A dual portrait of America’s first great architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, and her finest landscape designer, Frederick Law Olmsted—and their immense impact on AmericaAs the nation recovered from a cataclysmic war, two titans of design profoundly influenced how Americans came to interact with the built and natural world around them through their pioneering work in architecture and landscape design.Frederick Law Olmsted is widely revered as America’s first and finest parkmaker and environmentalist, the force behind Manhattan’s Central Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, Biltmore’s parkland in Asheville, dozens of parks across the country, and the preservation of Yosemite and Niagara Falls. Yet his close friend and sometime collaborator, Henry Hobson Richardson, has been almost entirely forgotten today, despite his outsized influence on American architecture—from Boston’s iconic Trinity Church to Chicago’s Marshall Field Wholesale Store to the Shingle Style and the wildly popular “open plan” he conceived for family homes. Individually they created much-beloved buildings and public spaces. Together they married natural landscapes with built structures in train stations and public libraries that helped drive the shift in American life from congested cities to developing suburbs across the country.The small, reserved Olmsted and the passionate, Falstaffian Richardson could not have been more different in character, but their sensibilities were closely aligned. In chronicling their intersecting lives and work in the context of the nation’s post-war renewal, Hugh Howard reveals how these two men created original all-American idioms in architecture and landscape that influence how we enjoy our public and private spaces to this day. Read more

This award-winning history provides a fascinating look at the Civil War era oil boom in western Pennsylvania and its devastating impact on the region. In Petrolia, Brian Black offers a geographical and social history of a region that was not only the site of America’s first oil boom but was also the world’s largest oil producer between 1859 and 1873. Against the background of the growing demand for petroleum throughout and immediately following the Civil War, Black describes Oil Creek Valley’s descent into environmental hell. Known as “Petrolia,” the region of northwestern Pennsylvania charged the popular imagination with its nearly overnight transition from agriculture to industry. But so unrestrained were these early efforts at oil drilling, Black writes, that “the landscape came to be viewed only as an instrument out of which one could extract crude.” In a very short time, Petrolia was a ruined place—environmentally, economically, and to some extent even culturally. Black gives historical detail and analysis to account for this transformation.Winner of the Paul H. Giddens Prize in Oil History from Oil Heritage Region, Inc. Read more

One of the American Planning Association’s most popular and influential books is finally in paperback, with a new preface from the author on how thinking about parking has changed since this book was first published. In this no-holds-barred treatise, Donald Shoup argues that free parking has contributed to auto dependence, rapid urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Planners mandate free parking to alleviate congestion but end up distorting transportation choices, debasing urban design, damaging the economy, and degrading the environment. Ubiquitous free parking helps explain why our cities sprawl on a scale fit more for cars than for people, and why American motor vehicles now consume one-eighth of the world's total oil production. But it doesn't have to be this way. Shoup proposes new ways for cities to regulate parking – namely, charge fair market prices for curb parking, use the resulting revenue to pay for services in the neighborhoods that generate it, and remove zoning requirements for off-street parking. Such measures, according to the Yale-trained economist and UCLA planning professor, will make parking easier and driving less necessary. Join the swelling ranks of Shoupistas by picking up this book today. You'll never look at a parking spot the same way again. Read more

This volume of APA's Delta Urbanism series traces the development of New Orleans from precolonial times to post-Katrina realities, in the context of the deltaic plain on which it lies. The book describes the underlying physical terrain and covers the various transformations humans have made to it: site selection, settlement, urbanization, population, expansion, drainage, protection, exploitation, devastation, and recovery. What New Orleans has experienced foretells what similar cities will be tackling in years to come. Read more

Beginning with the foundations of community development, An Introduction to Community Development offers a comprehensive and practical approach to planning for communities. Road-tested in the authors’ own teaching, and through the training they provide for practicing planners, it enables students to begin making connections between academic study and practical know-how from both private and public sector contexts. An Introduction to Community Development shows how planners can utilize local economic interests and integrate finance and marketing considerations into their strategy. Most importantly, the book is strongly focused on outcomes, encouraging students to ask: what is best practice when it comes to planning for communities, and how do we accurately measure the results of planning practice? This newly revised and updated edition includes:increased coverage of sustainability issues, discussion of localism and its relation to community development,quality of life, community well-being and public health considerations, and content on local food systems. Each chapter provides a range of reading materials for the student, supplemented with text boxes, a chapter outline, keywords, and reference lists, and new skills based exercises at the end of each chapter to help students turn their learning into action, making this the most user-friendly text for community development now available. Read more

If a local college gives a city planner tickets to a sold-out football game, is it wrong to take them – even if the planner pays? Should a planning consultant bid on a project that has a clearly unrealistic timeframe? Can a planning director moonlight for another agency? For practicing planners, potential ethics violations abound, and the eye of public scrutiny never blinks.  Planners need a guide, and now they have it: the first guidebook based on the current revision of the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. The Ethical Planning Practitioner presents 76 scenarios, all real-life dilemmas based on the code's rules of conduct. Each scenario comes with tools to help planners explore the answers on their own, in a training session, or in a classroom.  This vital handbook looks at everyday ethics the way planners need to see them, in black, white, and shades of gray – but most of all, clearly. It will not only instruct but inspire planners to strengthen the public's trust. Read more

Announcing the new revised edition of the classic industry reference! Landscape Graphics is the architect’s ultimate guide to all the basic graphics techniques used in landscape design and landscape architecture. Progressing from the basics into more sophisticated techniques, this guide offers clear instruction on graphic language and the design process, the basics of drafting, lettering, freehand drawing and conceptual diagramming, perspective drawing, section elevations, and more. It also features carefully sequenced exercises, a complete file of graphic symbols for sections and perspectives, and a handy appendix of conversions and equivalents. Read more

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A leading landscape designer shows how an ecological approach can lead to beautiful gardens that benefit the environment—and require less time and money.   According to landscape designer Larry Weaner, conventional gardening is full of counter-intuitive, time-consuming, and even harmful habits. The constant tilling, weeding, irrigating, and fertilizing create perpetual disturbance in a plot’s ecology—and waste countless hours in a dubious struggle against nature.   In Gardening Revolution, Weaner offers a radically new approach based on the ways plants and wildlife behave in nature. He advocates for a more fluid style, choosing plants that are adapted to the soil and climate and then capitalizing on positive developments as they occur. This lushly photographed reference is for anyone looking for a better, smarter way to garden. Read more

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Theme parks are a uniquely interactive and enduring form of entertainment that have influenced architecture, technology and culture in surprising ways for more than a century, as Scott Lukas now reveals in his compelling book.Theme Park takes the primitive amusements of pleasure gardens as its starting point and launches from there into a rich, in-depth investigation of the evolution of the theme park over the twentieth century. Lukas examines theme parks in countries around the world – including the United States, UK, Europe, Japan, China, South Africa and Australia – and how themed fairs and parks developed through diverse means and in a variety of settings. The book examines world-famous and lesser-known parks, including the early parks of Coney Island, a series of World Fairs and their luxurious exhibition halls, Six Flags parks and virtual theme parks today, and, of course, Disneyland and Walt Disney World.Lukas analyses the theme park as a living entity that unexpectedly shapes people, their relationships and the world around them. Ultimately, Theme Park reveals, the wider influence of theme parks can be found in the shopping malls, branded stores and casinos that employ the techniques of amusement parks to dominate our current entertainment world.Packed with captivating illustrations, Theme Park takes us on a historical roller-coaster ride that both reanimates the places that shaped our childhoods and anticipates the future of escapism and fantasy fun. Read more

In this book you'll learn about working in the field of landscape architecture.Landscape architects design landscapes that can withstand the impacts of climate change, including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and sea-level rise. This often involves planting drought-resistant vegetation and creating resilient urban infrastructure.Landscape architects integrate natural elements into urban environments to improve human well-being. Read more

A critical account of the design methods used by landscape architects since c1860. Classified as Modern, Postmodern and Post-postmodern, they include craft design, design-by-drawing, Survey-Analysis-Design, Landscape Urbanism, Geodesign and Ecological Urbanism. The length (19,300 words) is about that of a two chapters in a print book. Tom Turner is a landscape architect, a garden historian and the author of printed books on these subjects (available Amazon).ContentsPART 1 IntroductionPART 2 Design methods: Mo, PoMo and PoPoMo1. Context-sensitive landscape architecture2. Aims of landscape architecture3. Landscape architecture theory4. Design theories 5. Mo, PoMo and PoPoMo art 6. Modern Landscape Architecture Theory 7. Postmodern Landscape Design8. Post-postmodern Landscape Design 9. On values10. MANIFESTOPART 3 Landscape design and planning methods1. Design methods2. Pre-modern design methods3. Modern design methods4. Post-Fordist design5. Fordism and the built environment6. Knowledge-intensive planning7. Designing a resort in Hawaii8. Planning London’s river landscapePART 4 Layered landscape design 1. Structuralism, design-by-layers, GIS and Geodesign2. The birth of the urban planner3. The death of The Planner4. The birth of the landscape layerer5. Landscape planning-by-layers6. The life of landscape and urban planning7. GeodesignAPPENDIX: Note on related eBooks Read more

Have you ever considered how architecture impacts humanity and global ecosystems, as an integrated context? Terrestrial Architecture dives deep into the concepts of environmental design and large-scale architecture, exploring the future of our biological systems at critical scales. Through the frameworks of geometry, geospatial modeling, and philosophy the book outlines the sacred relationship of design and computation with the biosphere. By analyzing ecological and biological systems, we can better comprehend the nature of creation and imagine particular futures for our cities, our ecologies, and our planet as a whole. Terrestrial Architecture outlines opportunities to engage in the transformation of our environments through techniques of design, visualization, and collaborative thinking, providing space for all to have agency in our Earth's evolution. Read more

"The Ten Books on Architecture: Vitruvius Pollio's Insights on Design" stands as a cornerstone in the study of architecture, offering a profound glimpse into the design principles of ancient Rome through the eyes of Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. This seminal work not only provides technical guidance but also explores the philosophy behind enduring architecture—firmness, utility, and beauty. It remains a vital resource for modern architects, historians, and designers seeking to understand the origins of architectural theory and its continuing relevance today.Written in the 1st century BC, The Ten Books on Architecture is more than a manual; it is a comprehensive exploration of the architect’s role in society. Vitruvius connects architecture with a broad spectrum of disciplines, including astronomy, music, medicine, and geometry, advocating for the architect as a well-rounded intellectual. His emphasis on harmony between human proportions and structural design laid the foundation for classical and Renaissance architecture and still informs design aesthetics in the modern era.Vitruvius’ meticulous observations cover everything from city planning, water systems, and materials, to the importance of environmental factors in construction. His reflections on acoustics in theatres and symmetry in temples are just as relevant now as they were in antiquity. This enduring legacy invites not just admiration for Roman engineering, but a deeper appreciation for the unity between science and art in shaping the built environment. The Ten Books on Architecture: Vitruvius Pollio's Insights on Design continues to enlighten readers with its timeless vision of architectural integrity and innovation.⭐⭐⭐ “A foundational text that gives essential insights into classical architecture. While some parts felt dense and technical, it’s undeniably valuable for understanding the roots of design thinking. Great for scholars, but casual readers may find it challenging.”⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A brilliant historical document with ideas that surprisingly resonate even in modern architecture. The blend of science, art, and philosophy is fascinating. Some sections are a bit outdated, but that’s to be expected from a work of this age.”⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Vitruvius’ work is intellectually rich and deeply influential. This edition brings a clearer view of ancient architecture and its guiding principles. A must-read for architecture enthusiasts, although it demands patience to absorb fully.”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “An awe-inspiring treatise that bridges ancient wisdom and modern application. Vitruvius’ insights on symmetry and proportion are invaluable, and his interdisciplinary approach is ahead of its time. Essential reading for anyone passionate about design.”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “This book changed the way I perceive architecture. Vitruvius’ vision of the architect as a master of multiple arts is timeless. His observations remain surprisingly applicable, and the philosophical depth is truly moving.” Read more

AHS Book Award winner   Rock gardening —the art of growing alpines and other miniature plants in the company of rocks in order to recreate the look of a rugged mountaintop—has been surging in popularity. Time and space constraints, chronic drought in the American West, and a trend toward architectural plants are just a few of the reasons for the increased interest. Rock Gardening brings this traditional style to a new generation of gardeners. It includes a survey of gorgeous rock gardens from around the world, the techniques and methods specific to creating and maintaining a rock garden, and profiles of the top 50 rock garden plants. Read more

In The Spirit of Stone, award-winning designer Jan Johnsen presents a richly photographed, authoritative guide to creative and practical uses for stone in the landscape: steps, paths, garden walls, dry streams, benches, rock gardens, driveways and more. The Spirit of Stone is an essential idea book and how-to for designers, stonemasons, builders, homeowners and DIYers. Read more

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Discover the art and science of transforming dimly lit, forgotten spaces into lush, vibrant sanctuaries with Awesome Shade Gardens: How to Plan, Design and Install. Whether you’re battling frosty northern winters or basking in subtropical warmth, this comprehensive guide takes you step-by-step through site selection, garden design, plant choices, and garden construction tailored to USDA and Canada zones 2 to 12. With expert advice and artful inspiration, you’ll learn how to create serene retreats bursting with texture, color, and life in dappled, part, or deep shade areas. Author Janis Fedorowick, an accomplished landscape architect with decades of experience crafting extraordinary public spaces across 15 countries. shares her creative talents and professional insights, inviting readers to reimagine the potential of their outdoor spaces. Janis is also a gifted storyteller and author of the acclaimed historical fiction novel The Silent Canoe which was featured on two episodes of The Agenda with Steve Paikin. Let this straightforward guide be your roadmap to transform overlooked and challenging spaces into an awesome garden oasis. Read more

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