
60,000 trees on Beirut’s rooftops
• One tree per
rooftop would be as many trees as NY Central Park
•Planting
olives and citrus fruits that thrive in Beirut’s Mediterranean climate
• Environmental
and social benefits
Lafayette Greens
By Kenneth Weikal Landscape
Architecture Detroit, USA
•Urban
agriculture, urban fabric, urban sustainability
•Engaging
public space
•Participatory,
aesthetically pleasing and productive landscape
•Sustainable
approach: Material re-use, Storm-water management, urban biodiversity,
efficient
growing methods
Glass Factory
by Thomas Chung
Shenzhen, China
• Part of
Shenzhen Honk Kong Biennal
• Produce
culture instead of products
•Collective
effort
•"It’s
reconnecting city dwellers with nature, teaching consumers about homegrown
food, and
offering a more sustainable, accessible food supply."
Cultural
Concern or Ecological Objectives?
Authors:
Audrey Kurkjian, Zeina Maaz, Jana Tabbara & Léa Zaytoun
