Veganism is a set of principles, as well as being a diet, and relates to Green Buddhism. The design principles include:
- vegetated ground, roofs and walls,
- rainwater harvesting, use and infiltration
- growing as much of our own food as we can
- avoiding industrialised and ultra-processed foods, which help you to die young
- planning greenways for commuting and for leisure - both walking and cycling
- creating breathing zones with clean fresh air - as advocated by the man who laid the foundations for modern landscape architecture (‘Yes: that’s John Claudius Loudon’)
--------
3:03
--------
3:03
Best-ever poem about a landscape architect
This moving Elegy on John Claudius Loudon was written by John Robertson, his assistant for 9 years. A fascinating aspect of the poem is the twin themes of 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 and working to create what we call 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬. This is what Geddes and McHarg did.
Robertson drew the plan of Birkenhead Park - which inspired Frederick Law Olmsted (in 1850) "to admit that in democratic America there was nothing to be thought of as comparable with this People's Garden". That's why he entered the 1857 Central Park Competition and later used the title Landscape Architect on his plan. Working to create public goods is a key aspect of our profession - and we must thank Loudon for this.
--------
3:04
--------
3:04
The work and adventures of two brilliant early 19th century cousins from the west of Scotland.
Claudius Buchanan’s promotion of higher education in India led to the foundation of its first degree-awarding university, at Serampore. He also had a significant influence on the campaigns against wife-burning and self-immolation in India. Yet he saw himself as ‘one of the chief sinners.’ Why?
John Claudius Loudon advanced through Europe as Napoleon retreated. As well as being a pioneer of landscape architecture he made important contributions to public parks, greenways, greenbelts, arboreta, urban planning and the glass-and-steel architecture of the 20th century.
Loudon also invented a style of planting design that has become dominant: the Gardenesque. It uses exotic plants in naturalistic compositions - as Gertrude Jekyll did and as Piet Oudolf does. Yet Loudon is almost forgotten. Why?
Jane Wells Webb, who married Loudon, was a pioneer of science fiction writing, But her interest was not in space travel or intergalactic warfare. She dreamed of a ‘Claudian’ ideal world, in which queens, rather than kings, would rule - and in which rivers would be lined with beautiful gardens, open to the public.
The Claudians is the story of the cousins' lives and their work. It explores the ideas which motivated them, the details of their travels, the challenges that left them undaunted, their marriages, their achievements and their untimely deaths.
From the Claudians Companion Pages you can find out a great deal more about the cousins and buy the book. It's on offer at a 25% discount on pre-orders before December 1st 2024.
--------
3:53
--------
3:53
New biography of landscape architecture's grandfather: John Claudius Loudon
This update on the City as Landscape podcast channel explains why it has been neglected for a few years: the reason is because Tom Turner has been writing a fictionalised dual biography of "The Grandfather of Landscape Architecture" and the cousin with whom he shared a forename: Claudius Buchanan. That's why the book title is The Claudians. It is available for pre-order on Amazon Kindle at a 25% discount. On 1st December, when it is published, the price will rise above the pre-order price of £2.99 ($3.90 in the US). Loudon is the Grandfather of Landscape Architecture and was an important influence on modern architecture, garden design and town planning.
Claudius Buchanan was a famous and influential missionary in India. Like his cousin, Buchanan was influenced by the Scottish Enlightenment and what is best understood as 'the spirit of the Pilgrim Fathers'. The cousins believed in hard work, honesty and working for the public good.
Find The Claudians on Amazon Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJL69B9H
Read more about the book: https://www.gardenvisit.com/jcl
See a video about the book:
https://youtu.be/p35ymUbhYhc
--------
7:54
--------
7:54
Landscape Institute UK: Past, Present and Future
Robert Holden and Tom Turner discus the Landscape Institute's aims and its achievements. Landscape Institute Members for 111 years (half each), they discuss the foundation of the Institute and what it does now. They intend a second video about what the LI and the landscape profession should plan to do in the future, as it approaches its 100th Anniversary in 2029. It was founded as the Institute of Landscape Architects with Thomas Mawson as its first president. There was a focus on garden design in the 1930s. When Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe became president this focus shifted to public projects, including New Towns, roads, forestry, minerals and urban design.
Tom Turner is the author of books, eBooks, blogs and videos on urban design, garden design and landscape design - including a book on City as Landscape. He publishes selections from books and other material as podcasts. They deal with the history, theory, position and prospects for what Geoffrey Jellicoe called 'the most comprehensive of the arts': landscape architecture.
New Zealand