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Design with Nature

By Ian L. McHarg

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Ian McHargs book is an intriguing book, that inspires readers too
look at their own environment in new ways. He shows landscapes and
designs that are seen as beautiful and makes them the breath taking.
Taking pictures of landscapes is not always easy, but Ian makes every
picture graceful and majestic. He speaks of how nature and man, and how
these two fit together.
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Chapter 1: City and Countryside
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Ian talks about how he has come to become the person he is today.
About how two different paths from his home lead him to two very different
places. The one path was the metropolitan that was called Glasgow. This
was a dirty town, with smoke filling the air and all the buildings tinted black
with soot from the coal burning factories. The other path lead Ian up into
the Highlands. Here, there was fields of grain, animals running to and fro.
Overall a much happier environment.
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The city was full of ugliness. Partly due to the fact that Ian grew up
during the Depression, but also because of the fact that the city was dirty
and without respects for nature. However, the city was not completely
without beauty. There where a few items that he enjoyed which helped him
to pass his time.
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The second path, however, was much more pleasing, and helped him
to grow new ideas and develop his thoughts. Each year he would
adventure further and further in to this nature, trying to unlock all of its
secrets, and discover why it was so much more pleasing then that of the
citys environment.

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Chapter 2: Sea and Survival

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Nature is a process, it has to abide by laws, interact with its
environment, and changed whenever it is demanded too. But nature is not
without its problems. Sometimes nature presents its own problems that we
as human beings must over come. One such case of this is that which is
presented by the New Jersey Shore. Dunes and dikes are created to hold
back the fury of a coming storm, much of the time sitting in wait, but with
the eventuality that a storm will come to test their strengths.
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The Dutch, instead of trying to completely stop the waves, just tries to
lesson them, more or less defecting them. Trying to reduce the amount of
damage they can inflict by absorbing some of that energy. They do this by
creating flexible dunes that flex at the force of a wave, using grass and
masonry. The best of nature and man, creating a stronger design then with
just man made or just nature. Suited to fit our cities needs and demand.
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This information is known to any young Dutchman, but in the United
States, even in the area where it is important to their overall survival, it is
unknown. This is all because of politics and the lack of connection that the
modern day man carries for nature. None to many seek out, explore, and
enjoy that which is not man made, or artificially crafted. If more people
spent the time to understand nature better, the outcome would be better for
all. Nature helps one unwind, its natural and is not pretending to be
something it is not, like most of the metropolitan monsters.

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Chapter 3: The Plight

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Ian has spent his life trying to create oases in the metropolitans that
we call cities. The city that was nearest to Ian as he grew up was Glasgow.
Glasgow was a grim, miserable town that was grimy and dirty. But the the
countryside could be reached by a short walk, a bike ride, or even a couple
of pennies to ride the tram.
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Recreating nature is not so much a pleasure, its a necessity. Its not
only an escape for the dullness of city life, but it also is what makes life
worth living. The silence of the forests, the trickle of a stream and the chirp
of the birds. This cannot be found in the large cities, and urban
surroundings.
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The issue with the industrial metropolitan created many problems,
however the country side is not the fixed for the problem. It is just a
bandage. What really needs to be done is a blending of the cities and the
countryside. From this many ideas have been spawned. Ideas like green
belts, open space areas, and parks. All of these give cities a connection
back to the country side.

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Chapter 4: A Step Forward

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Ideas as simple as building a freeway are actually quite complex.
There are many things that are trying to be maximized during that process.
Such things as safety, air and biotic resources, land rights and making the
best use of the space for the community.
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Not only that but the construction workers have to look at the other
possible land uses and prove to the community that a high way is the best
use of that space. With all these processes that must be completed to start
construction, the most important in Ians concern is the connection of this
design back to nature. Without this connection, our civilization would be
back in the industrial times.
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Basically, highway construction is a very complex undertaking for
many reasons. Everything has to be considered during its construction, and
with out this prior fore thought and absolute care for detail, would end in
disaster and unhappiness.

Chapter 5: The Cast and the Capsule

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Ian discusses two stories he tells his students when he first meets
them, he says he does this to challenge them and to make them think. One
of these stories talks of man in space and how looking back at the earth is
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breath taking. The other story tells about the increase in nuclear energy
and the possible destruction of almost all forms of life, and how the earth
would have to start all over again.
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Humans think of themselves as divine, we are the only creatures to
have a connection with a power greater then our own, God. And because of
this, animals, plants and all wild life is thought of as our own domain, and
we can do with it as we see fit. However, this is not true, who are we to say
that a certain species cannot live in a certain place anymore just because
we want to build more homes and cities. Nature had no intent for man kind
to be so ruthless.
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Humans however serve plants and bacteria. Humans create food for
these creatures, provide land for them to grow, and in some cases shelter
them. We use their by products and give them what they need to grow.
However we do not have a symbiotic relationship, plants and bacteria
where doing fine long before humans became part of this planet.

Chapter 6: Nature in the Metropolis

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Plants too do work for use. And in times of greed and wealth, when
one can get a resource for free it is usually jumped on. This resource Ian is

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speaking of is not only just air, it is also a get away, and a connection back
the the wild human roots that plants give us.
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Some of the uses of open spaces; Surface water, marshes, flood
plains, aquifer recharge areas, aquifers, steep slopes, flat land, forests, and
woodlands. These all hold important natural aspects that must be
preserved at the risk of destroying all that we cherish.

Chapter 7: On Values
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Preservation of the natural areas are becoming of greater and greater
value. National Forests and National Parks have increased in popularity in
recent years. Much of these areas remained untouched by man, and the
rest have barely been left a mark on them.
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The values put on landscape have change from many times in the
past. The Middle Ages, the mastery of landscape was the prominent look of
the age. But as time as gone on, and nature has become less and less
common, natural look as made a come back. The look of a natural,
untouched, usable landscape has become more important. This could be
for many reasons, the most out standing likely being the lack of natural
natural areas.
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Many of the ideas from this book may in part be because it was
written during the depression and dust bowl. The dust bowl may likely be a

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cause for an increase in the popularity of the artistic designs of a landscape

architect.

Chapter 8: A Response of Values

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The natural phenomena are dynamic interacting processing,
responsive to laws, and these proffer opportunities and limitations to
human use. This chapter also speaks of the great value parks can provide
to cities and there residents. The additional revenue that these parks earn
basically pays for themselves within a couple of years, depending on the
initial price of the park and the prospected use.
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Development is impossible to control. It is a necessity of life. It can
not be stopped, however it can an must be predicted by designers. If one
accommodates for the future, they can create a space that works for today,
tomorrow and much farther into the future, making the investment much
more cost effective then it may have otherwise been.
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Uncontrolled growth is horrible destructive. If the proper precautions
are not taken the destructive nature takes over. Plans for developing can
only fend off a small amount of the growth, humans also must learn to limit
our own growth so that we maybe able to have a sustainable existence and
our civilians a sustainable life style.

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Chapter 9: The World is a Capsule

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The world is a capsule is a good way to think of the planet Earth.
Earth is all an interconnected web of diversity. Everything that lives on the
planet is connected to every other living thing on this planet. As an
important as this concept is, people tend to forget it. Everything that we do
to our environment is trapped her with us, and it is all just a matter of time
before all of what we do too the earth will come back to haunt us.
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The importance of preserving our environment is beyond explanation.
The Earth is our home and we must protect it. Place a jar over a farm, the
plants take carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen, while utilizing the
carbon. Do the same thing over a large city and everything in it would soon
die. The output of carbon dioxide and noxious gases is astronomical. Farm
land does a lot more for humans then just provide food and substance.

Chapter 10: Process as Values

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It would have been most advantageous of man kind to evaluate the
situation of land long ago. Beaches, marshes, forests, mountainsides and
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all the beauty that nature produces are in much shorter supply now, and in
differently weighted quantities. We may have a large amount of
mountainside left but we dont have very much beach left, especially in
California.
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In California, it is a common known fact that you are not to use
beaches and the ocean after it rains. If one feels like they want to risk it,
they can come down with some nasty sicknesses. This is all because of the
excessive pollution of the surrounding area, and when it rains the pollution
runs into the ocean, carrying diseases and illnesses.
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This is where the importance of the residents comes into effect.
Without the citizens input on the subject, many projects would not be
directed at how they should really be designed. The citizens would never
utilize the space, and there concerns would go unheard.

Chapter 11: The Naturists

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Your designs are not trying to create a utopia for everyone, but just to
create a sort of naturalist view. A utopia is different for everyone, and is
unique complex in each situation. However if you just make it form a
naturalists point of view, then all can the created to make most people
happy.
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Their views are more simplistic, less romantic, and much more
modest. Making their ideal space simpler to satisfy and easier to design to
fit their needs. They still have simple and basic laws that they must follow.
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A site can evolve at time goes on, from a primitive state, which is
simplicity, uniformity, instability, low number of species, low number of
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symbioses and high entropy. And evolve into an advanced state, which
consists of complexity, diversity, stability, stability (steady state), high
number of species, high symbioses and low entropy. In the same way a
space can retrogress, making it return to a simple and primitive look.

Chapter 12: The River Basin

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Landscape architects are limited by the problems presented by the
client. Where as a professor has no constraints. This can be seen as a
constraint, or as a challenge, depending on the person.
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The river basin is am permanent structure. The water connects the
river basin to the surrounding area. Historical geology and climate both play
important roles in the river basins. They tell of how it was formed, where it
came from, and how we can use this place. The future is the more
important then the past in this cause, but we can learn from the past. The
future is what the space is going to be and how it will be used.
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Climate is very important also. It is also the most notable item in a
landscape. Along with that the geology is the next important factor.

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Chapter 13: The Metropolitan Region

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This region of space is most populated region. Most of the people
that live in cities, live in this area. That is why it is so important for this
space to be comforting and respectful. However not many of these areas
are connected back to nature. This causes many problems from the health
of the metropolitan's citizens, to the disgracing look of an undeveloped city.
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The intent to find a more natural and simplistic ideals cause humanity
to move away nature itself. This has caused many problems from the
exessive out put of carbon dioxide to us getting further and further from
nature itself.!
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Some places are not suited for urbanization. For these areas it is
some times suited to make into open space areas and national parks.

Chapter 14: Process and Form

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Man kind is a destructive force. They destroy forests to build their
own desires but forget that they are not the only creatures living on this
planet. Overall man kind is a negative force. However some unique designs
do have positive effect on the environment.
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Elements are described in terms of form, nucleus and the shells of
orbiting electrons; compounds are described by formal schema. The
electron micrograph shows the modular geometry of the atoms, the
crystalline form of giant molecules; the microscope can reveal the striking
forms of snowflakes crystals.

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Chapter 15: The City: Process and Form

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With a distinct emphasis on human cooperation and biological
partnership in design, the author explores the relationship between the built
environment and nature to illustrate how both can be used to their full
potential without being detrimental or destructive to each other. Provides a
combination of scientific insight and constructive design, and shows how to
employ what nature offers to the fullest extent without imposing limitations
or design constraints to create a balanced and self-renewing environment.
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Ian McHarg pioneered both a "logical" way to approach human
enterprise within the natural world, and the analytic/presentation
methodology which is now used by virtually all planners. At least the
technicals aspects of the methodology are used; the real struggle to
understand the principals behind prioritizing land use is still ongoing.
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If you're looking for some clear and easy to understand directions to
help get us out of the mess we've made of our world, "Design With Nature"
is a good place to start.

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Chapter 16: Health and Pathology

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Mans migration into the urban setting is both a great and an
unfortunate things. With each generation man kind learns new and vital
information about ourselves and our planet.
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Synthesis the space men to live is not a difficult thing to do. However
to do it well and comfortably is difficult. When you do it however it is the
greatest feeling in the world according to Ian.
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Chapter 17: Prospect

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His father was a local minister in the industrial city of Glasgow.
McHarg showed an early talent for drawing and was advised to consider a
career in landscape architecture. His early experiences with the bifurcated
landscapes of Scotland-- the smoky industrial urbanism of Glasgow and the
sublimity of the surrounding environs-- had a profound influence on his later
thinking.
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As the first-wave American environmental movement swept across
American college campuses in the '60s and early '70s, McHarg became an
important figure, linking a compelling personal presence and a powerful
rhetoric with a direct and persuasive proposal for a new integration of
human and natural environments. Through the 1960s and 1970s, his
course was the most popular on the Penn campus, and he was often
invited to speak on campuses throughout the country.
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In 1969, he published, Design with Nature, which was essentially a
book of step-by-step instructions on how to break down a region into its
appropriate uses (Wenz, 2). McHarg also was interested in garden design
and believed that homes should be planned and designed with good
private garden space. He promoted an ecological view, in which the
designer becomes very familiar with the area through analysis of soil,
climate, hydrology, etc.Design With Nature was the first work of its kind "to
define the problems of modern development and present a methodology or
process prescribing compatible solutions." The book also had an impact on
a variety of fields and ideas. Frederick Steiner tells us that "environmental
impact assessment, new community development, coastal zone
management, brownfields restoration, zoo design, river corridor planning,
and ideas about sustainability and regenerative design all display the
influence of Design with Nature.
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Design with Nature had its roots in much earlier landscape
architecture philosophies. It was sharply critical of the French Baroque style
of garden design, which McHarg saw as a subjugation of nature, and full of
praise for the English picturesque style of garden design. McHarg's focus,
however, was only partially on the visual and sensual qualities which had
dominated the English picturesque movement. Instead, he saw the earlier
tradition as a precursor of his philosophy, which was rooted less in
aristocratic estate design or even garden design and more broadly in an
ecological sensibility that accepted the interwoven worlds of the human and
the natural, and sought to more fully and intelligently design human
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environments in concert with the conditions of setting, climate and

environment. Always a polemicist, McHarg set his thinking in radical
opposition to what he argued was the arrogant and destructive heritage of
urban-industrial modernity, a style he described as "Dominate and Destroy."
-Wikipedia - Ian McHarg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_McHarg

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