Evaluating Landscape Urbanism : evidence from Lafayette Park, Detroit

• The claims made for Landscape Urbanism have been difficult to evaluate, since they rely heavily on theoretical and aspirational arguments, and new projects to date have offered little post-occupancy evidence. However, more specific claims have also been made about historic projects as proposed precedents for Landscape Urbanism, and these offer a more substantial evidence base for the evaluation of claims. Here we take the claimed precedent of Detroit’s Lafayette Park, and evaluate the stated claims for its performance on social, economic and ecological criteria, in light of the available evidence. We conclude with an assessment of broader claims for Landscape Urbanism in light of the evidence we find in Lafayette Park.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

HUMANIORA  -- Konst -- Arkitektur (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- Arts -- Architecture (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Landscape Urbanism

Lafayette Park

Detroit

Modernism

urban renewal

Planering och beslutsanalys

Planning and Decision Analysis

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)