Outlining the indeterminate emergence : landscape as a framework in contemporary urbanism

Abstract

Since the last decade of the 20th century, landscape has become an emerging medium in the practice of urban design projects. Rather than architecture, landscape, once viewed as margin and subordinate of the architecture and planning discipline, now reverse its role from passive ground to active figure in the discussion of urbanism. However, the discussions surrounding landscape as urbanism still rely on case-by-case project practice and lack clarity and theoretical framework. This thesis will explore the common ground of the notion of landscape urbanism. The first part of the thesis compares the theories regarding landscape, city, and urbanism since 1960. The second part of the thesis investigates how landscape can act as a social instrument in the enormous territory of the East Valley in Phoenix when facing rapid population growth. I expect that there is a definable limit to legitimate landscape as a framework of urbanism in order to provide an alternative strategy for dealing the urban problems of contemporary metropolis.