DESIGN WITH NATURE IS STILL IMPORTANT
published March 1, 2001

Before words like impervious cover, watershed, or environmental impact were important in the planning of buildings, commercial centers, or townhouses. There was Design with Nature, by Ian L. McHarg. First published in 1969, it was one of the first contemporary books to combine science with poetical writing and to call for environmental planning on a local level. According to McHarg, everything in the environment (such as humans, rocks, soils, plants, animals, and ecosystems) should be taken into account when planning anything built by humans.

Take for example how McHarg describes the design of a highway, which is something we have plenty of in Monmouth County and New Jersey, "The Task of the highway was to intervene with the least possible damage, to exploit and reveal the visual qualities of the landscape while meeting traffic requirements. So that…in the Palisades Parkway, and perhaps most clearly, in the Skyline Drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway, these objectives were accomplished." Imagine then if the same care for the landscape that went into building these roadways during the 50s and 60s went into the design for a mass-transportation system today. 

McHarg was not only concerned with roads, however, he was also one of the first people to realize that the best way to preserve open space is to sustain our urban areas, which contain existing resources (such as sewer systems and streets) to handle human growth. Uniquely, McHarg approaches the understanding of our urban areas and their modern problems by visualizing the evolution of our historic cities. He writes: 

The original cities and towns of the American 18th century were admirable - Charleston and Savannah, Williamsburg, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans. The land was rich and beautiful, canons of taste espoused the 18th-century forms of architecture and town buildings, a wonder of humanity and elegance. How then did our plight come to be and what can be done about it…. Our failure is that of the Western World and lies in (its) prevailing values…the hot-dog stands, the neon shill, the ticky-tacky houses, dysgenic city and mined landscapes. This is the image of the anthropocentric man: he seeks not unity with nature but conquest.

It is clear that McHarg's solution to improving our environment in America is to improve society's level of education about ecology. During the planning phase for development projects, citizens should not only take into account such limited issues as local tax revenue or property values, but a project's future pollution and degradation on the landscape. We should think holistically about expansion and how it will affect our wetlands, forests, wildlife habitat, historic landmarks, scenic views, town character, and existing land-use when even the simplest form of human development takes place within our communities. 

We have to remember that before 1970s, a majority of citizens were not concerned with the protection of our natural environment. Consequently, Monmouth County lost thousands of acres of valuable wetlands, open space, and beachfront property to development projects that would most likely not be approved today due to existing Federal or State environmental laws. Time is quickly running out for our society to rethink the way we plan for development vs. open space.

During the past thirty years, Design with Nature has helped thousands of people to realize that good local planning leads to the protection and preservation of our natural resources. As McHarg states:

Consider that if you are required to design a flight of steps or a sidewalk, there are clear and stringent regulations; there are constraints against the sale of cigarettes and alcohol to minors…and there are strong laws to deter assault, rape, and murder….But there is no comparable concern, reflected in law, that ensures that your house is not built on a floodplain, on unconsolidated sediments, in an earthquake zone, hurricane path, fire-prone forest, or in areas liable to mudslides. 

As you might guess, I strongly encourage you to read a copy of Ian L. McHarg's Design with Nature. I believe that you will find the book as fresh and relevant as it was in 1969. Once you have read it, I think you will never look at another road, city, or even your home in the same manner and perhaps you will be motivated enough to go out and design your own community with nature. 

sosap@gateway.net - contact Joe Reynolds
http://www.ahherald.com/atlantichighlands/lenprsvshots.htm - Lenape Woods Preserve