Landscape planning is an approach to planning land use based on analysis of physical, biological, cultural, and aesthetic resources. Its aim is creative resolution of land use conflicts through the development of physical plans. These plans result from synthesis of scientific analyses produced by specialists from multiple disciplines and from reconciliation of the interests of different user groups. Landscape planning developed primarily as a specialty area within landscape architecture in the 1960s and 1970s. Its most recognized practitioner was Ian McHarg, author of the influential book Design With Nature (1969). Thirty years ago, landscape planners were on the cutting edge of environmental research. Their work led to methods for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the development of geographic information systems (GIS). Bridging the cultures of scientific research and professional planning practice was the aim of the first scholarly journal in the field, Landscape Planning, and it is a sentiment that characterized landscape planners quite well. In recent years, the profile of landscape planning has diminished considerably. Those who might have called themselves landscape planners in the past now identify themselves as ecological modelers, landscape ecologists, or environmental planners. Is it possible that the mission of classic landscape planning has been subsumed by these newer specialty areas? Or does landscape planning still have a role to play in the resolution of today's environmental and land use problems? These are the questions that this research addresses. To understand the evolution of landscape planning, its history is placed in context with the histories of city planning, ecology, and landscape architecture. To document the current status of the field, scholarly literature is analyzed through journal network analysis and content analysis of the last five years of landscape planning articles. This research sheds light on the complex relationships between disciplines engaged in environmental problem solving. Results suggest that there is still a need for landscape planning today, but that weaknesses must be overcome to make the field more effective. A new model of landscape planning is proposed to address the problems and yet still retain the strengths of the classic model.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A business cannot exist without a customer. The most important aspect of any business is understanding its customers' needs. For a business to succeed in highly competitive markets, it must supply products an~ services which satisfy its customers needs and wants. Supplier firms must continually examine, reinforce and personalise customer relationships. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) focuses on providing solutions which brings together information and people across the client and service provider spectrum using computer technologies, especially the Internet. The growing demand for electronic interactions between customers and suppliers has led to the rapid development of CRM. Although e-Commerce is expected to become the norm in business activities, people-to-people interactions will, however, be most important in providing exceptional customer service and satisfaction. In future, however, business will be defined more by their relationships with their clients than by their products. Good customer relationships and customer satisfaction are directly related to increased profits. Satisfaction is generally conceptualised as an attitude-like judgement following a purchase act. Conformation or disconformation of pre-consumption product standards is the essential determinant of satisfaction. A number of models have been developed to enhance the understanding of satisfaction and to predict if a product or service will meet or exceed customer expectations. As a result of the many different attributes that contribute to customer satisfaction, models to predict customer satisfaction were often too simplistic to provide a comprehensive overview of all determinants that exert an influence <Incustomer satisfaction. It is, however, recognised that the customer is the key factor in delivering sustained and profitable growth. The rapid development of Information Technology (IT) has therefore been a major factor driving the rapid progress of CRM, which focuses on understanding the drivers of current and future customer profitability, and using this understanding to influence the allocation of resources across all areas that affect customer relationships. In future, CRM will have a profound impact on how business is conducted by enabling suppliers to reach their customers with products and services faster and more efficiently. However, the conventional principals including, product, pnce, distribution and promotion used for developing a marketing strategy still apply and are all part of the CRM process. The aim of the study project was to identify critical success factors (CSF's) for determining customer satisfaction in the interior and exterior plantscaping industries. Thereafter, The Office Plant (TOP) and Real Landscapes (RL) were evaluated in terms of meeting client expectations for interior and exterior plantscaping products and services respectively. Salient aspects of the research findings showed that people who worked in office environments thought that plants were essential factors III improving the quality of the workplace; customers outsoureed plantscaping services to reduce the "worry factor" associated with maintaining plants and gardens; that customers receive value for money from their respective plantscaping contractors; and that the most important criteria for selecting a plantscaper contractor included "price and value for money for the service" and "good quality service". Of 22 service-related attributes that were rated by customers, 20 were found to be statistically equally important and were classified as CSF's. In terms of ranking, the most important attribute was "honest and professional in their business dealings". Thereafter, "timely response to requests", "cleanliness of plants", "provide delivery on time" and "using well informed and trained staff', were included in the highest five scoring attributes. Overall results showed that none of the seven interior plantscapers identified in the survey equaled or exceeded customer expectations in terms of service. For exterior plantscaping services, Plants @ Work were the only contractors, which met customer expectations, of six firms identified in the survey. Plants @ Work were identified as the best service provides for both interior and exterior plantscaping services. For interior plantscaping services, TOP's results were not significantly different from Plants @ Work. However, RL's results were significantly lower than Plants @ Work for exterior plantscaping services. To improve service levels to meet customer expectations, TOP and RL must develop and implement strategies to deliver service on time with comprehensive first time delivery completion, fix problems no matter what and handle administrative problems on invoicing more effectively. TOP and RL must create customer value by delivering "a customer experience" with each encounter. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Besigheid kan nie sonder kliënte bestaan nie. Die mees belangrike aspek van enigge besigheid is om sy kliënt se behoeftes te verstaan. Vir 'n besigheid om te oorleef in hoogs mededingende markte, moet dit produkte en dienste lewer wat aan die kliënt se behoefstes voorsien. Verskafferfirmas moet deurgans kliëntverhoudinge ondersoek, ondersteun en verpersoonlik. Kliëntverhoudingbestuur fokus op die verskaffing van oplossings wat inligting en mense dwarsoor die kliënt en diensverskafferspektrum verenig deur middel van rekenaartegnologie. Veral met die internet, het die groeiende behoefte vir elektroniese interaksie tussen kliënte en verskaffers gelei tot die vinnige ontwikkeling van kliëntverhoudingbestuur. Alhoewel verwag word dat e-handel die rigsnoer sal word in besigheid, sal mense-tot-mense interaksie egter mees belangrik bly in die verskaffing van uitstaande kliëntediens en bevrediging. Besighede sal dus gedefinieer word meer deur hulle verhouding met kliënte as deur hulle produkte. Daar is bevind dat goeie kliëntverhoudinge en kliëntbevrediging regstreeks verband hou met meer wins. Bevrediging word in die algemeen beskou as 'n benadering-tipe oordeel wat volg op 'n aankoopaksie. Bevestiging of ontkenning van voor-gebruik produkstandaarde is die noodsaaklike beslissende faktor van bevrediging. 'n Aantal modelle is ontwikkel om bevrediging beter te verstaan en te voorspel of 'n produk of diens kliëntverwagtinge bevredig of oortref. As gevolg van die menige verskillende einskappe wat bydra tot kliëntbevrediging, was modelle wat kliëntbevrediging voorspel dikwels te eenvoudig om 'n vattieende oorsig van alle beslissende faktore wat 'n invloed op kliëntbevrediging uitoefen, weer te gee. Dit word, nogtans, erken dat die klient die sleutelfiguur is in die lewering van voortdurende en winsgewinde groei. Die vinninge ontwikkeling van die Inligting Tegnologie (IT) is dus 'n vername faktor wat strukrag verleen aan die vinnige ontwikkeling van kliëntverhoudingbestuur, wat fokus op begrip vir die dryfkrag agter huidiger en toekomstige kliëntwinsgewindheid, en hierdie insig te gebruik om toewysing van hulpbronne dwarsoor alle spektrums wat kliëntverhoudings beïnvloed. In die toekoms sal kliëntverhoudingsbestuur 'n diepgaande invloed hê op die manier waarop besigheid gedoen word deur verskaffers in staat te stel om hulle kliënte vinniger en meer effektief te bereik met produkte en dienste. Nietemin, die konvensionele bemarkingsbeginsels wat produk, prys, verspreiding en reklame insluit en gebruik word om 'n bemarkingstrategie te ontwikkel, geld steeds, en is alles deel van die kliëntverhoudingbestuurproses. Die doel van die studieprojek was om die kritiese sukses faktore (KSF) te identifiseer wat kliëntbevrediging in die binne en buitemuurse plantuitlegindustrië bepaal. Daarna was The Office Plant (TOP) en Real Landscapes (RL) geevalueer in terme van kliëntverwagtinge met betrekking tot binne en buite produkte en dienste onderskeidelik. Opvallende aspekte van die navorsing se bevindinge het gewys dat mense wat in 'n kantooromgewing werk, gedink het dat plante noodsaaklike faktore was in die verbetering van die werkplek; kliënte het plantuitlegdienste uitgekontrakteer om die 'kommerfaktor' wat geassosieer word met die instandhouding van plante en tuine te verminder; dat kliënte waarde vir geld kry van hulle plantuitlegkontrakteurs onderskeidelik en dat die mees belangrike maatstaf vir die keuse van 'n plantuitlegkontrakteur "prys en waarde vir geld vir die diens" en "goei kwaliteit diens' insluit. Van 22 diensverwante eienskappe wat deur kliënte geëvalueer is, is bevind dat 20 statisties ewe belangrik was, en is geklassifiseer as KSF. In terme van rangskikking was die mees belangrikke eienskap "eerlik en professioneel in hulle sakeondernemings". Daarna volg "fink reaksie op versoeke", "netheid van plante", "stiptelike leweringsdiens", en "goed ingeligte en opgeleide personeel" onder die vyf hoogs aangeskrewe eienskappe. Algehele resultate het getoon dat geeneen van die sewe binnemuurse plantuitleërs wat in die opname geidentifiseer is, kliëntverwagtings in terme van diens geewenaar of oortref het nie. Vir buitemuurse plantuitlegdienste was Plants @ Work die enigste van ses firmas wat geïdentifiseer is in die opname, wat aan kliëntverwagtings voldoen het. Plant @ Work is geïdentifiseer as die beste diensleweraar vir beide binnemuurse en buitemuurse plantuitlegdienste. Vir binnemuurse plantuitlegdienste, was TOP se resultate nie beduidend anders as Plants @ Work s'n nie. RL se resultate was nietemin beduidend laer as Plants @ Work vir buitemuurse plantuitlegdienste. Om diensvlakke te verbeter om kliëntverwagtinge te bevredig, moet TOP en RL strategieë ontwikkel en verwesenlik om stiptelike diens te lewer met omvattende eerste keer aflewering wat volledig is. Probleme moet opgelos word ongeag wat, en administratiewe probleme in verband met fakturering moet effektief hanteer word. TOP en RL moet kliëntwaarde skep deur 'n kliëntervaring" met elke ontmoeting.

As much of the growing population of North America is accommodated within cities or on their fringes, one needs to understand how these people are managing their private outdoor space. Within the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada a randomly selected set of residential occupancies were surveyed in 1994 and 2004 about their yard landscaping and maintenance practices. Parallel mail-out questionnaires were delivered to more than 1,000 randomly selected addresses in both 1994 and 2004. Approximately 30 percent of surveyed occupancies completed the questionnaire in both years. Over one-third of respondents from both 1994 and 2004 were matched together based on individual, household, or address information. The matched respondent results were used to validate similarities and identify any inconsistencies between survey years. In general, matched respondent trends did not differ substantially from the overall study trends. <br /><br /> This study found that much of the outdoor space on residential properties consists of turfgrass lawn. Lawns were the dominant form of landscaping in both 1994 and 2004. Although respondents' attitudes towards lawns shifted slightly in favour of more gardens in the 2004 survey compared to 1994, respondents' actual landscaping styles and behaviours did not follow suit. Regardless of minor differences in attitudes between survey years, turfgrass was reported to be present in more than 85 percent of respondents' yards. On average, lawns were estimated to cover more than half of respondents' total private outdoor space in both 1994 and 2004. Likewise, more than 60 percent of respondents in both survey years indicated that their yard reflected a monoculture lawn. When compared with five other styles of landscaping, the monoculture lawn was found attractive and well-liked by approximately half the respondents in both survey years. In addition to the prevalence and preference for lawns, lawns were seen as practical to maintain as: the majority of respondents had a lawnmower ? mostly gas-powered; respondents were willing to spend almost $200 a year to water their lawn, on average; the application of chemicals, particularly fertilizers, was common with approximately half the respondents; and more than 40 percent of respondents were willing to pay lawn-care professionals to look after their yards. Lawns were also perceived to be the landscaping style most acceptable to neighbours. Thus, given the ubiquitousness of lawns in urban residential environments, the presence of lawns not only represents the yard design preferences of homeowners, but is part of deeply entrenched societal norms. <br /><br /> With assistance from the media and advertisements, these implicit societal norms were found to influence household attitudes and preferences towards what is dubbed 'lawn-scaping'. As confirmation of these subtle norms, more than 60 percent of respondents in both survey years agreed that 'a yard has to have a lawn'. However, these landscaping norms are also explicitly established in municipal property regulations and lot-maintenance by-laws. Hence, the lawn landscape is implicitly linked with social norms and explicitly articulated in legal agreements, making it the unquestioned standard of landscaping styles. It is concluded that a change in local policies and regulations, along with greater education and awareness, will lay the foundation for more alternative styles of landscaping within urban residential areas.

As much of the growing population of North America is accommodated within cities or on their fringes, one needs to understand how these people are managing their private outdoor space. Within the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo, Ontario, Canada a randomly selected set of residential occupancies were surveyed in 1994 and 2004 about their yard landscaping and maintenance practices. Parallel mail-out questionnaires were delivered to more than 1,000 randomly selected addresses in both 1994 and 2004. Approximately 30 percent of surveyed occupancies completed the questionnaire in both years. Over one-third of respondents from both 1994 and 2004 were matched together based on individual, household, or address information. The matched respondent results were used to validate similarities and identify any inconsistencies between survey years. In general, matched respondent trends did not differ substantially from the overall study trends. <br /><br /> This study found that much of the outdoor space on residential properties consists of turfgrass lawn. Lawns were the dominant form of landscaping in both 1994 and 2004. Although respondents' attitudes towards lawns shifted slightly in favour of more gardens in the 2004 survey compared to 1994, respondents' actual landscaping styles and behaviours did not follow suit. Regardless of minor differences in attitudes between survey years, turfgrass was reported to be present in more than 85 percent of respondents' yards. On average, lawns were estimated to cover more than half of respondents' total private outdoor space in both 1994 and 2004. Likewise, more than 60 percent of respondents in both survey years indicated that their yard reflected a monoculture lawn. When compared with five other styles of landscaping, the monoculture lawn was found attractive and well-liked by approximately half the respondents in both survey years. In addition to the prevalence and preference for lawns, lawns were seen as practical to maintain as: the majority of respondents had a lawnmower ? mostly gas-powered; respondents were willing to spend almost $200 a year to water their lawn, on average; the application of chemicals, particularly fertilizers, was common with approximately half the respondents; and more than 40 percent of respondents were willing to pay lawn-care professionals to look after their yards. Lawns were also perceived to be the landscaping style most acceptable to neighbours. Thus, given the ubiquitousness of lawns in urban residential environments, the presence of lawns not only represents the yard design preferences of homeowners, but is part of deeply entrenched societal norms. <br /><br /> With assistance from the media and advertisements, these implicit societal norms were found to influence household attitudes and preferences towards what is dubbed 'lawn-scaping'. As confirmation of these subtle norms, more than 60 percent of respondents in both survey years agreed that 'a yard has to have a lawn'. However, these landscaping norms are also explicitly established in municipal property regulations and lot-maintenance by-laws. Hence, the lawn landscape is implicitly linked with social norms and explicitly articulated in legal agreements, making it the unquestioned standard of landscaping styles. It is concluded that a change in local policies and regulations, along with greater education and awareness, will lay the foundation for more alternative styles of landscaping within urban residential areas.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Howard D. Hahn / Landscape architecture education in schools have been focused primarily on elementary and secondary Common Core courses. In many states, career-oriented programs such as agricultural education serve as a platform to teach necessary skills to be successful in all aspects of the agricultural industry. With the shift in lifestyles and technology, agricultural education (Ag-Ed) today has branched out from the traditional farm management courses to food science, natural resources, and landscaping design as well as many others. At schools like Lennox High School in Lennox, South Dakota, students learn plant identification, fundamentals of landscape design, and design graphics. How comprehensive are students' awareness of the landscape architecture profession before, during, and after taking a landscaping course? What are the possibilities of reinforcing foundational skills learned in the landscaping coursework through an outdoor learning environment similar to practical application of other vocational-type courses? How could students be presented a snapshot of the landscape architecture profession that connects the current and future curriculum taught in the Ag-Ed classroom? In order to better understand the landscape architectural aspects of current Ag-Ed, a mixed methods approach was used. First, national, state, and local Ag-Ed curricula standards were reviewed to track how Ag-Ed courses and priorities have changed over time. Next, Ag-Ed students were surveyed before, during, and after taking the Landscaping and Horticultural course offered at Lennox High School to assess potential changes in awareness. Lastly, students currently taking the landscaping course participated in a three-day workshop where they developed ideas for their outdoor learning environment to support current and future Ag-Ed courses and landscape architecture. After the workshop, these students took a post-survey to evaluate ideas produced in the workshop, the future implementation of the workshop, and their level of awareness of the landscape architecture profession. Results from the surveys and workshop show a refinement and increase in landscape architecture awareness, a desire for more hands-on learning conducted outside, and an enthusiasm for using their creativity to design a project for future Ag-Ed students. In subsequent years, future iterations of the workshop will advance planning and design proposals toward implementation.

Facing drought and water shortages, many regions of the United States and the world have been forced to improve water resources management. In water-stressed areas of the US, water conservation has become the most economically viable water supply option available. As such, water conservation efforts are an increasingly popular method of demand management and have proven effective at various scales throughout the country. Many states in the arid southwest, including Texas, have incorporated water conservation strategies into their state water plans to reduce demand during drought conditions. At the 2013 Summit for the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS), water conservation was identified as a critical issue for higher education institutes (HEI) across the state. HEIs are analogous to small cities in terms of their resource use, and can also serve as test labs for sustainability concepts and resource management strategies. In response to concerns about water scarcity, TRACS launched an evaluation of water conservation strategies across Texas’ HEI campuses. The project collected data focused on the use of water conservation methods and their perceived effectiveness in irrigation and landscaping, building use, and utilities. Additionally, water conservation educational efforts, and the goals and policies of HEIs were considered. The objectives of the project were to collaborate with Texas HEIs, compile a database of best practices, and identify regional preferences in a state with varying climates and water resources. The results of the survey determined that native and adaptive plants were the most-widely used water conservation method for irrigation and landscaping as well the most effective strategy. In buildings, low-flow plumbing was reported to be the most widely-used and also most effective water conservation method. A variety of water conservation measures were used in utilities; metering, maintenance, and recycling water were viewed as most effective. While many HEIs reported offering opportunities for students to learn or participate in research about water conservation, only half reported offering workshops or courses for managerial staff and faculty. Education for staff and faculty is a particularly important area for improvement, as many staff members are closely involved in managing water use across campuses. Many of the HEIs reported having water conservation policies in place or pending and some participating HEIs reported having target reduction plans and involvement with agencies related to water conservation. It is important for the administration of educational institutions to put policies and plans in place to guide the everyday operations of a campus. HEIs in the state are making great strides in water conservation, but establishing a network to share best practices and improvements could significantly enhance campus water conservation initiatives. / text

The need to develop tourism and diversify as well as redirect the Nigerian economy away from crude oil as the sole foreign exchange earner is overwhelming for several reasons. Not only does tourism hold huge capacity to forge effective backward and forward linkages with the rest of the economy, it has proved to be a significant foreign exchange earner and a major source of employment and income in many developing countries. Given Nigeria’s many tourist attractions, tourism has the potential to attract huge internal capital investment as well as foreign direct investments necessary to enhance tourist infrastructure provisions and services. This is particularly so in rural areas given that most tourist attractions in Nigeria are rural based, and where tourism development can become a catalyst for rural development particularly where tourism is developed within the tenets of sustainable development. Presently, Nigeria’s tourism industry is rudimentary, undeveloped, and suffers from chronic shortages of infrastructure as well as supporting and enhancing institutions. In particular, the lack of awareness and appreciation for landscaping in particular, and the environment in general, has compounded the problems of tourism development in Nigeria. This research is motivated by the desire to understand the structure, conduct, and performance of the tourism sector in Nigeria and emphasise, amongst other factors, the significant role landscaping could play in the desire for sustainable tourism in Nigeria. In conducting the research, a mixed methods research approach was employed using the sequential strategy of quantitative survey; followed by a qualitative data gathering method using interviews. These were conducted among tourism stakeholders within two geopolitical zones in Nigeria, namely, the North-central and the South-west. This approach was informed by the pragmatic philosophy adopted by the researcher, which allows the triangulation of methods in order to come up with a more comprehensive and complementary results on the focus of this research. Data obtained were critically analysed using the Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSSx) and Nvivo8 software. The research identified setbacks which have prevented sustainable tourism development in Nigeria. Also is the need for the beautification of the attractions through landscaping as well as the provision of tourism infrastructures. The implication of the findings is that if landscaping is not made the centre of tourism policy, tourism is likely to fall short of expectation. A conceptual framework for the way forward was suggested based on the outcome of the analyses and two regression models developed and presented the roles landscaping could play in sustainable tourism and in Nigeria economic diversification. If implemented, the suggestions should provide a solid basis for redressing the current pitfalls in Nigeria’s tourism landscape.

La dimension environnementale des programmes d’urbanisme s’affiche et se présente comme une garantie de la qualité des projets. La Nature fait partie de ces arguments, encore davantage avec la reconnaissance de l’intérêt des « Trames vertes urbaines ». Cette question de la nature en ville et de la végétalisation urbaine est au cœur des problématiques des aménageurs et influence les pratiques professionnelles. A partir de 5 cas (Zones d’Aménagements Concertées) dans le grand ouest français, ce travail vise la compréhension de la place attribuée à la nature dans le processus d’aménagement urbain. Comment la prise en compte des éléments naturels interagit avec le projet par l’intermédiaire des acteurs ? Pour quelle matérialité et quelle spatialisation? Trois angles d’analyse ont été retenus pour y répondre. D’abord la reconstitution historique des projets, ensuite l’analyse du langage employé pour décrire l’ambition et les objets naturels, enfin l’observation de la matérialité obtenue sur le site. Ainsi, la méthodologie croise techniques d’entretiens in situ avec les acteurs des opérations, lexicométrie et traitements géomatiques des données environnementales à l’échelle d’un quartier. De fait, la thèse montre qu’une même ambition environnementale peut mener à une pluralité d’aménagements. Ainsi, la prise en compte de la nature dépend elle de multiples facteurs qui conditionneront la qualités des opérations et donc celle de la trame verte urbaine. / Environnemental awarness brings urban design to become more sustainable. One argument is that nature is a garantee of urban quality, with recognition of the need to préserve a green frame in the city. This issue is crutial to current debates on urban planning and design practices. Five case studies located in western french cities should enable the reader to better understand the place of nature in design process. How do the care of nature interacts with projects trough stakeholders? And which « matériality » and spatialization are we looking for? The question is analysed from three standpoints. First, the historical approach of the projects introduce the method. Then, we examine the language in the project documentation and with stakeholders’ testimonies. Finally, each neighborhoods is whatched ont he ground. Thanks to lexicometry, discourse analysis and geomatics engineering this Phd demonstrate the variety of possible final projects even if stakeholders were sharing similar ambitions at the beginning of the planning process. Taking care of nature depends on many factors wich directly impact the quality of urban design and nature in our cities.

Lic.-avh. Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniv.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.