Contemporary Landscape Design in Asia

This course is intended as an exploration of the broad phenomenon of contemporary landscape design in Asia, concentrating especially on China, Japan, and India. Given the wide range of cultures and project types in Asia, the class will focus on several topics, including: the conservation and interpretation of important historic landscapes and gardens; landscapes linked to significant infrastructure improvements; the creation of new urban plazas and pedestrian areas; the design of new recreation areas, especially parks; commercial and entertainment landscapes; and larger scale plans for environmental management or tourist development. The class is being offered in anticipation of the fall 2002 Department of Landscape Architecture conference and exhibition on contemporary Asian landscape design; it will meet in lecture and workshop/discussion sessions. Student research projects will help begin the process of identifying and documenting important contemporary landscape projects in Asia.