"Land Mosaic" is a term often referred to by Richard Forman as the fundamentally different ecotopes which play out within a landscape forming a spatial juxtaposition of landscape patchworks. Each ecotope is defined by a variety of factors such as landform, soils, hydrology and weather. In a natural setting, the relationship between two different ecotopes tend to be less abrupt than that of an urban setting. When two different ecotopes meet, a gradual gradient is formed called an Ecotone. A sort of "mosaic" or gradient of ecotopes entwined within the boundary of the ecotone. Gradient is a critical characteristic of many healthy ecotope edges. In the book "Urban Ecology" by R. Forman a comparison is made between this ecological theory and the functioning of an urban setting. This study uses Formans theory in Section A. to analyse the zoning, land use and function of the urban fabric within the diverse neighbourhood of Elsieskraal, CT, following the rapid changing zones along the public river corridor, to reveal relationships between the spatial qualities of ecotope boundaries and the success of the ecotopes functioning. The study finds an interesting process is hindered by an unconventional boundary, perhaps the type of boundary a city planning or urban design method of analysis might have overlooked. The process of crop pollination by Cape honey bees (Apis mellifera capensis). The study found that although no physical conventional barrier stops the bees from flying into the desired agricultural land from their more permanent foraging grounds, they are restricted by the spatial quality of the two ecotopes edges. The lack of curve linear "lobed" edges prevent the interaction between the two ecotopes through short flight range by the bees. In Section B. the document further continues to investigate the process of pollination, bee life cycle and desired nectar-rich plant palette to design system which encourages the interaction whilst assisting the devastating bee crises, increase crop yield. The design lays out a network of proposed corridors in a specific off-set from one another, running through the agricultural land, linking schools environmental, tourism and economic activities as a "spin-off" effect. Emphasis is placed on designing landform and soils within the network of corridors to help grow the largest variety of colourful, nectar abundant and scented flowering species possible, all which are carefully chosen for their desire by the cape honey bee and their flowering time in comparison to local crops. By the morphing the boundary of nectar-rich foraging grounds into the mono-cultural farm land in the form of lobes the project creates an essential relationship between crop and foraging ground, reintroducing a critical process of pollination and bridging the boundary between socioeconomic and environmental aspects.

The study is focused on the roles and principles of textiles, textile manipulation and its potential relationship with landscape architecture. Tactility bonds the two worlds of fashion and landscape together. It changes in scale, intimacy and movement. The study explores how textiles perform in relation to the following principles; movement, climate, reaction, light, transformation, scale and communication. The etymology of the word TEXTILE is derived from the Latin 'texre' meaning to weave or to construct. The word text is related to communication and the word 'tek' is related to building or architecture. The study has been conducted via various different media upon a range of different materials. These consist of film and media, light and shadow studies, projections, etching and transferring of textures, pattern cutting, stitching, and the making of paper and textile from plant material, to name a few. The act of textile manipulation and the product of these techniques is then used in the conventional site analysis that a landscape architect would conduct. These techniques being, a pleat, knot, veil, seam, weave, drape, dart and skirt. Each of these are broken down into their structural, functional and landscape roles. For example, a Veil is structurally light and semi opaque. Functionally it is aimed at concealing that which is behind it, yet it is not completely enclosed, thus revealing the object behind. In landscape design, a veil can be translated into a row or cluster of trees that is aimed at concealing objects in the background. Taking this process, a step further, these textile manipulation terms are then translated into verbs. These verbs of weaving, pleating, knotting etc. is then used as tools to analyze the site and its context in context of the act -of textile manipulation itself. From this, the area of study is broken up into pattern pieces. This unlocks a new perspective on how each of these pieces' work -or do not work- together. This then begin to set out a set of opportunities and constraints for the site and its surroundings. Are there potential seams or connections that have not yet been realized? Are there opportunities in the converging topographic darts?. As previously mentioned many of the design principles and ideas we know in architecture have been influenced and have influenced textiles and fashion. This study is focused on the act of textile manipulation and the properties of different materials.

According to Brunkhorst (2001) and Raeberg (1997), governments who are responsible for regional (territorial) planning are in effect planning blindly as they are not taking into account the brilliant work done in related fields which could change their attitude towards planning, design, ecology & technology. The global debates on scarce resources and climate change which are causing governments to have to take a stand, pose questions such as: How are Scarce Resources Managed? How will injustices to the poor be rectified? What policies and guidelines are in place to promote sustainability? The theory is out there, but little or no practical implementation of the theory at broad scale through fine scale has been done to date. To this end I have created a model which takes into consideration these global issues, and tested it on the SW Wildlife ecosystem of Botswana which has all the characteristics mentioned above. Lessons have been learned from failures in Implementation Strategies at Gudigwe (N Botswana) where insufficient planning for the needs and capabilities of the local villagers created a mismatch of the socio-economic product created and the outcomes anticipated. Another example of failure was the unanticipated social culture of the Baswara who take care of each other above the needs of outsiders. The guests and management were at odds with the staff due to these cultural differences at Mababe Village Sankuyo Trust, NW Botswana. The study will contribute a model of bioregional planning from broad to fine scale which can be used in the planning & design of such regions in the future. The macro biogeographic region is defined at the Broad Scale and at the Fine Scale appropriate socioeconomic sustainable interventions are detailed.

Childhood obesity is one of the nation’s most serious health problems. There are growing efforts to prevent childhood obesity by improving opportunities for physical activity in their communities. The outdoor settings of the built environment, such as parks and open spaces, can offer children opportunities for physical activities, experience with nature, and social interaction, which contribute to children’s physical and psychological health. However, children’s physical access to parks is often inequitable. Simultaneously, the quality of parks also varies. These disparities caused the inequitable distribution of health-promoting features of built environment among disadvantaged groups who may not have access to other resources. While most previous studies focused on physical park distribution inequities, the purpose of this study is to explore park access by both park physical proximity and quality related to children’s (5 to 17 years old) potential need for parks. This study employs case study methods to explore these relationships across Cache County, Utah. Park proximity is identified by GIS network analysis methods to determine park service areas for all the 77 census block groups in Cache County. Both overall park quality and five separate park feature qualities (facilities, amenities, aesthetic feature, cleanliness and maintenance, and incivility) are measured using the PARK tool (Parks, Activity, and Recreation among Kids). The measure of children’s potential park need is an index created according to the following contributing factors; the population density of children, total population density, racial minority density, population percentage whose income falls below the federal poverty line, population percentage of unemployment, population percentage of low-education, percentage of renter-occupied housing, and yard size. Comparison between the measures is both graphical (spatial) and statistical (correlational). The graphical analysis identifies spatial gaps between the measures. The statistical analysis, using multiple linear regression, assesses the extent that the park location and quality distribution is correlated with children’s potential park need in the setting. Proposed parks are added in the graphically identified spatial gaps, the effect of which is statistically analyzed to see whether children’s park needs can be better met in the study area. This study can be a model for examining park access and park need among children to ultimately improve opportunities for physical activity and reduce the rate of obesity among the population.

New planning and management paradigms for the USDA Forest Serviee suggest that future Forest Plans incorporate the best available science and the public's values into Forest Plan revisions. Revised plans should focus on the ecological capabilities of the land and how to sustain them. The means to manage the land for these outcomes should be developed with considerable and ongoing public involvement. One outcome of this public involvement can be the development of a "desired future condition" for the area being managed and the needed regulations to maintain and monitor the desired conditions. In order to provide preliminary information on backcountry recreation in a particular setting, a survey was conducted in the Lakes Management Area (LMA) of the Kamas Ranger District in northeastern Utah. The purpose of the survey was to provide scientifically gathered baseline information (who the typical visitor was, perceptions of and preferences for social and biophysical conditions in the LMA, how the area was being used) and to investigate the variability of visitor desires within the LMA. Results indicate that visitors to the LMA are mostly from the nearby urban Wasatch Front. Visitors come to the LMA to relax and find solitude while hiking and camping. They report being highly satisfied with their visit, with social and biophysical conditions found during the visit surveyed largely meeting expectations or being less than expected. The variability of visitor desires was measured by creating groupings of visitors based on characteristics of the visitor or visit considered relevant to managers. Eight groupings were developed. Subgroupings within these groups were then analyzed, using ANOVA, to determine the extent of variability within the groupings of visitors and their perceptions of and preferences for selected social and biophysical factors as well as site attributes and management options. Significant variability was found within certain groupings, particularly groupings based on the type of organization the visitor was a member of, how many previous trips to the LMA the visitor has made, and whether the visit was day use or overnight.

The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the potential effectiveness of the Rich County 701 Plan as a planning and management aid in controlling the development around Bear Lake. The success of the plan in integrating cultural data and natural resource data is judged on the basis of professionally accepted techniques of resource analysis and on the availability of pertinent planning data. Guidelines for evaluating the land use controls for Bear Lake that will result from the Plan are derived from the shoreland ordinances of Wisconsin and Minnesota and the lakeshore experiences of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The goal of this research has been to prove that changes in water quality resulting from changes in land use could result in a threatened decrease in economic utility of land uses in the Bear Lake Valley. The purpose of this research was to illustrate a process for determining land use and water quality relationships in the Bear Lake Valley that utilized quantified data and projective models. The first phase of the research estimated the changes in land uses and demographics for the valley. The second phase of research utilized the results from the first phase together with models predicting changes in water quality developed from the literature, to predict water quality changes. Other necessary data required for the models was obtained from an extensive inventory of existing data and literature from state, federal, and local sources. The results from the second phase were then compared to state and federal water quality standards to estimate if the changes in water quality threaten.

In working with paintings dealing with the interpretation of landscape in oil paint and mixed media during the past year, I have seen new possibilities. This is true both of my approach to landscape painting and of the handling of the painting materials. These studies have led me to a freer handling of paint. In addition, they have led me to be able to make a more universal statement concerning landscape itself rather than only a visual representation of one particular landscape. The first indication that a universal statement about landscape could be achieved became apparent to me while I was working with mixed media. The natural action of one medium upon the other very often suggests landscape forms which the artist can clarify into a statement about landscape. Using the paint itself to develop a motif enables one to deal more directly with ideas about landscape, concepts of color, and spatial perspective than with the illusion of a particular place. It is such experimentation as this that led me toward what I believe to be a universal statement about landscape. Another discovery I made in doing the series was that oil paint could be handled in much the same manner as mixed media. However, it is the action of one oil color upon another while in a liquid state that becomes the means of suggesting forms. It is the rhythmic movement of these forms and colors that reflects the constant changing and movement of nature. To me this is the essence of the natural landscape and that which brings life to it. In this series of paintings the subjective analysis of nature inevitably dropped the objective details of the real landscape. One’s attention begins to be centered on the effects of the total landscape – effects of color changes, rhythm and movement, form relationships, spatial relationships, and atmospheric effects, events that are to be found in nature itself. My major consideration in doing this series of paintings was that of color in which I had to decide which colors would best suit the total impression I sought and express plastic space as well. A major discovery for me was that of the difference between wash painting and brush painting. In brush painting ideas are somewhat changed as work progresses, but, generally, each brush stroke and each color is calculated from the beginning to produce a desired effect. In wash painting much of the work on the canvas is the result of searching by the artist in the work itself as the paint develops natural forms on the canvas. It is at this point that he takes over with the brush and fully capitalized on the developing forms. I believe that color plays a major role in involving the viewer emotionally and intellectually in a painting. It seems to me that part of the role of the artist is to deliver messages that can invite others, in some way, to share his feeling about the nature of things. For this reason he must seek a statement that will have a universal expression so that he may communicate with others. This I have tried to do.

It is the apolitical position undertaken by Botanics such as Kirstenbosch Garden that further excludes people from engaging with Ihlathi through harvest and ritual. It prevents them from connecting with spaces that had once been occupied by their ancestors and still carry the consecrated nature of amasiko (customs). In reimagining these spaces with the understanding of African spirituality and indigenous contribution that has shaped Isiko Lehlathi (customary rites of the forest), the main goal is to re-enact the participatory activities, and interactions through design, which used to exist between people and nature. This is an attempt to break the colonial rigour to develop inclusive cultural principles of cultivation and harvest that share the same conservational values as the existing ones. Botanical Gardens have historically been defined by Eurocentric values of cultivating natural landscapes, conserving flora and fauna, and curating spaces that foster medicinal and educational studies of plants. However, they are often established in spaces that have immense cultural and consecrated significance such asehlathini (forest landscapes). South Africa is known as one of the most biodiverse countries in the world with a wide range of biomes, forests, deserts, estuaries, and aquatic systems (Biofin, 2021). These form part of a cultural ecology that is spiritually driven by amasiko (customs) of those who had created a sense of place from these landscapes. Botanical gardens such as Kirstenbosch are situated in forest landscapes that form part of the Capefloristic region protected areas. Conversely, it had been shaped by the existing legacy of colonization which is now sympatric to the traditional cultural rites of those who lived of these landscapes. This has continued to marginalize the history and heritage of Indigenous people such as the Khoi and San who have initiated a transcendent relationship with Ihlathi (forest landscapes).

No description available.