Dominique Ghiggi, a landscape architect and academic assistant at the Institute of Landscape Architecture in Zurich, has published a book examining the changing relationship between man and nature over the course of history. The work is perfect for those connected with the environment as it examines tree nurseries scattered across the world and their social, economical and contextual significance.
More about the book after the break.
As Ghiggi explains in his introduction, Fastwood, the book “…is informed by a perception of landscape as an inherently changeable phenomenon and thus as one that constantly needs to be reexamined.”
Organized in chapters that are divided by geographic regions, the book touches upon desertification in the Sahel, greening projects in Shanghai, rain forests in Zurich, and even a seed bank on the arctic island of Spitsbergen, to name a few. The chapters share insight from different landscape professionals who have traveled across the world seeking to understand the role played by a range of economic and historical factors in the significant influence that tree nurseries have come to exercise on urban planning and landscape architecture.
The last chapter targets the modern metropolis and the struggle to preserve greenery within the fast paced urbanization of the 21st century. From green roofs and green belts in London, to a great project in Dagenham Docks that mixes an industrial zone with a tree nursery, the relationship between man and his environment is continuously investigated.
The book offers a knowledgeable compilation of international landscape studies and is a very focused read for the landscape architect.
