Ecological Design and Planning

This collection of essays on ecological landscape design and planning stresses the preservation and enhancment of the ecological function of the site being designed. It discusses a central issue of the field -- the incorporation of ecological principles in landscape design and planning. It addresses the growing rift in landscape design between those who regard ecology as the governing criterion for design, and those who regard aesthetics as primary.

GEORGE F. THOMPSON is founder and president of the Center for American Places, a nonprofit organization based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Mesilla, New Mexico, that is dedicated to enhancing the public's understanding of geography and the values of place, especially through books. He has won an Honor Award and a Merit Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects for his editorial work and is the author or coauthor of three previous books and the creator of ten book series. FREDERICK R. STEINER is professor and director of the School of Planning and Landscape Architecture at Arizona State University in Tempe. He previously taught at the University of Colorado, Washington State University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author and editor of eight books and has received two Honor Awards from the American Society of Landscape Architects for Communication and Research. His articles have appeared in numerous professional journals and magazines around the world.