The Granite Garden: Urban Nature and Human Design

by Anne Whiston Spirn

A landscape architect and environmental planner explains how many urban problems can be resolved by considering such natural factors as air flow, water dynamics, geology, and plant and animal life

Genres: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Nonfiction, Urban Planning, Urban Studies, Design, Sustainability

334 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Design and planning oriented book that does a nice job of describing urban areas and their connection to their geographic settings. Has information that connects it with portions of John McPhee's The Control of Nature, e.g., Boston and Atchafalaya. Statistics are out of date given its publication date of 1984.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I wouldn't do for a different epilogue. That's really the only major gaffe in an otherwise well written and very interesting book. Urban planning is a topic I know very little about, and this is an ideal book for someone at that level. It lays out nicely how urban planning works, the mistakes we are making, and what we need to do to fix things. At times it's a bit too liberal, I could have done without all the trusting of private institutions to do the right thing, but overall it's a fascinating read into how we plan cities. The last chapter, however, is utopian nonsense and a waste of time. People need a call to action, not idealized dreams.

[Buff_Hort_Project · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading the book during the COVID-19 quarantine time asking the question "what is essential in the landscape? and how do we have a conversation about "landscape as infrastructure." It was a very easy read but became more of a nostalgic look back on the past 40-50 years of how we have built the city, the landscape, what has become regular through and in practice, and at the same time all forgotten as what we are trying to build. Reading during COVID crisis, it was important to have an uncountable number of stories about plagues and epidemics caused by poor planning, development, and drinking water. I don't think I necessarily "learned" anything from the book but really have given myself a great historical framework to have contemporary conversations about what we are building right now.

[Mario Joaquín · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well describe manual for urban and regional ecosystems

[Hilleary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flood control is a surprisingly interesting topic (really!), all the trees in your city are probably doomed to an early death due to poor planning, many interesting things can be done with sewage sludge, and in DC the National Park Service runs a research program on lawn care that sounds totally charming. Or at least they did in 1982. Also, probably nobody should ever have a lawn.

Maybe a little bit more detail on city air pollution and pigeon control than strictly necessary for your average bear.

Bonuses: ca. 1984 comments on the untapped potential of these wonderful new Computers, and an epilogue describing the imagined Infernal City whose citizens did not follow the prescriptions of this book, which makes one feel lucky not to be living among roving bands of criminals in a deserted postapocalyptic city with no air conditioning.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anne Spirn makes a case that nature is in our built environment and recommends ways to work with our environment, rather than against it. This book may get a bit dry at parts for non-urban designers, but there is so much in the book that anybody will enjoy.

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book really changed how i look at the environment around me. it was talking about keeping it green before green became so "hip." a great read for those interested in how to look for and design nature in a city.

[Sara McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though a bit outdated, this was a fascinating book that offers a unique perspective of the urban environment. My favorite part was the historical discussion of Boston and how its location has continued to influence the challenges the city faces and will face in the decades to come.

[LandscapeArchitect Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended reading on theory from the Landscape Information Hub UK http://www.lih.gre.ac.uk/histhe/theor...

[Winsoenaing07 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The event will attract u to a new imagination world!
Just reads it.