The evolution of the residential subdivision has paralleled the development of the landscape architectural profession in Australia. Contemporary planning and design is expected to be responsive to environmental conditions, taking into consideration site and context, water-sensitive urban design and the integration of landscape features. These expectations came from important precedents that stemmed, in part, from contributions by the founders of the profession.
Before the emergence of landscape architecture in Australia in the 1960s and 1970s, engineers, surveyors, architects, planners, housing commissions and state planning authorities held sway. “Open space” could be anything from a cricket ground to a patch of vacant green space marooned by streets. Features such as the “neighbourhood unit” – with school, shops and amenities including the obligatory open space and pedestrian links – stretched as far as Woomera in the South Australian desert. The result was often bleak.
via. ArchitectureAU Latest