Landscape and Infrastructure: Reimagining the Pastoral Paradigm for the Twenty-First Century

Landscape and Infrastructure examines the relationship between infrastructure, nature and culture from the 17th century to the present. It looks at the ways in which infrastructure in the urban and rural landscape has been both celebrated and reviled, and provides powerful lessons for architects and landscape designers who are once more seeking to remarry nature, community, sustainability, and infrastructure.
Part One of the book traces the history of infrastructural projects through paintings, architecture and landscape design, exploring how they have been variously represented through history as symbols of civic pride and progress, while at other times segregated and disparaged for pollution and poor conditions. Part Two shows how these are not merely historical considerations: from solar and wind farms, to water treatment facilities, waste to energy, and digital infrastructures, we find many of the same debates and challenges at play today. Within a broader historical and cultural context, it showcases the innovative work of contemporary designers who are finding inspiring new ways to reintegrate infrastructure projects into our landscapes and communities. By identifying historical precedents, this study sheds new light on contemporary debates and provides valuable insights into current discussions about infrastructure, landscape, and sustainability.