Parks of the 21st Century: Reinvented Landscapes, Reclaimed Territories

(Hardback)

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Parks are essential to our well-being; this has never been clearer than it is today, and a recent surge of park development offers us much to celebrate.Parks of the 21st Centurypresents 52 parks in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Europe, and China that have turned despoiled and polluted land (including former factories, railroads, and industrial waterfronts) into beneficial landscapes.

Landscape architects have been referred to as 'the first environmentalists',andParks of the 21st Centuryshows how parks are being designed as proactive, dynamic green spaces. The High Line in New York is an early example of how an obsolete railroad could be transformed. Opened in 2009, it now attracts nearly 8 million visitors a year. In addition to providing public open space, these renewed landscapes offer economic revitalisation and large-scale environmental improvement. Among the parks featured in this book are designs by well-known professionals such as James Corner Field Operations, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, Kongjian Yu/Turenscape, and Catherine Mosbach.

Author Bio

Architectural historianVictoria Newhouseis the author ofTowards a New Museum, Chaos and Culture, and others.

Alex Pishais a landscape and architectural designer for cultural, academic, and civic projects.