Urban parks and gardens are where people go to reconnect with nature and destress. But do they all provide the same benefits or are some better than others? What specific attributes set some green spaces apart? Can we objectively measure their impact on mental health and well-being? If so, how do we use this evidence to guide the design of mentally healthy cities?
The Contemplative Landscape Model unveils the path to answer these questions. Rooted in landscape architecture and neuroscience, this innovative concept is described for the first time in an extended format, offering a deep dive into contemplative design and the science behind it. In the face of the global mental health crisis, and increasing disconnection from nature, design strategies for creating healthier urban environments are what our cities so sorely need.
This book delves into the neuroscience behind contemplative landscapes, their key spatial characteristics, and practical applications of the Contemplative Landscape Model through case studies from around the world. Landscape architects, urban planners, students, land managers, and anyone interested in unlocking the healing power of landscapes will find inspiration here.
Author(s): Agnieszka Olszewska-Guizzo
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 243
City: New York
Cover
Half Title
Endorsements
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
0.1 Failures of landscape architecture and urban planning
0.2 Gaps in knowledge and misconceptions
0.3 Contemplative Landscape Model and its relationship with existing frameworks
Part 1 Science behind the contemplative landscapes
1 Therapeutic mechanisms of urban green spaces
1.1 Urbanicity aspects behind mental health deterioration
1.2 The solution is in nature . . . but what nature?
2 Brain response to contemplative landscapes and mental health implications
2.1 Contemplation vs. landscape contemplation –a health-benefitting mechanism
2.2 Brain science for design disciplines
2.3 What do we know about the brain’s reaction to contemplative landscapes?
2.4 Neuroscience – a designer’s muse
3 How to benefit the most from contemplative landscape exposure
3.1 Who can benefit?
3.2 Which exposure conditions unlock the benefits?
3.3 New mission for landscape architects
Part 2 Contemplative landscape features
4 Character of Peace and Silence
4.1 Reorientation
4.2 Rest and relaxation
4.3 Silence and solitude
4.4 Safety and no technology
5 Compatibility
5.1 Harmony and spatial order
5.2 Balance between wild and tamed
5.3 Inward space orientation
5.4 Artistic expression
6 Layers of the Landscape
6.1 Three distance zones in the landscape
6.2 Psychological comfort of looking afar
7 Landform
7.1 Looking up towards the sky
7.2 Mounds and natural topography
8 Biodiversity
8.1 Wild and plentiful lifeforms
8.2 Geometric vs. naturalistic planting
8.3 Human-animal relations in cities
9 Color and Light
9.1 Calm color palette
9.2 Lively play of light and shadow
10 Archetypal Elements
10.1 Forest, path, and clearing
10.2 Desert
10.3 Water
10.4 Single old tree
10.5 Stone/rock
10.6 Mountain/hill
10.7 Circle
Part 3 Existing and future approaches
11 How to design contemplative landscapes: best practices and case examples
11.1 Traditions of contemplation: Saihō-ji, Kyoto, Japan
11.2 Maximizing reorientation: NYC High Line Park, USA
11.3 Large-scale city park for contemplation: Parque da Cidade do Porto, Portugal
11.4 Contemplation of life and death: Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, Australia
11.5 Oasis that heals: the Therapeutic Garden @ HortPark, Singapore
11.6 Meeting with the archetypes: Bloedel Reserve, Seattle, USA
11.7 Indoor landscape of contemplation: Jewel at Changi Airport, Singapore
12 How to identify contemplative landscapes: CLM user’s manual
12.1 Before scoring . . .
12.2 Step-by-step scoring with CLM
12.3 Calculate and interpret the score
13 A vision of a mentally healthy city
13.1 Vision of a city for nature contemplation
13.2 New legislation
13.3 New research approaches
Appendix: Contemplative Landscape Model – printable worksheet
Index
