ContentslistsavailableatScienceDirect
Landscape
and
Urban
Planning
jo u rn al h om ep age :w w w . e l s e v i e r . c o m / l o c a t e / l a n d u r b p l a n
Design
with
Nature:
Ian
McHarg’s
ecological
wisdom
as
actionable
and
practical
knowledge
Bo
Yang
∗,
Shujuan
Li
DepartmentofLandscapeArchitectureandEnvironmentalPlanning,UtahStateUniversity,4005OldMainHill,Logan,UT84322-4005,USA
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g
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g
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s
•IanMcHarg’secologicalwisdomappliedinTheWoodlandsyieldsrealandpermanentgood.
•AcomprehensivedesignprocessleadstotheexpressionandexecutionofIanMcHarg’secologicalwisdom. •IanMcHarg’secologicalwisdomhasimmenserelevancetocontemporarydesignpracticesandurbanresilience.
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f
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Articlehistory:
Received14December2014
Receivedinrevisedform27June2015
Accepted25April2016
Availableonline21August2016
Keywords: Ecosystemservices Ecologicalplanning Landscapeperformance Greeninfrastructure Designprocess Urbanresilience
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IanMcHarg’sinfluentialbookDesignwithNature(1969)synthesizesandgeneralizeshisecological wis-domininforminglandscapeplanninganddesign.Inthispaper,wesuggestthathisdesignprocessleads totheexpressionandapplicationofhisecologicalwisdomasactionableandpracticalknowledge.Key featuresofhisdesignprocessinclude:(1)multidisciplineintegrationtoprovideholisticdesign strate-gies,(2)abilitytotacklewickeddesignproblemsresidinginawiderangeofscales,and(3)targeting landscapeperformanceinaquantitativemanner.WereviewthedevelopmentofMcHarg’secological wisdominthecontextofhiseducation,teaching,andpractice,aswellastheinfluencefromscientific theoriesofCharlesDarwinandLawrenceHenderson.Then,weillustrateMcHarg’sdesignprocessusing TheWoodlands,Texas,a117-km2towndevelopmentthatMcHargconsideredtobethemostecologically basedintheUnitedStatesinthe1970s.Fourdecadesofempiricalexaminationsrevealtheoutstanding performanceofTheWoodlands,highlightingthecredibilityofMcHarg’secologicalwisdom.Compared withadjacentHoustoncommunities,TheWoodlandsshowssignificantlylessstormwaterrunoff dur-ing100-yearstorms,substantiallylowerpollutantloadings(e.g.,NO3–N,NH3–N,andTP),lowerlevels offorestfragmentation,anaverageof2◦Clowerlandsurfacetemperature,andhigherwalkabilityand pedestrianaccesstoopenspace.WeconcludethatMcHarg’sdesignprocessfosterstheapplicationofhis ecologicalwisdominanactionableandpracticalmannerinTheWoodlandscase.
PublishedbyElsevierB.V.
1. Introduction
Inthehistoryoflandscapearchitecture,planning,andurban design,thereisnolackofexamplesthatareprominentwithrespect todoingrealandpermanentgoodforthehumanandnonhuman inhabitants,suchastheDujiangyanirrigationsysteminSichuan, China(256BCE,byLiBing),CentralParkinNewYorkCity,United States(1857, byFrederickLaw Olmstedand CalvertVaux),and the Emscher Landscape Park in Ruhr,Germany (1988, primar-ily through the InternationalBuilding Exhibition). Designers of theseprojectstackleduniqueplanninganddesignchallengesin theirtime,withacommonthreadbeingtheadaptive strategies
∗ Correspondingauthor.
E-mailaddresses:bo.yang@usu.edu(B.Yang),shujuan.li@usu.edu(S.Li).
theydevelopedthatfitthesite’secologicalprocessesandcultural practices.Theecologicalwisdomandingenioussolutionsthey pre-sentedarestillrelevanttotoday’spractitioners.
However,designersoftheseearlyprojectsmaybeoverwhelmed bycurrent,increasinglycomplexsustainabilityproblems(Xiang, 2014).Today, landscape architects and planners face imposing challenges, such as providing resilient landscapesfor a chang-ingclimate,addressingrapidurbanization,planningadaptations for natural disasters, and performing ecological restoration of degradedurbanareas(Jorgensen,2014; Nassauer,Wu,&Xiang, 2014;Steiner,2014).Animportantquestionremainsunanswered: Howwouldtheecologicalwisdomresidinginearlyprojectshelp link knowledgeto action andinform contemporary design and implementation?
Thisquestioncanbeansweredthroughrevisitingthese promi-nentprojects,withrespecttotheirideas,strategies,andsuccesses http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2016.04.010
22 B.Yang,S.Li/LandscapeandUrbanPlanning155(2016)21–32
andlessonslearned.Landscapearchitectsandurbanplanners ben-efitfromtheaccumulationofwisdomfromprecedents,andcase studypresentsapowerfulwaytoinformbestpractices(Deming &Swaffield,2011;Francis,2001;Steiner,2014;Xiang,2014).The beautyofecologicalwisdomliesinitsenduranceovertime,efficacy inpractice,andabilitytopredictprojectperformancedecades,if notcenturies,inadvance(Martin,Roy,Diemont,&Ferguson,2010). Inlandscapearchitectureandplanning,oneofthemostimpactful bodyofecologicalwisdomwasputforthbyIanLennoxMcHarg (1920–2001),in his seminar book Designwith Nature(McHarg, 1969), in whichhe synthesizedandgeneralized hisexperience. Asthebooktitlesuggests,followingnature’sleadinplanningand designisthewisdomofachievingsustainability.Anthropogenic usesorinterventionsshallbecomeanintegralpartofthenatural processes.
ThispaperfocusesonthreethemesproposedinXiang’s(2014) editorial:Theme2ecologicalwisdomasactionableandpractical knowledge;Theme3ecologicalwisdomasbenchmark;andTheme 4ecologicalwisdomassecret ofsustainedachievement(Xiang, 2014,pp.67–68).WeproposethatMcHarg’sdesignprocessleadsto theexpressionandapplicationofhisecologicalwisdomas action-ableandpracticalknowledge(Theme2).Keyfeaturesofhisdesign processinclude:(1)multidisciplineintegrationtoprovide holis-ticdesignstrategies,(2)abilitytotacklewickeddesignproblems residinginawiderangeofscales,and(3)targetinglandscape per-formanceinaquantitativemanner.Thesekeyfeaturesofdesign processhelpestablishlandscapeperformancebenchmarks(Them 3),andshowhowtheprocessesofMcHargcanresultinrealand permanentgood,whilenotallprocessesdoso(Theme4).We high-lightMcHarg’snature-leddesignina117-km2towndevelopment,
TheWoodlands,Texas,whosetownplanMcHargconsideredtobe themostecologicallybasedplanintheUnitedStatesinthe1970s.
2. McHarg’secologicalwisdomincontext
Inmorethanninetyprojects,aselaboratedinDesignwithNature (e.g.,chapter10,“ProcessesasValues”),McHargseekstheintrinsic carryingcapacityoflandthroughadesignprocessthatrespects, integrates,andfacilitatesmultipleecosystemprocesses,functions, andservices.McHarg’secologicalwisdomof“followingnature’s leadindesign,”however,doesnotemergeinvacuum.Hiseducation atHarvard University,teaching at theUniversity of Pennsylva-nia,and18yearsofpracticeatWallaceMcHargRobertsandTodd (WMRT)culminatedinthepeakphaseofhislegendarycareer.
McHargpursuedjointdegreesinlandscapearchitectureandcity planningatHarvardinthe1940s.Atthattime,therewascontinual separationbetweenthetwoprograms.Mostlandscapearchitecture facultyremainedfocusedonsmall-scalegardenandparkdesign, whereascityplanningfacultywereinterestedinbroadsocialand environmentalissues.McHarg’spassionandtraininginboth pro-gramsallowedhimtoembracediverseplanninganddesignscales whendevelopinghisownecologicalplanningtheoryandpractice, somethingthatmostlandscapearchitectsatthattimewerenot abletodo(McHarg,1996;Spirn,2000).
McHargcontinuedtobridgetheseparationthroughhisteaching attheUniversityofPennsylvania.Heintegratedregionalplanning and landscape architecture, particularlythrough his incorpora-tionofenvironmentalismintostudioteachingtoachieveamore holisticpedagogicalapproach(Spirn,2000).Emphasiswasplaced onunderstandingthenaturalprocesses.InMcHarg’sfirststudio project(CapeHatteras)in1956,forinstance,studentsexamined theprocessesofbeachformationanderosion,thedevelopmentof plantcommunitiesandanimalhabitats,andtheinteractionsamong them(McHarg,1996;Spirn,2000).Anumberofothercasestudies wereexaminedinDesignwithNature,includedtheDelawareRiver
BasinStudy,Interstate95inNewJersey,StatenIslandProject,and PlanfortheValleys.Thecasestudiesdemonstratedtheimperative ofinterdisciplinarycollaboration,inordertoincorporatenatural processes(biophysicalattributes)andsocialandculturalissuesin thedesignprocess(McHarg,1996;Toth,R.,personal communica-tion,July20,2014).
Furthermore,McHarg used his departmentchair positionat Penntohiremanynaturalscientistsandsocialscientists,aswellas leadingdesignersonthefaculty,topromoteinterdisciplinary col-laborationindesignstudios,suchasLaurieOlin,RobertHanna,Sir PeterFaulknerShepheard,CarolFranklin,A.E.Bye,KarlLinn,and others.In1962,McHarghiredaforesterandresourceeconomist, Dr.NicholasMuhlenberg.Sincethen,“thebiome,the physiograph-icalregion,andtheriverbasinprovideanindispensablecontextfor thecurriculumatPenn”(Spirn,2000,p.104).
McHargtaughtanothernoteworthycourse,Manand Environ-ment, throughout the1960s and 1970s, and someof themost distinguishedscholarsintheenvironmentalerawereinvitedto lecture(McHarg,2006a),suchasLewisMumford,whowrotethe IntroductiontoDesignwithNature,andEugenePleasantsOdumand HowardThomasOdum,whoheavilyinfluencedMcHarg’s knowl-edgeofecosystem ecology.In 1963,eightofthelecturerswere NobelPrizewinners(Spirn,2000).Basedonthiscourse,McHarg hostedaCBStelevisionseries(TheHouseWeLiveIn)from1960 through 1961, and invited leading scientists of the time (e.g., MargaretMead, Loren Eiseley,and LunaBergere Leopold). The courseandtheCBStelevisionseriesfacilitatedthedevelopmentof McHarg’stheoreticalframeworkandscientificideasforhisbook Design with Natureand hiswisdom in ecological planning and design(McHarg,1996;Spirn,2000).
AftertheCBStelevisionseries,McHargbegantogainnational recognitionsoutsidethelandscapearchitecturefield.Particularly after1962,McHargplayedanincreasinglyimportantrolein devel-opingtheintellectualbaseandmethodologicalframeworkforthe NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct(NEPA)(McHargand Steiner, 1998).McHarg’sinterdisciplinaryapproachtoecologicalplanning andhissystematicevaluationoftheplanformedastandard prac-ticeinNEPA,andthisisparticularlyreflectedintheEnvironmental ImpactStatement(EIS)(Bass,Herson,&Bogdan,2001).
In1962,McHargbegantotesthisecologicalplanning meth-odsonrealclientsandprojects.Subsequently,hisstudioatPenn becameaplaceinwhichtoexperimentwiththeories,andMcHarg’s firm,WMRT,providedameanstotestthetheories.Thetypesof clientsand projects withwhich McHarg(WMRT) workedwere influencedbyseveralfederalactsenactedduringthe environmen-talera(Table1).Theevaluationandmitigationofenvironmental consequencesduetosuburbanandexurbangrowthconstitutedthe majorityofMcHarg’sprofessionalworkinthe1960s and1970s (Spirn,2000;Steiner,2011).By1969,Penn’sDepartmentof Land-scapeArchitectureandWMRTenjoyedworldwidereputationsas aleadinglandscapearchitectureprogramand firm,respectively (McHarg,1996;Spirn,2000).
Inadditiontoasuccessfulpractitioner,McHargwasatheorist. Hedevelopedhisowntheoryof“creativefitting,”whichexplained andvalidatedhisnature-leddesignapproach(Herrington,2010; McHarg,1996).Theinspirationswereattributedtothescientific theoriesofCharlesDarwin’sTheOriginofSpecies(Darwin,1859), which suggeststhat“thesurviving organismisfit for the envi-ronment”(McHarg,2007,p.23),andLawrenceHenderson’sThe FitnessoftheEnvironment(Henderson,1913),whichindicatesthat “theactualenvironment,theactualworld,constitutesthefittest possibleabodeforlife...thisfittingthenisessentialtosurvival” (McHarg,2007,pp.23–24).InadditiontoDarwin,Henderson,and the Odums, McHarg’secological ideas were also influenced by PatrickGeddes,LorenEiseley,RobertMacArthur,JohnPhillips,and JackMcCormick,amongothers.
Table1
IanMcHarg’s(WMRT’s)primaryprojecttypesduring1960s–1970s(Spirn,2000;Steiner,2011).
Period Primaryprojecttype Federalact
1960s Ruralareasinmetropolitanregionsimpacted byfederalhighways
InterstateHighwayAct1956 Late1960s–early1970s Plannednewcommunitiesandresorts(client:
privatedevelopers)
NewCommunitiesAct1968 Mid1970s–1979 Controlanddirectgrowthforenvironmental
qualityissues(client:publicagencies)
NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct1969 CleanWaterAct1972
In accord with histheory of “creative fitting,” McHarg
pro-videdhisdefinitionofecologicaldesign:“Ecologicaldesignfollows
planningandintroducesthesubjectofform.Thereshouldbean
intrinsicallysuitablelocation,processeswithappropriate
materi-als,andforms.Designrequiresaninformeddesignerwithavisual
imagination,aswellasgraphicandcreativeskills.Itselectsfor
cre-ativefittingrevealedinintrinsicandexpressiveform”(McHarg,
2006b,p.123).
OtherlastingcontributionsthatMcHargmadearehisdefinition ofnatureasaprocessthat“issubjecttotheforcesthatproduce andcontrolthephenomenaofthebiophysicalworld”andhis state-mentthatplacesare“onlycomprehensibleintermsofphysicaland biologicalevolution”(Herrington,2010;McHarg,1969,p.105). Fol-lowingthisdefinitionofnature,McHargstatedthatdesignprocess shouldfitinthenaturalprocessesandthat,“WehaveaskedNature totellManwhatitis,inthewayofopportunitiesandofconstraints forallprospectiveland-uses”(McHarg,2007,p.44).Becausemost ofMcHarg’sprojectsarelocatedinsuburbanandexurbanareas thatarelowdensityandlesspopulous,understandingthe natu-ralprocesses(biophysicalattributes)becomesthekeytoproject success.
Asaresult,natureas avaluesystemand theecologicaland naturalsciences(thefieldofecologyinparticular)providedthe the-oreticalcoreforMcHarg’secologicalplanninganddesignmethod. Hisdesignprocess isoperationalizedbythelandscape suitabil-ityassessmentframework(“layer-cake”modelformapping).The designprocessstartswithacomprehensiveecologicalinventory,in whichnaturalprocessesareintegratedintoplanninganddesign. Ecologicalfactorsaresuperimposedontothelandtodetermineits capacitytosupporthumanactivityanditssuitabilityfora particu-lartypeoflanduse(McHarg&Steiner,1998).Thisdesignprocess laysoutasystematicanalyticalframeworkthatisinstrumentalin identifyingcentraldesignproblemsofthesite,asillustratedinthe followingcasestudy.
3. CasestudyofTheWoodlands,Texas:actionable ecologicalwisdom
TheWoodlands,Texas,isa117-km2 towndevelopmentthat
McHargconsideredtobethemostecologicallybasedintheUnited Statesinthe1970s.TheWoodlandsislocated50kmnorthof Hous-ton. It currently haseight subdivisionresidential villages with atotalpopulationof125,000(http://www.thewoodlandstx.com/ demographics/).TheWoodlandshasreceivednumerousawards, suchasaprestigiousSixthAnnualBiennialAwardfromtheU.S. DepartmentofHousingand UrbanDevelopment(HUD)in1974 foritsgreatsuccessinenvironmentalplanning(Morgan&King, 1987).Nevertheless,itsplanninginnovationswouldnotberealized withoutMcHarg’secologicalwisdom.
3.1. TheWoodlandsprojectbackground
ScopingofTheWoodlandsprojectstartedintheearly1960s,a periodwhensuburbandevelopmenthasbeencriticizedforcausing ecologicaldamageandenvironmentaldegradation.Early genera-tionsofnewtowndevelopment(Reston,Virginia,andColumbia,
Maryland)createdconsiderableinterestand wereconsideredto solveAmerica’surbanproblems(Ewing,1997;Forsyth,2002;Spirn, 1984).The1960sand1970salsomarkedapeakofenvironmental sensitivity,particularlyfollowingthepassageoftheNEPA. Environ-mentalimpactanalysiswasnotemphasizedintheaboveearlier newtowns,butitwasaheavyfocusinTheWoodlands(McHarg& Steiner,1998).
In1970,theUrbanandNewCommunityDevelopmentActwas passed,andunderitsTitleVII,theHUDwasauthorizedtoprovide loanguaranteesofamaximumof$50milliontonewtown develop-ers.AtotalofthirteenTitleVIInewtownswereapproved,including TheWoodlands,andEISwererequiredforallofthem(McHarg& Sutton,1975;Steiner,1981).DeveloperGeorgeMitchellturnedto McHargbecauseofWMRT’sreputationinenvironmentalplanning (Morgan&King,1987).
3.2. Uniquedesignchallenges
Designersfacedchallengesinlanddevelopmentanddrainage design. Thelushpine forestmadeTheWoodlandsan attractive placefordevelopment.However,aboutonethirdofthesitelies withinthe100-yearfloodplainsofthethreecreeksonsite,making developablelandlimited.Thepoorlydrainingsoilsandextremely flattopographycauseddrainageproblems(WMRT,1973a). Dur-ingthesitevisits,McHargandhisWMRTcolleaguesfoundthatin adjacentdevelopments,concreteditcheswereconstructedto facil-itaterunoff.However,thisconventionalsolutionfurtherlowersthe groundwatertableandcausestreestodie.
TheWoodlandsliesontopoftherechargeareasforaquifers thatunderlieHouston.SomeareasinHoustonhadalready sub-sidedbyapproximately3.1mbecauseofoilandwaterextraction (Spirn, 1985). If conventional drainage solutions are used, The Woodlandsdevelopmentmayfurtherthreatenthesupportof high-risebuildingsindowntownHouston.Theannualprecipitationof Houstonareaisaround840mm,whereascostalhurricanesusually causewidespreadfloodingbygeneratingintenserainfallsinsingle events.Thus,ifconventionaldevelopmentwereusedinThe Wood-lands,itwouldhaveincreasedtheseverityandfrequencyoffloods inHoustondownstream(McHarg,1996).AsMcHargrecalled,each ofthesechallengesrequiredanovelapproachinlandplanning. 3.3. McHarg’s(WMRT)designprocessandholisticsolution
Theabove-citedplanningchallengesarewickedinnature(Rittel &Webber, 1973; Xiang,2013), because urbanizationinevitably increasesrunoffandfloodingpotentialanddegradeswater qual-ity.Adaptivestrategiesshouldbedevelopedtoaccommodateand minimizetheseimpacts.McHarg’sdesignprocesshasseveral inter-woven,reiterativesteps,withkeystepsasillustratedinFig.1.This processdemonstratesaninterdisciplinaryteamapproachfor plan-ninganddesign,inlieuofaplanproducedbyasingledesigner.The processstartswitha comprehensiveecologicalinventoryofthe site,followedbydatainterpretationand(re)prioritizationofgoals andobjectives.Basedonaseriesofmapoverlays,variousfactors suchasecological,economic,andpoliticalissuesaresuperimposed todeterminetheland’scarryingcapacitytosupportcertainhuman
24 B.Yang,S.Li/LandscapeandUrbanPlanning155(2016)21–32
Fig.1.FlowchartoftheecologicalplanningprocessinTheWoodlands.AdaptedfromJohnson,Berger,andMcHarg(1979),McHargandSteiner(1998,p.244),Fig.1.
activitiesandlanduses(primarilyresidentialinTheWoodlands). Fourpolishedreportswereproduced(WMRT,1973a,1973b,1973c, 1974),andtheseinnovativestudiesbecameoneoftheearlyEISsof theNEPAprocess.
Theemphasisonprocessratherthanaprescribedplan prod-uct is important. The regional effects of land development on groundwater,inparticular,wouldnothavebeenidentifiedwith aless-comprehensiveapproachtostudyTheWoodlandssite.An interdisciplinaryteamwasessentialtothisstudyapproach.The WMRT team conducted an ecological inventory that described theexistingnaturalphenomena,includinggeology,groundwater hydrology,surfacehydrology,limnology,pedology,plantecology, wildlife,andclimatology(Table2).Thisstudyofnaturalfeatures andprocessesrevealedimportantissuesofwhichGeorgeMitchell’s staffwereunawareinitially.Asaforementioned,astudyshowed theregionalaquifersystembeneathTheWoodlandsandHouston (Fig.2),whichsuggestedthatrunofffromupstreamareasneeded toinfiltrateandpercolateintothegroundtosustaintwoaquifers thatprovide waterfor Houston. Through thisprocess of exam-iningtheregionaleffects,it alsobecameapparentthatsurficial hydrology,soils,andvegetationconstitutedacloselylinkedsystem. Thedevelopmentofadaptivestrategiesthataugmentthefunction ofthislinkedsystemiscrucial(McHarg&Steiner,1998;WMRT, 1973a).Asaresult,centralproblemsidentifiedfromthisdesign processincludedstormwaterdrainage,flooding,andgroundwater recharge.
Totacklethesecentralproblemsandtomeettheplanninggoal ofpreservingthepineforest,severalintegratedplanningstrategies weredevelopedtomaintainthesite’snaturalhydrologicbalance (WMRT,1973b,1974).Themainstrategieswereto:(1)preserve landwithhighlypermeablesoils,(2)maintainforestpreserveland, and(3)usenaturalsurfacedrainage.Inaddition,theseintegrated strategieswereimplementedthroughaholistic“natural”drainage schemetotacklewickeddesign problems(e.g.,drainagedesign, floodcontrol,andgroundwaterrecharge)residinginawiderange ofscales.Fig.3shows regional-scaleanalysisofthebiophysical featuresandtheproposeddevelopment,inwhichdensities and locationsarelargelydeterminedbysoilpatternstoallowmaximum runoffinfiltration(WMRT,1973a,1973b,1973c,1974).Atthesite level,adaptivedesignstrategiesarespecifiedforsoilsandhousing development(Table3,Figs.4and5).
As a result, the “natural” drainage scheme determined the overalllayoutandstructureofTheWoodlands.Collectorstreets, neighborhood roads, and commercialbuildings wereplaced on ridgelinesandhigherelevations.The100-yearfloodplainsofthree creeksonsite werepreserved,asweresandysoilsinparks and publicright-of-way.Checkdamswerebuilttoretardrunoffalong opendrainagechannels.Golfcourses,parks,andopenspacedetain
runoffoversandysoilstoenhanceinfiltration(McHarg,1996;Spirn, 1985;WMRT,1973b).Fig.6showsthebuiltconditionsfollowing WMRT’sdesignstrategies.
Thus,TheWoodlandsdesignprocessrevealsadynamic frame-workfromdataanalysis,synthesis,andinterpretation,toplanning, design,andimplementation.Thisdesignprocessilluminates cen-tral problems, reveals interactions of issues, informs possible designinterventionswithcorrespondingoutcomes(development scenarios),and facilitates theintegrationof design solutions at bothregional-andsite-levelscales.Thesestrategiesandexamples (i.e.,Table3,Figs.3–6)showthatMcHarg’sdesignprocessforged actionablestepsinpractice,inthatlandscapearchitectsand plan-nersessentiallyneedtogivephysicalformstoalandorspaceina spatiallymeaningfulway.
Furthermore,McHarg’sdesignprocessallowsthetargetingof landscapeperformancebenchmarksquantitatively.AsMcHargand Suttonstatedina1975article,“Itisthequantitativecapabilitiesof themethodwhichdeservethegreatestattentionandrefinement. Whilethedataandthehypothesisemployedinformulatingthe conclusionsawaittesting,theyrepresentadimensionofcausality andquantificationnotheretoforeaccomplishedinanyprojectsby WMRT”(McHarg&Sutton,1975,p.90).Toitscredit,The Wood-lands’landscapeperformancehasbeenassessedinanumberof scientificstudiesconductedinthepastfourdecades,highlighting thecredibilityofMcHarg’secologicalwisdom.
3.4. ScientificproofofMcHarg’secologicalwisdom
TheWoodlandssurvivedstormsthatexceededa100-yearlevel in1979and a500-yearlevelin 1994withlittleproperty dam-age,whileHouston(50kmaway)wasseverelyfloodedduringboth events(Girling&Kellett,2005).Inatropicalstormin1987,two adjacentcommunities(OakRidgeNorthandTimberRidge)were awash,whileTheWoodlandssurvivedunscathed.Inadditionto thesetestimonies,Table4summarizesempiricalstudiesconducted onTheWoodlands,presentedin11metricsthatcover environmen-tal,social,andeconomicaspectsofsustainability.Thesefindings presentconsiderablesimilaritieswithwhatMcHargandhis col-leagueshave envisioned orforecasted, suggesting that WMRT’s plansuccessfullyachievedtheplanninggoal.
ComparedwithadjacentHoustoncommunities,TheWoodlands showssignificantlylessstormwaterrunoffduring100-yearstorms, substantiallylowerpollutantloadings(e.g.,NO3–N,NH3–N,and
TP),lowerlevelsofforestfragmentation,anaverageof2◦Clower landsurfacetemperature,andhigherwalkabilityandpedestrian accesstoopenspace(seeTable4).Forinstance,McHarg’s(WMRT) planpredictedthatpeakflowsinTheWoodlandswouldincrease by55%,versus180%inHoustonconventionaldevelopment(Juneja
Table2
SelectedinventorymapsinTheWoodlandsproject.
Category Detaileditem
1 Physiography Elevation,slope
2 Geology Bedrockorsubsurfacegeology,surficialdeposits,geologicalcross-sections 3 Soils Seriesorphases,drainageclasses,hydrologicgroups,capabilitygroup,depthto
seasonalhighwatertable,asapplicable
4 Hydrology Depthtowaterable,aquiferyields,directionofgroundwatermovement,recharge areas,waterquality,surfacewaters(lakes,streams,wetlands),floodzones,drainage basins
5 Vegetation Distributionofassociations,communities,andhabitatsasidentifiable,areasimportant asnoisebuffers,foodsupplies,forwildlife,nestingareas
6 Wildlife Identificationofspeciesandtheirhabitatsandranges,movementcorridors 7 Climate Macro-andmicroclimateparameters(temperature,moisture,wind).Ventilationand
insulationmaybedeterminedinconjunctionwithphysiography 8 Resources Mineralorothervaluablenaturalresources
AdaptedfromMcHarg&Steiner,1998,p.245,Table6.
Fig.2.RegionalstudyoftheChicotandEvangelineaquifersunderlyingHoustonandTheWoodlands,Texas.AdaptedfromSpirn(1984,p.164),Fig.7.10.Usedbypermission.
Table3
TheWoodlandssiteplanningguidelinesandadaptationstrategiesforsoils(WMRT,1973b,p.11).
Objective1 Userechargecapacitiesofsuitablesoilstoenhanceanaturaldrainage systemandevenoutbaseflowofstreams.
Adaptations
Directrunoffoverpermeablesoilswithexcess storagecapacity.
Useroads,berms,andcheckdamsinswalesto impoundrunoffbyblockingflowover permeablesoils.
Objective2 Minimizecoverageontopofpermeablesoils. Adaptations
Locatestructuresonimpermeablesoils. Locatebackyardsandintensivelyused recreationareasonpermeablesoils.
Objective3 Housesandoutdooractivityareasshouldbe locatedtobeasdrayaspossible.
Adaptations
Buildingsandpatiosshouldbeconstructedon raisedfoundationsorfill.
Pedestrianpathsshouldberaisedoronfillif locatedonimpermeablesoils.
&Veltman,1980;Spirn,1984,2000;WMRT,1973a,1973b,1973c, 1974).Usingobserveddataandcoupledwithcomputer simula-tions,severalstudiesshowthatTheWoodlandspeakflowsare2–3 timeslowerthanconventionalHoustondevelopment(Doubleday,
Sebastian,Luttenschlager,&Bedient,2013;Yang&Li,2010,2011; Yang,Li,&Li,2013).
Moreimportantly,severalofMcHarg’suniqueplanning con-cepts have proved to besuccessful. It is efficacious tousesoil
26 B. Yang, S. Li / Landscape and Urban Planning 155 (2016) 21–32 Table4
IntegratedplanninganddesigninTheWoodlands:metrics,strategies,andperformanceforecastsinIanMcHarg’s(WMRT’s)originalplanandempiricalexaminationsdecadeslater.Landscapeperformanceisinaccordwith WMRT’sprojections.
Metric WMRTstrategies,performance
forecast
Reference Empiricalanalysisdecades
later
Reference 1.Stormwaterrunoff Linksoilpermeabilitywith
housingdensity;would generatelowerrunoffthan conventionaldevelopment
WMRT(1973c),McHargand Sutton(1975),Junejaand Veltman(1980)
TheWoodlandslanduseplan minimizesthehydrologic impacts;lowerrunoffthan conventionalHouston communities
JunejaandVeltman(1980), Bedient,Flores,Johnson,and Pappas(1985),YangandLi (2010,2011),Doubledayetal. (2013),Yangetal.(2013)
2.Floodcontrol Predictedpeakflowsincrease
by55%,versus180%in Houston’sconventional development
WMRT(1973a,1973b,1973c, 1974),JunejaandVeltman (1980),Spirn(1984,2000)
Peakflows2–3timeslower thanconventional development;peakflows similartoforestconditions during100-yearstorms,and wouldbe50%lowerifstrictly followedMcHarg’sapproach
Doubledayetal.(2013),Yang andLi(2010,2011),Yangetal. (2013)
3.Waterquality Opendrainage,wetland,
permeablepavement,building constructionBMPsa;lower pollutantlevelsthanHouston’s conventionalcommunities
WMRT(1974),Junejaand Veltman(1980)
Pollutantloadings(NO3–N, NH3–N,andTP)are substantiallylowerthan Houstoncommunitiesb
YangandLi(2013)
4.Waterconservation Minimizeirrigationwateruse
throughlimitinglawnareas andirrigatedpublicspace
Spirn(1984,1985),Kutchin (1998)
n/a n/a
5.Forestprotection Large,permanentforest
preserve;treeprotectionat streetright-of-wayand individualparcels
WMRT(1973a,1973b,1973c, 1974),Spirn(1984)
Lowerlevelsofforest fragmentationthanNorth Houstoncommunities;25% landpreserveasopenspacein perpetual
MorganandKing(1987), GalatasandBarlow(2004), KimandEllis(2009)
6.Wildlife Preservecontinuouswildlife
corridorsatwetlandsand floodplains
WMRT(1973b,1974) Wildlifecorridorandforest connectivitywellpreserved
Spirn(1984),Forman(2002), KimandEllis,2009
7.Urbanheatisland NotafocusareainWMRTplan n/a Onaverage2◦Clowerland
surfacetemperaturethan Houstoncommunities
Sung(2013),Yangetal.(2013)
8.Energyconservation Solarpanelapplication;
plantingdesignandhousing orientationstrategies
Kutchin(1998),Galatasand Barlow(2004)
n/a n/a
9.Socialvalue Integrateecologicalandsocial
goals;useoffloodplainsand drainagechannelsasopen space
WMRT(1973b),Spirn(1984) Goodethnicaldiversityand integration;richsocialevents andcommunityemployment opportunities;goodstandof resident’ssatisfactionand well-being
MorganandKing(1987), GalatasandBarlow(2004), Forsyth(2002,2003,2005),The WoodlandsTownship(2011)
10.Transportation NotafocusareainWMRTplan n/a Betterinterconnectedness,
higherwalkabilitythan conventionalHouston communities
ZhangandYi(2006)
11.Costbenefit Wouldsave$14millionfor
PhaseIalone;lowmaintenance parklandandresidentialyards
McHargandSutton(1975) Potentialavoidedcostsinclude floodingdamageandsalvation, personnelinjuries,erosionand sedimentscontrol,andwater qualitypollutantstreatment; increasedhousingvaluedueto parkandopenspace
YangandLi(2010,2011),Yang etal.(2013),TheWoodlands Township(2011)
aBMP(BestManagementPractice).Constructionfencingisusuallyonlyafewfeetawayfromthebuildingfootprinttoensureminimumsitedisturbance. b NO3–N(nitrate-nitrogen);NH3–N(ammonianitrogen);TP(totalphosphorous).
Fig.3.(1)LocationmapofTheWoodlands,Texas,USA.(2)Community-scaleanalysisofTheWoodlands(a)Designsynthesis(WMRT,1974,p.35)and(b)proposedlanduse plan(WMRT,1974,p.41).Theproposeddevelopmentlocationsarelargelydeterminedbysoilpatternstoallowmaximumrunoffinfiltration.
permeabilityasakeyvariabletoguidelanduseplanningtoachieve thezero-runoffobjective(Yang&Li,2011).Theholistic,“natural” drainagesystemdemonstrated floodmitigationeffectiveness in
thattherunoffregimenretainsitsforestconditionsafter devel-opment.
Apparently, a holistic solution serves many purposes (see Table4),andthissolutionbenefitsnotonlyTheWoodlandsbut
28 B.Yang,S.Li/LandscapeandUrbanPlanning155(2016)21–32
Fig.4. Site-leveldesignguidelines.Housingclusterandgroupedparkingconformedtotheboundariesofsoilswithlowinfiltrationcapacities(WMRT,1974,p.72).
Fig.5.Opensurfacedrainagealongcollectorstreets.Designguidelinepromotesimpoundmentonpermeablesoils.Checkdamsretardrunoffandincreaseinfiltration.BOY:
mediumtowell-drainedsoil;SPH(Splendora):poorlydrainedsoil(WMRT,1973b,p.31).
alsotheHoustonregion’ssustainabilityinthelongrun.Thesumof thebenefitsbroughtaboutbyaholisticsolutionismorethanthose ofitspieces.However,aholisticsolutionisarguablyone-of-a-kind foraparticularsite—totacklespecific(wicked)designproblem(s). InTheWoodlands,itwasthedesignprocessthatledtothe iden-tificationofcentralproblems.McHargconsideredhisapproachas “diagnosisandprescription”forlandplanning(Spirn,2000).And
hebelievedthatitwasanobjectiveprocedureusedinThe Wood-landsthat couldbereplicated toproducesimilaroutcomes: “A methodwasdevelopedwhichinsured thatanyonewould reach thesameconclusions...anyengineer,architect,landscape archi-tect,developer,andtheclienthimselfwereboundbythedataand themethod”(McHarg&Sutton,1975,p.78).
Fig.6. DrainageandlandscapedesignconditionsinTheWoodlands:(a)opensurfacedrainageswalewithtreespreservedinsubdivisions,(b)naturalvegetationwellpreserved
alongcreeks,(c)naturalbankwithwell-preservedvegetationalongponds,and(d)collectorstreetwithcheckdamsthatretardrunoffandencourageimpoundmentonsoils
withgoodinfiltrationcapacity(AlsoseeFig.5sitedesigndiagram).
4. Discussions
Throughrevisitingone ofMcHarg’smostsuccessfulprojects, TheWoodlands,wesuggestthathisecologicalwisdompresents a knowledge/skill component, as well as a value system that embracescultural, personal, and ethicalcharacteristics. Discus-sions below elaborateon how McHarg’scomprehensive design processwouldmakehisecologicalwisdomactionableand facili-tatetheestablishmentoflandscapeperformancebenchmarks.In addition,wespeculateonwhyMcHargcandorealandpermanent good,whilesomeotherscannot.
4.1. Holisticdesignsolutionformultifunctionallandscape
EmpiricalevidenceshowsthatTheWoodlandsplanpresented multifunctional benefits. The “natural” drainage system exem-plifiedtheadvantagesofintegratingstormwaterdrainage,flood control,andwaterquality.Thissystempresentsresiliencetoflood (ordrought)becausetheWMRTplancausedlittlealterationto,and, infact,enhancedthehydrologicsystemthatexistedbefore con-structionoftheTheWoodlands.Thesolutionwasalsoalow-cost, low-maintenanceone (Spirn, 1985;Yang et al.,2013). Interest-ingly,TheWoodlandsalsodemonstratedexcellentperformancein somemetrics(e.g.,pedestrianaccessibility,urbanheatislandeffect mitigation)thatwerenotfocusareasintheWMRTplan.
Theholisticdesignstartedwithanunderstandingofthenatural processes,followedbyseekingadaptivefittingoftheseprocesses (McHarg’stheoryof“creativefitting”).McHarg’secologicalwisdom
wastotackletheoverridingdesignproblems,whilethesolution incorporatedotherconcernsinadditiontotheprincipalones.This created“aholisticappreciationfornatureandfostersdesignsthat transcendednarrowtemporalandspatiallimits”(Spirn,1985,p. 42).Hence,TheWoodlandshighlightedMcHarg’secological wis-dom andtheory thatplanning and design area tool of human evolution.TheWMRTplanforTheWoodlandsexpressivelyused thetermevolution,meaningcreativefittingandadaptation. Plan-ninganddesignguidelinestooktheformof“adaptivestrategies” (seeTable3),andtheanalysisofecologicalprocesses“determined theformoftheWoodlands”(McHarg&Sutton,1975).
4.2. WhyMcHarg’sprojectscandorealandpermanentgood McHarg’sideaofincorporatingnatureintothedesignprocess set the premise for the planning and design professionals. His abilitytodorealandpermanentgoodcouldbeattributedtohis knowledgeandskillsetinplanninganddesign,hisbroadinfluence outsidethelandscapearchitectureandplanningdisciplines,and hisfacultypositionataprestigiousacademicinstitution.
McHarg presents core problem-solving skills in ecological design. Heis proficientin multiple-scalesyntheticthinkingand hiscriticalthinkingskill-setsallowhimtoassembletheright col-leaguestoconsultandworkwith(e.g.,hisinterdisciplinaryteam approach).Heisalsocapableofinterpretingcomplexecological dataand (re)prioritizingdesign goalstorecast simple(r)design problems.
30 B.Yang,S.Li/LandscapeandUrbanPlanning155(2016)21–32
Table5
SelectedsignificantprojectsofIanMcHarg(WMRT)andtheirimplicationstocontemporarypractice.
Project Centraltheme/majordesign question
WMRTdesigninnovation Impactoncontemporary theoryorpractice PlanfortheValleys(1962) Illustrateconsequencesof
uncontrolledvs.planned growth,andpotential economicprofitability
Integrategraphicpresentation andeconomicanalysis; visualizeimpactsofdifferent builtscenarios
Today’slandtrusts,purchase andtransferofdevelopment rights,performancezoning PotomacRiverBasin(1965) Provideaframeworkfor
development(past,present, andfuture,atmultiple landscapescales)
Firststudytocombinethe physiographicregionandthe riverbasinastheorganizing contextforecologicalplanning anddesign;usedmostofthe methods(overlayandmetrics) atthetime
Institutionalizesa comprehensivemethodfor ecologicalinventory;advances GISmethod
TheWoodlands(1973) Planataflood-pronesite coupledwithdifficultdrainage conditions;maintainaquifer levelstopreventHouston high-risebuildingsfrom sinking
Aholisticsolutionofnatural drainagesystemintegrating stormwaterdrainage,flood control,andwaterquality;link soilpermeabilityto
developmentintensity
Oneofthefirstapplicationsof GIStoabuiltproject;precursor ofUSEPA’sLIDandGI initiatives;today’s “green-street”programs nationwidea
aUSEPA(U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency);LID(low-impactdevelopment);GI(greeninfrastructure).
Inaddition,McHarg“isamongtheveryfewlandscapearchitects sinceFrederickLawOlmstedSr.whohavecommandedwidespread notice, respect, and influence outside the design and planning fields”(Spirn,2000,p. 97).His1969bookDesignwithNatureis consideredasthemostinfluentialtextintheplanninganddesign disciplineinthe20thcentury.Thebookwasalsoselectedasa final-istofthe1969NationalBookAward.Histheoryandmethodology pervadedbeyondNEPAintootherfederalandstateenvironmental managementprograms(Bassetal.,2001).Besideshis1960–1961 CBSseries(“TheHouseWeLiveIn”),hissuccessfullyco-organized the1970EarthDayevent,inwhichmorethan30,000people par-ticipated(McHarg, 1996).McHarg also appeared frequentlyon televisionandinpopularpress.Forinstance,hehelpedproduce and starredin thepopular1969publictelevisiondocumentary “MultiplyandSubduetheEarth.”Hischarismaticpersonalityand superbcapabilitytocommunicateinlayman’slanguagepersuaded numerousindividualstoaccepthisideas(Spirn,2000).
AnotherimportantaspectofMcHarg’scareerwasthathehad extensiveinvolvementinactualplanningandcommunitydesign projects.Theseopportunitiesallowedhimtoconstantlylink the-orytopracticeand torefine hisideasand methods(McHarg& Steiner,1998).McHarg’sfacultypositionatPennallowedhimto structurehisteachingandpracticeinacomplementaryway.During hiseighteenyearswithWMRT,thecreativetensionbetweentheory (Pennteaching)andpractice(WMRT)ledtoexcitinginnovations inecologicalplanninganddesign.Apracticinglandscapearchitect isoftenconstrainedbytheprescribedprojectscope.Incontrast, McHarg’sfacultypositionallowedhimtochooseproblemsthathe deemedimportanttoexamine(Spirn,2000).
ForTheWoodlandsproject,itisalsoimportanttomentionthat itssuccesswasattributedtoseveralotherimportantfactors,in additiontoMcHarg’s(WMRT) plan.Thesefactorsaredeveloper GeorgeMitchell’svisionofresolvingAmerica’surbanproblemsand hisfinancialsupport,the$50millionHUDloanguarantees,andthe relativelyflexibleplanningsysteminthe1970s(Yang,Li,&Huang, 2015).
4.3. Contemporaryrelevance
Table5presentsthreewidelydiscussedMcHargarianprojects andtheirimplicationstocontemporarypractice(McHarg&Steiner, 1998;Spirn,2000;Yangetal.,2013).PlansfortheValleysandthe PotomacRiverBasinstudywereconductedin Penndesign stu-dios,andTheWoodlandsplanbyWMRTstaff(mostlythePenn team).ManyinnovationsbyMcHarg(WMRT)thatwereonceseen
asradicalarenowcommonpractice.Themostnoteworthyone isMcHarg’slandscapesuitabilityassessmentframework (“layer-cake”model)thatspearheadedthedevelopmentofthemodern-era Geographic Information System (GIS) (Ndubisi, 2002,2014). In fact,the computerizedsoiland vegetation surveysusedin The WoodlandsrepresentedoneofthefirstactualapplicationsofGIS technologytoabuiltproject(McHarg&Steiner,1998).
Likewise,the“natural”drainage channelsin TheWoodlands witness their contemporary applications, suchas the rain gar-densandstormwaterplanterscommonlyseeninthegreenstreets in Portland, Seattle, Philadelphia, KansasCity, and other cities. An ongoing master-planned community development adjacent toThe Woodlands,Springwoods Village(728ha), followed sev-eraloftheWMRTplanning/designstrategies(e.g.,opendrainage andforestpreservation)(Jost,2012).TheU.S.Environmental Pro-tectionAgency (U.S.EPA)’s low-impact developmentand green infrastructuredesigninitiativesfurtherpromoteMcHarg’s design-with-natureecologicalwisdom(Yangetal.,2015).
TheWoodlandsdesignteamincludedNarendraJuneja,Jonathan Sutton,MokunLokhande,AnneSpirn,ColinFranklin,LeslieSauer, andJamesVeltman.AnneSpirnwentontohaveadistinguished academiccareerandiscurrentlya professoroflandscape archi-tectureandplanningatMIT.MembersfromtheWMRTteamalso founded two prominent professional firms. Colin Franklin and LeslieSauerfoundedAndropogonAssociatesin1974,andRobert HannaandLaurie OlinfoundedHanna/Olinin1976(nowOLIN) (Spirn, 1985). Currently, both firms enjoyinternational reputa-tionsandhaveinfluentialpractices.Andropogon,inparticular,uses “designingwithnature”asthefirm’scredo,whosemanyprojects featurecreativestormwatermanagementtechniques(Yangetal., 2015).
Last, although McHarg applied his design process and ana-lyticframeworkprimarilyinsuburbanandexurbansettings(see Table1), theprocessand framework canbeextended tourban settings. McHarg’sfollowers inherit his ecological wisdom and furthercontributetourban/metropolitansustainability( Bunster-Ossa,2014; Hough,1995; Spirn,1984).Otherscholarsbuildon McHarg’senvironmentalfocusand strengthensocial, economic, aesthetics,andpublichealthdimensionsofsustainability,while advancingtheoreticalframeworksandactionable agendas,such as Lyle’s regenerative design (Lyle, 1999), Nassauer’s “cues to care” (Nassauer, 1995;Nassauer, Wang,&Dayrell,2009), John-sonand Hill’sand Steiner’s frameworksfor ecologyand design (Johnson&Hill,2002;Steiner,2008,2011),Ndubisi’sustainable regionalism(Ndubisi,2008),Musacchio’ssixEsforlandscape
sus-tainability(Musacchio,2009),PlinyFisk’sbiophilicdesign(Kellert, Heerwagen,&Mador,2011),andtheLadyBirdJohnsonWildflower Center’sSustainableSitesInitiative(SITES)(Calkins,2012;Steiner, Simmons,Gallagher,Ranganathan,&Robertson,2013). Practition-erscontinuetoapplyMcHarg’secologicalwisdomtoactionable agendasinordertotacklemanysustainabilityissuesaroundthe world.
5. Conclusions
We concludethatMcHarg’secologicalwisdomis actionable, defensible,andmeaningful,asevidencedinTheWoodlands’ out-standing landscape performance which is in accord with the benchmarksthatMcHarg(WMRT)forecasted.McHarg’secological wisdomofdesigningwithanddwellinginnatureallowsthe per-formanceofrealandpermanentgoodforthebuiltenvironment.It isalsoimportanttonotethatthe“secrete”ofMcHarg’secological wisdomisanchoredinhisinterdisciplinarytrainingandpractice, hisloveofMotherNature,hiscreativeblendingofscientific theo-rieswithlandscapeplanninganddesign,andhisstrongcapacityto pervadetheideaofdesign-with-naturetothegeneralpublic.
Finally,thesignificanceofTheWoodlandsdesignsolutionneeds tobe understoodin its historical and site contexts.Its holistic solutionislikelyaone-of-a-kindplanthattackledwicked prob-lemsspecifictothisparticularsite.Therefore, thissolutionmay notbedirectlyreplicatedinanotherprojectduetotheinherent differencesin thedesign problem(s).Although theplan forThe Woodlandsiscontextdependent,awell-articulated, comprehen-sivedesignprocesswouldleadtotheexpressionandexecutionof McHarg’secologicalwisdom.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the four anonymous reviewers for their constructivecommentswhichgreatlyimprovedthis paper.This researchwassupportedbytheCaliforniaLandscapeArchitectural Student Scholarship Fund (CLASS Fund), the Utah Agricultural ExperimentStation, UtahStateUniversity (approvedas journal paper number 8690), and the NSF EPSCoR grant EPS 1208732 awarded toUtah StateUniversity, as partof the State of Utah ResearchInfrastructureImprovementAward.Anyopinions, find-ings,andconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedarethoseof theauthorsanddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheCLASS Fund,theUtahAgricultural ExperimentStation,or theNational ScienceFoundation.
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BoYangDr.BoYangisanAssociateProfessorintheDepartmentofLandscape
Archi-tectureandEnvironmentalPlanningatUtahStateUniversity.Dr.Yangreceivedhis
Ph.D.inUrbanandRegionalScience(2009)andMasterofLandscapeArchitecture
(2009)fromTexasA&MUniversity,MasterofArchitecture(2004)andBachelorof
Architecture(2002)fromHuazhongUniversityofScience&TechnologyinChina.
Hisareasofinterestaregreeninfrastructuredesignandlow-impactdevelopment,
landscapeperformanceassessment,environmentalplanningandtechnology,and
landscapehistoryandtheoryinChinaandEastAsia.
ShujuanLiDr.ShujuanLiisanAssociateProfessorintheDepartmentofLandscape
ArchitectureandEnvironmentalPlanningatUtahStateUniversity.Shegraduated
withaPh.D.degreeinGeographyfromTexasA&MUniversityin2009.Shereceived
amaster’sdegreeinecologyfromPekingUniversityandabachelor’sdegreein
geog-raphyfromBeijingNormalUniversityinChina.SheworkedattheNationalDisaster
ReductionCenterofChinabeforeshecametotheUnitedStates.Herresearch
inter-estsincludetheintegrationofspatialanalysisandmodelingwithGISforurbanand
environmentalstudies,environmentalconsequencesofrapidurbanization,