The Purpose of Landscape Design in Urban Areas
The purposes of landscape design are varied. Some include creating safe, resilient places, increasing property values, and promoting orchards. Read on to learn more about the purpose of landscape design in urban areas. The purpose of landscape design in urban areas can be summed up as follows:
Create Safe, Sustainable, And Resilient Places
The challenges we face today cannot be solved using traditional disciplinary approaches. The societal functions of urban spaces are achieved by the combination of infrastructure, production systems, policy, and user practices. A socio-technical perspective is needed to address these issues. Technological instruments, such as automobiles and buildings, can be powerful forces for safety, resilience, and sustainability. But how do we ensure a safe city?
The Obama administration is focused on community resilience, and landscape designers play a vital role in creating safe, healthy places. The White House held a conference on Tuesday to discuss how to develop resilient building codes. This initiative calls for private and public participation. The American Society of Landscape Architects is leading this effort. By creating resilient landscapes and cities, the government can support communities more resilient to climate change.
Increase Property Value
Landscaping is a great way to add value to your home, but poor design can detract from the value of your property. The poor method involves bad material selections, poor planning, and a lack of cohesiveness. Without a comprehensive plan, landscaping can be like building Ikea without instructions. Using the right landscaping design from the experts like landscape design and construction Toronto, ON, however, can maximize the value of your property. Consider the following tips to make the most of your landscaping project.
When deciding on your landscaping plan, consider the style of your home. If it’s a cottage, a Japanese-style garden would not be appropriate. You should opt for wooden elements if your home has a log cabin or cottage exterior. Also, match the hardscape to your home’s finish. In a nutshell, your landscaping should create a symmetrical, aesthetically pleasing balance. And, if you’re considering landscaping a residential property, remember that the goal is to add curb appeal.
Create Aesthetically Pleasing Places
One of the most important principles of landscape design is proportion. When design elements are of different sizes, they create an appealing composition. A large water feature, for example, may dominate a small garden or private yard.
A tall, imposing office building would appear out of place next to a small house, but a modest swimming pool in the middle of a backyard would be perfectly suited to an intimate, private setting. By carefully considering proportion, a landscape architect can achieve an aesthetic composition that is both functional and appealing to the eye.
Another essential principle of landscape design is harmony. Symmetry is the art of creating a harmonious landscape. Symmetry involves using plants with similar features. This creates unity without clutter. And because repetition can be subtle, it can be used to create a calming effect that encourages contemplation.
Promote Orchards
One of the most sustainable solutions for urban problems is to create community orchards. These urban oasis projects provide local residents with fresh fruit and enhance the environment by creating a safe haven for wildlife. In addition, a community orchard is the best way to increase residents’ sense of ownership and satisfaction in their city.
It’s essential to provide the right nutrients to the plants to promote orchards with landscape design. Without these, they won’t have a proper root and fungal system to thrive. Unfortunately, chemical fertilizers, usually unsustainable and often harmful to plants, kill these beneficial soil microbes. By contrast, permaculture design bolsters the health of future orchards by sequestering carbon from the trees.
Promote Wetlands
A wetland’s carrying capacity is defined as the number of animal species in an area. It isn’t easy to measure, but it varies yearly. The amount of space required to support such species is essential. This is especially true for territorial species. The size of these territories is not constant year after year, but it does vary from species to species. Adding more space to wetlands can help increase their carrying capacity.